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Brandon Miller continues to make headlines this season for the Alabama Crimson Tide. The basketball star originally made noise with his play on the court as he leads the nation’s No. 2 team in scoring.
But of late, fans and media have been talking about him for a different reason.
Miller was recently linked to a murder case that involved a former Alabama teammate. Darius Miles was charged in the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old woman in Tuscaloosa this past January. Earlier this week, it was learned that Brandon Miller was responsible for transporting the murder weapon to the scene of the crime.
Despite his involvement, Miller was not charged with any wrongdoing.
Miller’s attorney released a timeline of events in a recent statement as new information became available to the public. With their star player not being considered a suspect in the shooting, the Crimson Tide opted to keep him in the lineup.
Miller played on Wednesday night, exploding for an Alabama freshman record 41 points in a 78-76 win. He scored both the game-tying shot to send the contest to overtime, as well as the game-winning shot on the Crimson Tide’s final possession.
It was a historic performance though the Tide’s social media team refused to acknowledge it.
That victory kept Alabama atop the SEC standings, while helping further solidify his standing as a top NBA prospect.
Prior to any controversy, Brandon Miller was considered a top five draft pick. We now know whether his being linked to the murder case will have any effect on that outlook.
Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog spoke to NBA agents and executives about whether their opinion of the talented freshman has changed over the last week. Here’s what they had to say.
First off, several of them expressed surprise that Alabama coach Nate Oats — whose team is ranked No. 2 nationally and is a legitimate contender to win the program’s first NCAA championship — has not suspended Miller for his involvement.
“He has to get suspended if he provided the gun,” one veteran NBA agent said.
Said a second league source: “Suspending Miller is in everybody’s best interest, including the kid. They need to demonstrate some form of order.”
While some were surprised to see Brandon Miller remain in the lineup, others noted that the recent controversy hasn’t changed their outlook on the superstar.
Second, several NBA personnel and agents said either that the incident wouldn’t impact Miller’s draft stock, or that it was too early to tell, and things needed to play out legally and from a PR perspective.
“No impact at all NBA Draft wise,” one NBA executive said flatly.
Added another NBA scout: “Love Brandon. If he’s not in any legal trouble, would love to have him.”
Then, there were those who wanted to let the legal process play out before making a decision.
“It’s probably too early to tell,” a third league source said. “This is one of those situations teams will investigate thoroughly on their own. They have the resources and will take a deep dive. The legal part of it is only one issue. They will delve into his character, his associations, his background.”
It will be an interesting storyline to follow as the season progresses and the NBA draft nears.