Confidence comes in every way, in every corner. A little here. A little there.

It can be progressive, reinforced by moments which slightly modify the trajectory. Stacked on top of each other, they become something bigger.

This is where Aztec basketball player Miles Heide is located.

He’s just a bit bigger, up to 230 pounds on his 6-foot-10 frame. This positioned him to hit better and hold his ground in the paint.

He’s just a little more emboldened to shoot from long range and expand the field. That’s no small thing for a player who was so big and chained in high school that he didn’t shoot a true jump shot in the game until his senior season.

He’s just a little older.

Stack, stack, stack.

“Just maturity,” sophomore Heide said when asked about his confidence. “I understand the game. The game has slowed down and I can see things more often. It doesn’t seem as fast as it used to and I understand what’s happening.

“My first regular season game was (Cal State) Fullerton (last season). It was going so fast for me. It was a full house. It’s definitely slowed down. I slowed down when I had the ball.

A door opened after painting freak Jaedon LeDee left. He has also opened for Magoon Gwath, Jared Coleman-Jones and Pharaoh Compton.

Can a dose of confidence propel Heide forward? Can this help him stand out from the pack?

In pre-season scrimmage against UCLAHeide had an and-one dunk with 53 seconds left in a one-point game won by the Aztecs. A glimpse of the type of moments possible?

“Afterward, it was definitely a thought that came to mind,” Heide said. “Hey, keep going.”

Heide was almost always the tallest player on the field in North Bend, Washington, located 30 miles east of Seattle.

That meant he wasn’t pushed to find more in his game. He parked himself under the hoop and stayed there. That made that first jump shot interesting.

“It was tough,” Heide said.

Eventually, he explored the terrain further and found his stroke.

“I took about 12 or 15 3s, not many,” Heide said. “But they said I was at 40 percent, so I’ll take that.”

Even though Heide is 0 of 3 from 3-point range this season, that indicates he won’t be afraid to shoot when the opportunity presents itself.

Under coach Brian Dutcher, the Aztecs’ players are allowed to expand their plays offensively, as long as they play defense as if each possession will decide a berth in the NCAA tournament.

“It’s been really important for me to constantly make shots and try to expand the floor,” Heide said. “I shoot in practice with confidence.”

There is this word. Trust.

This could be the most important factor in unlocking Heide’s game at the college level. Coleman-Jones, Gwath and Compton averaged more minutes, but he did things that were noticed.

Heide finished with five rebounds in an exhibition against Cal State San Marcos and had eight rebounds, six on the offensive end, during Tuesday’s victory against Occidental. Add in the moment against UCLA and you have breadcrumbs.

Heide also learned from the Aztecs who played before him, with the blues to prove it. He faced LeDee in practice, learning from each collision with award winner Karl Malone as the nation’s best forward.

“To be honest, you can’t really keep him,” Heide said. “He can shoot, he’s got a big enough body to intimidate you. You have to try to slow it down. But it’s been great to see how he approaches the game and trains. He’s at the gym all the time.

“It was a big motivation for me. Don’t stop grinding.

To this end, Heide gained “10 kilos”.

“Just being able to move guys around the paint easier,” he said. “More physics.”

Heide also benefited from the knowledge of former Aztecs player Aguek Arop, now a member of Dutcher’s staff as director of player development.

A fitting title, considering his work with Heide.

“We have AG on our team as a coach and that’s a big help to me,” Heide said. “He’s probably one of the best defenders in the program. This part is crucial for me.

One principle that Arop reinforced is what the Aztecs call “6 inches and bang.” You stay close to an offensive player and make contact to rattle the pace and knock him out of comfortable spots.

It’s the type of work that makes the Aztecs’ defensive pests top-tier. This is the kind of work that can give players like Heide minutes.

“Dutcher told us that being a post is probably the hardest thing to do on defense,” Heide said. “You have to see everything, you have to speak up, you have to be on the side of helping.

“AG helped me with that. I have improved.

Stack, stack, stack.

Originally published: November 16, 2024 at 12:53 p.m. PST