Alabama is not taking any chances with Brandon Miller at the NCAA Tournament.
Miller, the star NBA prospect on the Crimson Tide who allegedly brought a gun to a former teammate that was ultimately used in a murder, was escorted Wednesday afternoon by an armed security guard to Alabama practice.
“If you guys saw some of what I’ve seen sent his way, I think you would understand why that’s the case,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said about the guard, noting that the university made the arrangements for the security.
“I don’t want to get into all that. The entire situation, as you know, is just a heartbreaking situation on all accounts.”
Miller claimed the accompaniment was typical.
“I always travel with security to all the games,” he said. “That’s all I’m gonna say on that.”
Oats pointed to some of the vitriol that has come Miller’s way this season.
“Some of the messages from people that can sit behind fake email addresses, but who knows whether they’re real or not,” Oats said. “But if you’d seen what I’ve seen, you would understand what’s going on right now.”
Police said that Miller brought the gun that was used in the shooting death of 23-year-old mother Jamea Harris to his former teammate Darius Miles.
Miles, who has been indicted on capital murder charges, admitted giving the gun to friend Michael Lynn Davis, who is accused of shooting Harris dead.
Miller was not charged in the incident.
“I never lose sight of the fact that a family has lost one of their loved ones that night,” Miller said at a press conference at the SEC Tournament in Nashville last week. “This whole situation is just really heartbreaking.
“Respectfully, that’s all I’m going to be able to say on that.”
Miller averaged 19.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for Alabama, which is a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.
He is seen as a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft — it is conceivable he could go as high as second overall behind French prodigy Victor Wembanyama — but his draft status could also be affected by his role in the tragedy.
