Miles itching to return following suspension

Arizona State coach Todd Graham said Sunday the actions that led to one game suspensions versus Northern Arizona for Jamal Miles, James Morrison and Sil Ajawara weren't recent and might not have been taken as seriously elsewhere but will under his direction.

Miles' suspension in particular drew a lot of attention because it was the first media became aware of and also due to the fact he didn't play in the Las Vegas Bowl last year for reasons never made public.

"He's a good kid," Graham said of Miles, a senior receiver. "Obviously I'm not going to talk about the circumstance of it, but he's a good person. I told the kids this is how it's going to be, and that's how it's going to be. I'll be real honest with you, those are the ones you'll see around and say, 'I don't know if that's a really good idea.' But at the end of the day, I think our team looked and said, 'Wow, when coach is going to hold one of the best players on our team accountable' for something that I don't want to say is not major, but probably somewhere else it wouldn't be anything.

"And I think that shows our players, and how he's handled that, and how Morrison's handled it and how Sil's handled it, our standard is different. That goes way back to when I first got here. He's done nothing but show me and demonstrate to me that. I have all the confidence in the world he's going to come back and play great and be a leader.

After a lackluster camp, the opening game suspension put a bit of a spotlight on Miles, particularly with true freshman Richard Smith stepping up with a receiver-best five catches in his place at the flanker position.

"It was pretty tough seeing my team out there without me," said Miles, who elected not to comment on the specific circumstances surrounding his suspension "It's always hard to watch from the sideline when you want to be out there with them.

"I really enjoyed watching our team play. We were out there disciplined, barely had turnovers and I think we're really good and just can't wait to get out there."

Miles said his conversion to being a full service receiver is ongoing and that he knows there are areas where he still has to make significant strides.

"The route running and sometimes I'm having a hard time getting to the deep balls when DBs are in front of me but I'm working on it," he said.

Sun Devils add Pitt transfer

Lloyd Carrington, a 6-foot-0, 190 pound sophomore cornerback who was recruited by Graham to Pitt and played at the school last season in seven games as true freshman, has transferred to ASU.

Carrington began attending classes at ASU last week and practiced for the first time Sunday. He'll sit out this season per transfer rules and have three remaining years of eligibility.

"It's a good coaching staff up there (at Pitt) but I just needed something different," Carrington said.

Coming out of Dallas (Texas) Lincoln High, Carrington reported 17 scholarship offers before selecting Pitt. He started camp at the school this year and was competing for a starting position before electing to transfer.

"Lloyd is a guy I recruited in the very beginning obviously," Graham said. "He's from my neck of the woods down in Dallas, Texas, and just a tremendous young man, great character. He's what a Division I corner ought to look like academically, on the field, physically, mentally, everything. He's a winner."