Greek mythology has Midas. A king that turned everything he touched to gold.
The NCAA has Tulsa senior guard Miles Barnstable. A player who no matter what program he’s playing for, they win.
For Barnstable, it’s no coincidence that success follows him so closely. He’s invested years of discipline into his craft and his return on investment has been fruitful.
According to a 2024 report by the NCAA, just 1.5% of high-school players across the United States go on to play men’s Division III basketball. The odds grow even slimmer as you climb the divisional ranks. Only 1% of U.S. high-school athletes make it to a men’s Division I program.
The first stop for Barnstable was UW-Whitewater. Committing to a school in his home state of Wisconsin allowed Barnstable to hone in on his skills and develop as a leader without sacrificing comfort.
As a freshman he averaged 16.2 points per game and was a very efficient three point shooter. For many, the transition to college basketball is tough but Barnstable made it look easy. UW-Whitewater even made a Division III National Championship run that sadly ended in the Final Four.
As a sophomore, he stepped up and became one of the go-to guys for the Warhawks. Naturally as you begin to take more shots, your percentages and averages are susceptible to dip. Nonetheless, the 16.4 points per game he averaged led the team.
Additionally, at UW-Whitewater Barnstable also got to play alongside his brother Delvin. It’s a pretty cool feat that not many athletes can relate to.
When Barnstable’s sophomore campaign came to a close, it became clear he had outgrown the competition on the D3 level. He would bring three-level scoring, tenacity on defense, and a winning mentality to whatever team gave him an opportunity.
That team ended up becoming St. Thomas in Minnesota. In his first season for the Tommies, Barnstable proved he belonged at the highest level of college basketball.
“I’ve always believed in myself, even when I was at D3. It just kind of affirmed to me… I can really compete with these guys,” Barnstable told The Portal Report in an exclusive interview.
Barnstable’s arrival to Division I was nothing short of impressive. As a newcomer he led the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game and was an overall leader for St. Thomas.
He had a standout game against North Dakota where he posted his career high in scoring with 30 points. St. Thomas was also undefeated on home court at 14-0 and turned Schoenecker Arena into a fortress.
The Tommies advanced all the way to the Summit League Championship. Although they ultimately fell to Omaha, their season was still a success and Barnstable was a huge part of that.
He earned Summit League All-First Team honors at the conclusion of the year but he had one more stop to make.
After committing to Tulsa on April 9, 2025, Barnstable would embark on his final undergraduate college basketball season. He was determined to tap into another level and he did.
This season, Barnstable is second in scoring on the team with 14.9 points per game only behind senior forward David Green. He also earned MVP honors at the Acrisure Holiday Invitational as Tulsa won the championship there. Above all, his 42.6% three point percentage leads not only the Golden Hurricane but the entire American conference. This is something he was adamant on improving.
“I definitely wasn’t happy with how I shot it last year. I feel like I’ve been more level with my mentality of [knowing] you’re going to miss shots. That’s part of basketball and being a shooter.”
Even the best professional shooters know that missing comes with the territory. Barnstable embraces that reality and keeps firing — which is exactly what makes him such a dangerous weapon from beyond the arc.
Positioned third in the American Conference standings, Tulsa is entering the most critical stretch of its season, where maintaining focus and intensity will be key heading into the conference tournament.
In a one-bid league where they’ll likely need to win multiple games in a row to earn their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016, Barnstable understands that this group has to remain focused to make that happen.
“It would mean a lot [to help lead Tulsa to the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade]. Seeing the impact that winning basketball has on the city is really cool to see,” Barnstable said.
The Golden Hurricane have a real shot to make noise this postseason, thanks in large part to their own version of King Midas. Everywhere Miles Barnstable has gone, success has followed, and Tulsa has proven no exception.
