Eric Miley

Your Final Jeopardy answer under the category Sidney Boys Basketball: "This four-year varsity player was named to three NYS All-Star teams and remains the Warriors' alltime leading scorer." Correct Response: Who is Eric Miley?

Let's take that response and run with it. Eric "BB" Miley had the benefit of having two older brothers and a dad who loved basketball which meant Eric did, too. He established a pattern where his early athletic abilities were evident in three sports all while often competing as the youngest player.

Case in point, little league baseball. Eric was only the third 10-year old to play for Bill Ray's Moose travel team of 12-13 year old boys. Baseball was actually his first favorite sport.

In youth football, competing with same-age peers, he was bigger than most. On the back of his #66 jersey was "BB Miley". It stood for "Big Bad Miley" which was obviously (and fortunately) shortened to his eventual nickname of "BB". As he got older, Eric developed into a fine receiver and linebacker. He still says there was nothing "like walking out of the firehouse and on to the field (under the lights) at Keith Clark Park." He played three varsity seasons and earned all-star status

Basketball was really where Eric showed a skill set that allowed older teams to recruit him. It also helped that brothers Shain and Neal were on those older teams. Soon his talents were on display as he made rosters in Oneonta, Binghamton, Syracuse and Rochester. He joined Neal on the Southern Tier Storm AAU squad as well

Eric made history during the 1996-97 season when he became the first freshman to suit up on the varsity team under Mike Brazee. When a senior left the team, BB stepped in as a starter - and never gave up his spot. He rarely looked to score yet had 188 points with a high of 17 in one game. Eric recalls it being a significant season team-wise in terms of growth, when a big lead was surrendered in the Sectional final to Trumansburg; this group was primed for the next season when no one would get in their way. They had a rigorous summer schedule that more than prepared them for success

A lot of attention is given to the 1997-98 State Champion Warriors. A detail that gets lost is when senior point guard Ryan Boyle was lost to injury during the thrilling Sus Championship game against rival Windsor at the Arena. Suddenly Sidney's major outside threat (BB) had to transition to point guard, which was a major shift in the team's game plan.

Eric's post-season play, which included late steals against formerly unbeaten Warsaw in a low-scoring (42-38) semifinal and draining several early 3-point shots in the finals versus Watervilet, put the now-sophomore on the All-Tournament team. Playing with Neal made it extra special.

Two years later, BB was the driving senior force on a team which overachieved into a return to the Final Four, He ended his scholastic career with 1,551 points, still most-ever in boys history and still 19th highest in the annals of Section IV hoops

Needless to say Eric was aggressively pursued by numerous schools D3, D2, and a few D1s. But a nagging back injury and a thirst for a quality education made his decision a little easier, He briefly played at Albany, then Cazenovia, before returning to Albany to pursue his Bachelor's degree. And he wasn't done! He earned a Master's in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore and a Master's of Science from Carnegie Mellon University

Eric Miley has been engaged in a high-level professional career much like he did during his basketball career. He has worked on major projects with the White House, former governors, and large tech companies. He's a highly sought-after expert in the areas of Philanthropy, Data Science, Technology and Social Impact

So, who is Eric Miley? Tonight he is a Class of 2022 inductee into the Sidney Alumni Sports Hall of Fame.