 Liles was then invited and selected to play in the U.S. National Team Development Program based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in which he was an integral part of the blueline in both the under-17s and −18 squads.In the 1999–2000 season, he was recruited to play collegiate hockey with Michigan State University of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) and as a Freshman led the defensemen in scoring with an impressive 28 points in 40 games.Emerging as an offensive talent, though hindered by size, Liles was drafted in the fifth round, 159th overall, in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the Colorado Avalanche.