Kiyomi McMiller threw Rutgers HC under the bus after getting benched vs JuJu Watkins’ USC, claims hoops analyst

Robin Lundberg gave his two cents on Rutgers' Kiyomi McMiller's Instagram post to inform fans about her absence from the Knights' 92-42 loss to JuJu Watkins and fourth-ranked USC on Sunday. McMiller shared that she would not suit up, saying that it was Rutgers coach Coquese Washington's decision.

While Lundberg supported McMiller's gesture towards her fanbase, he said that her post placed the coach in a difficult spot, questioning the guard's approach.

"So, apologizes to the fans, which, I guess, is nice – don't want to miss the game, people were looking forward to the game," Lundberg said in his YouTube video on Monday, "But throws the head coach under the bus in the process and, of course, intimates that that was a coach's decision.

"And for a player of her caliber, a coach's decision likely had a reason behind it, probably wasn't for nothing."

Kiyomi McMiller is the Rutgers' star, earning a team-high 29.6 minutes per game. She leads the Knights (8-7, 0-4 Big Ten) in scoring (19.9 points per game) and assists (3.2 apg). She is also the program's best 3-point shooter at 37.8%.

USC (14-1, 4-0) stormed to a 92-42 win in the absence of the Rutgers guard. However, JuJu Watkins and USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb expressed disappointment in not being able to face McMiller. Rutgers and USC will not face each other again this season unless they face each other in the postseason.

Why did Coquese Washington bench Kiyomi McMiller?

When Coquese Washington was asked about her decision about Kiyomi McMiller, she said that she is handling the issue internally. Taking a page out of Kansas State's coach Jerome Tang's coaching style, she pressed on the holistic aspects of being a coach.

"The thing with Kiyomi is, we're going to keep it internal," she said.

"For me, coaching is not just about what happens on the court on game day, it's about how we impact these young women ... from their character to their growth into womanhood into their decision-making."

Kiyomi McMiller and Rutgers will face the Minnesota Golden Gophers on the road on Wednesday.