"When news of Andre Miller's 52-point outing at Dallas on Jan. 30 spread, the reaction among those who know the Portland guard best was almost universal. And local basketball guru Guss Armstead, it's safe to say, could have been the spokesman of that elated bunch.

"It definitely surprised me, because his whole game has always been an attack game but more of a facilitator, getting other guys involved," said Armstead, who has welcomed Miller into his high-level summertime scrimmages and watched him closely for years. "To see him get 50 (points)? I think a lot of people were really surprised. I think everybody was pretty surprised that Andre Miller scored 50 points. I can't honestly say I saw that coming."

One of the league's most underrated point guards has flown under the radar in Sacramento for nearly 20 years.

Before Miller had numerous houses in the area and spent his offseasons in El Dorado Hills, he would head north from his Los Angeles hometown during childhood summers to stay with aunts and uncles in the region. His roots here grew deeper during his high school years, when Miller's Verbum Dei teams would take part in the Father Barry Classic at Jesuit High and Miller met his adopted family.

During Miller's sophomore year, he became instant friends with then-Jesuit freshman Dominick Barnett. He would stay at Dwight and Kim Barnett's three-bedroom house in Antelope during the tournament every year, enjoying the family atmosphere and homecooked soul food that has grown into a business."