Florida's Miller Cleared To Play

Florida officials cleared forward Mike Miller to play in the Final Four after determining he made no improper contact with an agent who called him 45 times since last September.

"This is not a major problem," coach Billy Donovan said Thursday when the team arrived in Indianapolis. "There are no issues with Mike Miller, no issues eligibility-wise. He's going to play. To harp on it would take away from what this team has accomplished and what it's trying to do."

In a story Thursday, The New York Times reported agent Andy Miller could have broken laws in Tennessee and Florida by calling Miller and Tennessee guard Tony Harris.

Mike Miller acknowledged that the agent called him at least 45 times since Sept. 1 and that they had spoken at least 20 times.

The agent, who is not related to the player, is not registered to practice as an agent in either state, which both have agent laws.

"At least theoretically, this is a violation of Florida law," said Bill Cervone, assistant state attorney in Florida. "It's something that has to be looked into. So far, nothing has been brought to our attention."

University police said they had received information about the case from the Florida compliance office and had assigned an investigator.

Athletic director Jeremy Foley said the sophomore forward did nothing to compromise his eligibility.

"We're here to win a national championship," Foley said, "not talk about agents."

Still, agents have been a frequently discussed topic in Gainesville over the past year.

University police have filed a sworn complaint against agent Tank Black in an unrelated case involving improper contact with former Gator football players. It was the aftermath of that case that led Florida to redouble its efforts in educating players about agents.

"I have not violated any NCAA rules and my total focus is on getting ready to play North Carolina in the Final Four," Miller said.

The news broke soon after Donovan lectured his players of the distractions awaiting them at the Final Four.

"This isn't a distraction to us, because Mike didn't do anything wrong," guard Kenyan Weaks said, repeating the mantra to several reporters who interviewed him.

Tennessee athletic director Doug Dickey released a statement saying Harris had acknowledged talking to the agent about 12 times.

"At this point, we are not aware of anything that constitutes an NCAA violation," Dickey said.

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