“Transition” for most basketball players describes the quick turnaround from offense to defense after a turnover or steal.
To Loyola junior Paul McMillan, the word means the 180-degree turnaround he undergoes when he switches from a 6-foot-6-inch, 240-pound power forward to a gentle father of three young children.
McMillan underwent such a transition Sunday. He had a team-high 21 points and a game-high 15 rebounds as Loyola beat Wright State 67-56 in a ragged game that included 40 fouls, 44 free throws, 27 turnovers and 78 missed field-goal attempts.
Then McMillan left Gentile Center for his nearby apartment to be with his wife, Amy, their son Isiah, 6, and their toddler daughters, Miracle and Sheiara.
“I’m a gentle father,” the 23-year-old Cincinnati native said. “The change can be a little tough, but I love to go right from the game to be home with my wife and children.”
The picture of McMillan, the gentle father, might have been tough for the Raiders (6-5) to grasp after they lost their Horizon League opener to the Ramblers, who improved to 6-9 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
“McMillan was an animal around the basket,” said Wright State guard Vernard Hollins, who hit 8-of-14 free throws among his 20 points. “He was the man on the boards.”
Wright State’s 6-7 Seth Doliboa scored 26 points as he and Hollins lived up to their repuations as the league’s top two scorers.
But Wright State lacked balance. The Raiders’ two stars scored 46 of their 56 points and took 43 of the team’s 59 shots.
Loyola, after McMillan’s 21 points and David Bailey’s 12, had Demetrius Williams at nine, Kevin Clancy eight, Corey Minnifield seven and Louis Smith six.
Loyola coach Larry Farmer made clear McMillan’s role when he recruited him from Aiken Junior College in Ohio.
“I knew my job was to rebound,” McMillan said. “It was to try to replace Ryan Blankson, who led the league in rebounding last year.”
McMillan’s 15 rebounds Sunday raised his average to 8.7 per game, tops in the Horizon League.
