Nate Oats Attempts To Explain Brandon Miller’s Controversial Pregame Patdown

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Most college basketball teams have to grapple with off-the-court distractions over the course of a typical season. However, it’s hard to think of many programs that have faced the type of situation the University of Alabama has encountered this year.

In January, Crimson Tide forward Darius Miles was charged with capital murder for his alleged role in the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old woman in Tuscaloosa.

Last month, things took a very interesting turn after a report surfaced that claimed standout guard Brandon Miller had provided his teammate with the weapon police say was used in the crime.

It’s obviously worth noting Miller wasn’t (and, as of this writing, has not been) charged with any crime. However, Alabama head coach Nates Oats still found himself at the center of a hurricane of controversy after opting to allow him to keep playing with the team (he also didn’t do himself any favors by asserting the star freshman was in the “wrong spot at the wrong time”).

Last week, Alabama once again found itself facing some major backlash courtesy of what unfolded during a pregame introduction where Miller received a pat down from one of his fellow players prior to a showdown with Arkansas.

Oats acknowledged the tone-deaf nature of that move after the game while promising he’d addressed it internally, and now, he’s attempted to shed some light on the rationale behind the pat down as the apology tour continues.

According to CBS Sports, Oats received this explanation from his team after he presumably asked them some variation of “What on Earth were you thinking?” when the ill-advised pat down went viral:

“They explained to me that it’s like when TSA checks you before you get on a plane and now Brandon’s cleared for takeoff.”

It’s also worth noting the pat down had already been a pregame staple before it came under scrutiny, but considering the circumstances, it’s still the textbook definition of A Bad Look.