BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Brandon Miller sat in a folding chair in a nook of the locker room going through an assemblage of reporters and video cameras.
Alabama’s freshman All-American fielded few questions on his worst sport in crimson and white, not with all of the off-the-court matters which have shadowed him and a workforce mounting a bid for this system’s first nationwide championship.
Amid myriad distractions, the NCAA Match’s prime total seed dispatched Sixteenth-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 96-75 on Thursday within the opening spherical even with its greatest participant going scoreless for the primary time.
Miller, who politely however succinctly responded to questions on something not associated to the sport, has been accompanied by a safety guard supplied by the college after going through threats since his presence on the scene of a fatal shooting was disclosed in courtroom testimony.
“It doesn’t hassle me,” Miller stated of the threats, which he forwards to college officers. “I ship it to the best individuals they usually deal with it.”
Miller got here into the sport averaging almost 20 factors.
The story is well-known by many school basketball followers by now. Miller and fellow freshman Jaden Bradley had been on the scene within the early-morning hours of Jan. 15 when a 23-year-old lady, Jamea Harris, was shot and killed. The gamers’ then-teammate Darius Miles was charged with capital homicide together with one other man.
In line with police testimony, Miller had introduced Miles’s gun to the scene. Miller’s legal professional stated the Tide ahead was on his method to decide Miles up when Miles texted asking him to convey the weapon. The legal professional, Jim Standridge, stated Miller by no means dealt with the gun and didn’t know any prison exercise was supposed.
Miller, coach Nate Oats and the Alabama program have confronted a gradual barrage of questions since then.
The evening earlier than Thursday’s sport, a report printed by The New York Occasions, citing an unidentified individual, stated a fourth participant — freshman walk-on Kai Spears, who hasn’t performed this season — was additionally on the scene of the capturing. The college, Spears and his household have referred to as the report inaccurate and the household has employed an legal professional.
A New York Occasions spokeswoman advised The Related Press the newspaper stands by its reporting. Police in Tuscaloosa didn’t return an e mail despatched Thursday by The AP looking for touch upon the report.
Miller and Bradley haven’t missed any taking part in time, a choice that has introduced loads of scrutiny on Oats and the Crimson Tide.
Oats disclosed Wednesday that Miller had obtained threatening messages.
“If you happen to guys noticed a few of what I’ve seen despatched his approach, I feel you’ll perceive why that’s the case,” Oats stated, referring to the safety guard supplied to Miller. “I don’t wish to get into all that. All the state of affairs, as you already know, is only a heartbreaking state of affairs on all accounts.”
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