- Former Alabama men's basketball player Darius Miles was charged with capital murder in January.
- Last week, Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller was accused of bringing the murder weapon to the crime scene.
The Alabama Crimson Tide have enjoyed a standout year on the basketball court. But outside of the gym, the No. 2 men's basketball program in the country finds itself in scalding hot water.
Crimson Tide superstar freshman Brandon Miller — who leads his team as well as the entire SEC with 19.7 points per game on the season — has been implicated in a capital murder case involving his ex-teammate. And despite his name finding its way into the courtroom proceedings last week, the projected 2023 NBA lottery pick has still suited up for each of Alabama's two games in the days since his involvement came to light.
On Saturday — ahead of the Crimson Tide's matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks — Miller stuck to his usual pre-game ritual, which includes receiving a pat-down from a teammate before running out onto the court at Coleman Coliseum.
—Ryan Hennessy (@RyanWVTM13) February 25, 2023
The display came just four days after new testimony from Tuscaloosa Detective Branden Culpepper claimed that Miller brought the murder weapon to the scene of the crime on the night of 23-year-old Jamea Harris' death back in January. The gun, which belonged to his former teammate, Darius Miles, allegedly found its way from Miles to the purported shooter while the two sat in Miller's car.
Immediately following those revelations, Alabama head coach Nate Oats characterized his star's involvement as "wrong spot at the wrong time," per AL.com. Later that same day, Oats clarified that he did not "intend to downplay the seriousness of this situation or the tragedy of that night" with his comments.
Oats briefly addressed the situation in the postgame press conference of the Crimson Tide's 86-83 win over Arkansas, brushing off the routine as "something that's been going on all year" and something he's "not involved" in before calling Miller's actions "not appropriate."
"It's been addressed," Oats said. "And I can assure you it definitely will not happen again the remainder of this year."
—Ryan Hennessy (@RyanWVTM13) February 25, 2023
Miller, Oats, and the rest of Alabama's team have two more games remaining in the regular season. And soon thereafter, the Crimson Tide will head into the NCAA Tournament with a legitimate chance to secure the program's first-ever national championship — thanks in large part to Miller himself.
At the same time, Harris' loved ones — including her mother, stepfather, and 5-year-old son — continue to seek answers. The family staunchly believes that basketball should take a back seat to justice, and that Oats' claim that Miller "did nothing wrong" is deeply offensive.
"He brought a gun to where a person was murdered and he did nothing wrong?" Harris' stepfather, Kelvin Heard, told AL.com. "Jamea could still be alive.
"This season is stained in Jamea's blood," he added. "After what this coach said, for us as a family, this season is stained in the blood of Jamea Harris and it's not ever washing out."