The Hatters made a trio of D-2 tourneys from 1967-1971, and although they have yet to make an NCAA tourney they have made the CBI twice in the past 3 years. 1 of the best all-around players in school history was Divine Myles, who remains top-5 in career PTS/AST/STL. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Divine about being a great PG and playing pro basketball overseas. Today is the 3rd anniversary of Divine being named to the ASUN All-Decade team on July 15, 2020, so we take this time to remember his remarkable accomplishment.
In the 2014 Alabama 6A state title game you scored a game-high 23 PTS but missed a 3-PT shot at the buzzer in a 3-PT loss to Mountain Brook: where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? All of my family/friends were there so it was a big 1. We were not used to losing so it remains heartbreaking even 9 years later…but that is just life.
You received scholarship offers from some big-time schools including Auburn/Seton Hall: what made you choose Stetson? My relationship with the coach. He said that he would give me the keys and let me drive, which was more convincing than the other coaches who recruited me.
You started 30 games as a freshman and were named to the conference All-Freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? It is a very big transition as the college guys are bigger/stronger/faster and have a higher IQ. You do not know exactly what to expect at the highest level of college basketball but God has always been with me. I trusted in him and I was able to go out there, play very well, and get a lot of accolades.
In the 2016 ASUN tourney title game you scored 11 PTS but Zach Johnson blocked your shot with 4 seconds left in OT in a 2-PT loss to FGCU: how were you able to make such a great postseason run after entering the tourney with 21 losses? I have never seen such a quick turnaround by a team that had a losing regular season. We won our quarterfinal/semifinal games by 20 PTS each and were just clicking at the right moment. You can win every singe game during the regular season but if you lose just once in the postseason then you are out: that is when big-time players step up.
Your 1845 career PTS are the most in school history: what is the secret to being a great scorer? I did not even think about that even while I was there: I was just playing ball and doing whatever it took for us to win, be it scoring or facilitating. I worked on different moves and turned into a scorer after being a true PG my entire life. I looked up to guys like Rajon Rondo/Steve Nash but when I got to college the game was changing with guys like Steph Curry/Damian Lillard putting up 20/30/40 PPG so I knew that I had to adjust.
You are also top-5 in school history with 159 STL/501 AST: what is the key to being a good PG? You need to have a great feel for the game: some games involved more fast-break action while others have more half-court sets. You have to set the tempo whether it is a strategic or athletic game.
In 2020 you were named to the ASUN All-Decade Team: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? That was big because I did not think that would come until well after I graduated. There were a lot of great players at Stetson who put up big-time numbers and I was proud to have done that at a smaller school.
You have spent some time playing pro basketball overseas: how does basketball in the US compare to basketball in other countries? It is different for sure because there are great players overseas. I am entering my 6th year of pro ball: the guys overseas might not be as athletic as Americans but they are VERY physical/strategic. They have been taught fundamentals from a very young age and even in their 30s they are doing the same routine. There are a lot of international players in the NBA now.
Your cousin Todd played basketball at Mississippi State: who is the best athlete in the family? I would say me, of course, but I have nothing but respect for Todd. He paved the way for me and had some AAU/high school connections that helped me out because he was a big-time player himself.
When people look back on your career, how do you want to be remembered the most? Just like a dog/killer. When I hang my sneakers up I hope they think of me as someone special who would not back down from anybody. My teammates often called me that and I lived by that. You do not always need to score the most PTS but you have to be tenacious and do whatever it takes to win on defense, in timeouts, and by calling out the right sets.