Prep teammates Dusty Stromer, Mercy Miller on opposing squads for Gonzaga-Houston clash
Gonzaga wing Dusty Stromer leaps to catch a high pass against Georgia's Silas Demary Jr. during the second half of GU's victory Thursday. (TYLER TJOMSLAND/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
WICHITA, Kan. – The texts started flying between Gonzaga’s Dusty Stromer and Houston’s Mercy Miller right after the NCAA Tournament brackets were released Sunday afternoon.
The TV screen showed the Midwest Region bracket with Gonzaga vs. Georgia and Houston vs. SIU-Edwardsville, winners colliding in the second round. Stromer quickly reached for his phone to message his former Notre Dame High (Sherman Oaks, California) teammate.
“He said, ‘This is crazy,’ and I said, ‘I know bro, we’re going to see y’all soon,’ ” said Miller, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard for the Cougars. “Just to play against them, that’s big for both of us.”
The two were able to connect in person when both teams had dinner at the same restaurant Tuesday in Wichita.
The 6-6 Stromer, Miller and point guard Caleb Foster, a sophomore at Duke, led Notre Dame to a CIF state championship in Stromer’s senior season. The Knights were a tad undersized – Stromer usually was in the circle for the opening tip – but they were tough to guard because of the trio’s versatility.
“We were all playing basically ‘1’ through ‘5,’ moving all over the court, trying to make things happen,” Stromer said. “We were attacking all kinds of ways. All of us could play at a high level and we were giving it to each other and scoring in a bunch of different ways.”
Miller, one year younger than Stomer, remembered Stromer putting on a shooting clinic at their first practice.
“He’s going through shooting drills, me and him were talking mess and going back and forth,” Miller said. “He started talking with coach (Matt Sargeant) and then he got hot, hit a whole bunch of 3s from the top. I was like, ‘Man, this dude can shoot it.’ ”
Notre Dame defeated Sierra Canyon, led by Bronny and Bryce James, LeBron’s sons, four times that season, one with Gonzaga coach Mark Few watching inside a packed gym.
Miller has seen limited minutes backing up Houston’s talented starting guards. Miller and his older brother Hercy played at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis when they were younger with former Zags standouts Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren. Hercy is a senior guard at Southern Utah. Hercy and Mercy are the sons of hip-hop mogul Percy “Master P” Miller.
Stromer and Miller went at it during Notre Dame practices and the competition helped both improve.
“Mercy is a natural scorer, plays 100% all the time, never stops,” said Stromer, who is averaging 18 minutes per game in his sophomore season. “Super high motor. He’s basically a perfect fit for Houston. Great player.”
They would likely guard each other if they’re both on the court Saturday.
“It’d be great,” Stromer said. “I’d love to guard him and him to guard me. We had a ton of battles in practice in high school. There’d be a lot of trash talk as soon as we step between the lines.”
No doubt followed by texts back and forth after the game.
“We used to compete and we won a state championship together,” Miller said. “So those memories will stick with us for a lifetime. That’s my brother.”