Alabama Dismisses Yet Another Basketball Player Over Gun-Related Incident

Getty Image

To say the basketball program at the University of Alabama has had a tumultuous year would be quite an understatement when you consider the controversy that’s swirled around the program since Darius Miles was arrested for the murder of 23-year-old Jamea Harris in January.

The Crimson Tide caught plenty of heat for how they handled the fallout of a tragedy that also involved star freshman Brandon Miller, who law enforcement officials allege unknowingly provided Miles with the gun they say was used in the killing (it’s obviously worth noting Miller was not charged with any crime).

Nate Oats certainly didn’t do himself any favors by asserting Miles was simply “in the wrong spot at the wrong time,” and his decision to allow Miller to keep playing instead of taking any internal disciplinary action rubbed plenty of people the wrong way.

It’s not a huge stretch to question if Oats has full control of his team when you consider there were reportedly two other Crimson Tide basketball players at the scene of the crime, and now, the program is in the news for all of the wrong reasons yet again thanks to what transpired earlier this week.

According to ESPN, Wichita State transfer Jaykwon Walton was arrested in Tuscaloosa over the weekend after police responding to a noise complaint searched a vehicle he was in and discovered a loaded handgun in addition to more than 30 grams of marijuana (he was only charged with possession of the drug, as drivers in Alabama are permitted to carry a concealed weapon without a permit).

On Monday, Oats issued a statement where he confirmed he was aware of the incident and stated Walton would not be a member of the basketball team next season.

While it would be foolish to blame the head coach for all of the ill-advised decisions his players make, it’s getting increasingly hard to ignore a somewhat troubling pattern.