Alabama men's basketball star Brandon Miller was reportedly accompanied by security ahead of the NCAA March Madness Tournament due to threats directed his way, head coach Nate Oats told reporters on Wednesday (March 15).
“If you guys saw some of what I’ve seen sent his way, I think you would understand why that’s the case,” Oats said the Associated Press. “I don’t want to get into all that. The entire situation, as you know, is just a heartbreaking situation on all accounts.”
Miller, the SEC Player of the Year and a projected top pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft, was named in court testimony in the case of former teammate Darius Miles and Michael Davis, both of whom face capital murder charges in relation to the the January 15 death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris. A Tuscaloosa Police Officer testified that Miles -- who was dismissed from the team shortly after his arrest -- texted Miller asking him to bring Miles' gun just prior to the shooting incident.
Fellow freshman Alabama basketball player Jaden Bradley was also reported to be at the scene, but neither he nor Miller were accused of any crime and the University of Alabama described Miller as having been a cooperating witness to the Tuscaloosa Police Department's investigation, rather than a suspect.
Alabama is the top overall seed in the NCAA March Madness Tournament and the South Region, coming off an 82-63 win against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament Final in Nashville on Sunday (March 12). Miller recorded 23 points, six rebounds five assists during Sunday's win and averaged a conference-best 19.6 points, as well as 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists, during the 2022-23 season.
The Crimson Tide will face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday (March 16).
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