Nate Oats issues surprising stance on Brandon Miller, says the Alabama star "is not in any type of trouble" amid murder row
Earlier this year, the sporting world was rocked by news of Alabama's Darius Miles being arrested. As the situation unfolded and more details emerged regarding the murder of Jamea Harris in Tuscaloosa in January, questions surfaced about Brandon Miller.
Throughout the course of the investigation into Harris' murder, it was uncovered that Miller provided his teammate with the firearm used in the alleged crime. After his testimony, many began to wonder about Miller's status as a top-ranked draft prospect.
With many draft boards projecting Miller to go as a top-five pick, there has now been plenty of concern regarding his future in the league. According to Alabama coach Nate Oats, Miller isn't in any sort of trouble despite the testimony incriminating him. Oats spoke to media members about Miller's involvement, saying:
“We’ve known the situation since [it happened]. We’ve been fully cooperating with law enforcement the entire time. The whole situation is sad. The team closed practice with a prayer for the situation today, knowing that we had this trial today. We think of Jamea and her family, Kaine. Really think about her son, Kaine, that was left behind."
“We knew about that. Can’t control everything anybody does outside of practice. Nobody knew that was going to happen. College kids are out, Brandon hasn’t been in any type of trouble nor is he in any type of trouble in this case. Wrong spot at the wrong time.”
You can see his comments in the video above around the 5:30 mark.
The case and Brandon Miller's potential involvement
Given that police testified that Brandon Miller supplied the gun used in the alleged murder, many have wondered why he wasn't charged. According to AI.com, Tuscaloosa Chief Deputy D.A. Paula Whitley said that she was unable to answer the question.
According to the statement she provided, there was nothing Miller could be charged with according to the law. Despite that, it will be incredibly interesting to see how the situation surfaces as NBA teams navigate the scouting process leading up to the draft.
From the sounds of things, however, both Nate Oats and the team have been pretty confident that Miller wouldn’t have any problems going forward. The day after Miles was arrested, charged with murder, and removed from the team’s roster, Oats said the rest of the team would play the next night.
He spoke about the ongoing investigation at the time in mid-January, talking about the chaotic situation, saying: “All of us got together last night. It’s an ongoing investigation. Our entireremaining team is traveling to Nashville and will be available to play in the game [against Vanderbilt] tomorrow.”