Days after being taunted by fans at South Carolina, Brandon Miller, Alabama’s leading scorer this year at 19.5 points per game, was back in his home gym, with fans in Tuscaloosa applauding the freshman when he was introduced before Saturday’s game against Arkansas.
The 6’9” forward went through his usual pregame ritual, pretending to be the recipient of a “police pat-down.” Given his involvement in a fatal shooting, retrieving the gun Michael Davis and former teammate Darius Miles allegedly used to murder 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris (the weapon was stashed in Miles’ car), Miller’s stunt seems especially cruel, a tone-deaf display of arrogance mocking an unconscionable act of violence. Though he isn’t facing charges, at least as of yet (the investigation is ongoing), Miller’s relative proximity to a heinous crime has made him a pariah in the media, an unwelcome distraction threatening to torpedo Alabama’s season.
While Miller maintains his innocence—coach Nate Oats regrettably said he was at the “wrong spot at the wrong time”—his legal team has done him no favors, nor have school administrators, continuing to parade him around as if nothing happened. There’s nothing remotely simple about the predicament Alabama finds itself in, with the Tide potentially headed for a top seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament (they’re ranked second nationally), though their title chances hinge almost entirely on Miller, the current frontrunner for SEC Player of the Year. Alabama needs Miller to win games (he contributed 24 points in Saturday's victory), but the optics and public scrutiny are untenable.
Who knows how all this will affect Alabama’s tournament run or Miller’s pro career as a potential NBA lottery pick (ESPN had him going fourth overall in their latest mock draft), but the least he could do is not invite more controversy with his defiance, coming off as insensitive and completely unaware of his surroundings.
UPDATE: Oats denounced Miller’s pregame antics as “inappropriate” and insists it won’t happen again.
Related
Related
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram