TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Over the past week, it has felt like the world has watched just about everything Brandon Miller has done.
On Wednesday night, in front of a friendly home crowd at Coleman Coliseum, ahead of a game against in-state rival Auburn, the world watched, of all things, pregame introductions. After the debacle of last Saturday—when, as was a routine this year with Alabama player introductions, Miller was patted down by a staff member—these introductions Wednesday night loomed large.
As Miller’s turn arrived, the public address announcer boomed his name, his face graced the jumbotron and the Coliseum shook with a roar reserved only for arguably the country’s best basketball player. He rose from the bench, walked toward the staff member and, as the world watched, nudged shoulders with the man.
No pat-down here, only a simple bump. Keeping with a promise coach Nate Oats made, the team changed its pregame routine in light of the backlash that ensued last week—an insensitive oversight given the circumstances.
Vasha Hunt/AP
You know the circumstances by now. Miller, a freshman forward who is projected as a top-three pick in the NBA draft, is a cooperating witness in a highly publicized police investigation into a shooting death that unfolded on Tuscaloosa’s entertainment district, The Strip, on Jan. 15.
Last Tuesday during a court hearing, Tuscaloosa police revealed that both Miller and fellow Alabama freshman Jaden Bradley were at the scene when Jamea Harris was shot and killed while sitting in a vehicle. Former Tide basketball player Darius Miles was charged, along with Michael Davis. While police say Miller drove to the scene of the crime with the eventual murder weapon in his backseat, he has not been charged because there is no evidence to prove he knew the intentions of Miles and Davis.
The situation has rocked the college basketball world. Alabama, possibly the best men’s team in the country, is poised to land a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, and, on this wild night in Tuscaloosa, the Tide claimed the SEC regular-season championship on the heels of an epic 90–85 comeback victory in overtime over the cross-state Tigers.
“I just couldn’t be more proud of those guys,” Oats says before mentioning the tragedy that unfolded this season. “It’s a heartbreaking situation that is never lost on us.”
On a cold shooting night, Miller scored 17—10 of those free throws—and the Tide stormed back from a 17-point deficit in the final 10 minutes, at one point reeling off a 16–0 run to bury Bruce Pearl’s team and finish undefeated at home this year.
In his third game since the latest police revelations emerged, Miller shone when it counted. His layup in overtime gave the Tide a five-point lead, and he grabbed an offensive rebound in the final seconds followed by two made free throws to ice the game.
“Brandon finds other ways to impact the game,” Oats says. “Made huge free throws down the stretch for us. He’s a winner and I’m proud of him.”
The Coleman crowd rocked and roared as the Tide (26–4 overall, 16–1 SEC) swept to what seemed like an improbable victory. Oats’s team trailed 66–49 with nine minutes and 32 seconds left before that wild run. The Tide closed regulation on a 26–9 spurt. At one point, Auburn (19–11, 9–8) went nearly six minutes without a score.
In overtime, the Tigers never led.
As the horn blared, Miller snatched a missed Auburn three-pointer from the court and flipped the ball into the air. During a rollicking, on-court celebration, Alabama players posed for photos in SEC championship T-shirts and cut down pieces of the nylon net.
In the midst of it all was Miller.
Both Miller and his team struggled from the start. Auburn led 10–2 six minutes in, and it took Miller 11 minutes before scoring his first points—two free throws. Down seven points at halftime, the Tide tied the game at 42 two minutes into the second half before an offensive collapse of epic proportions. Over the next seven minutes, Oats’s team scored seven points and Auburn cruised to a 17-point lead before Alabama’s scorching tear. Amid the run, a scuffle broke out on the court, and two Bama players were later ejected for leaving the bench.
The final minutes were soaked in drama and intensity—for Alabama, an exhilarating on-court performance after a forgettable eight days off the court here in Tuscaloosa. Two avoidable missteps inflamed an already divisive situation.
Last Tuesday, as the court hearing unfolded with the new revelations, Oats described Miller’s situation as being in the “wrong place, wrong time.” He later apologized. And then Saturday, before a win against Arkansas, video of Miller being patted down further ignited a basketball world already seething.
The Tide have one more regular-season game, at Texas A&M on Saturday, before next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville. Miller has not spoken publicly since the latest revelations from police.
The silence is likely to end soon, as potentially both the SEC tournament and, for certain, the NCAA tournament will require him speak. Any questions about the incident are likely to be met with a statement from Miller. As a witness in an active case, he is not expected to address the issue.
And so what now?
Alabama appears unfazed, content to march onward in the face of scrutiny.
