LOUISVILLE, Ky. — After spearheading Alabama basketball to one of its most prolific seasons in program history, a subdued Brandon Miller sunk down near his locker. As his head coach Nate Oats stated moments earlier, the Crimson Tide’s run in this year’s NCAA Tournament was cut short too soon.
Top-seeded Alabama looked like a shell of itself Friday night, falling 71-64 to No. 5 seed San Diego State in the Sweet 16. A Crimson Tide team that used its high-volume shooting from deep to bury opponents earlier in the year made just 3 of 27 shots from beyond the arc against the Aztecs. Miller, who came into the night shooting a team-leading 39.5% from three made just 1 of 10 attempts from deep while shooting 3 of 19 from the floor.
So what went wrong?
“I think our shot-making could have been better,” Miller said. “Our shot choices could have been better. But, I mean, San Diego [State] is a good group of guys. They're vets, so they have a lot of experience. I feel like they came out and played hard. That's what it is.”
Miller finished with 9 points and led Alabama with 11 rebounds but matched his season high of six turnovers against San Diego State. The underwhelming performance capped off a puzzling tournament run for the five-star freshmen, who averaged 9.3 points and 7.7 rebounds while shooting 8-for-41 (19.5%) from the floor and 3 of 19 from beyond the arc during the Big Dance.
Some of Miller’s recent struggles stemmed from a groin injury he suffered in the SEC Tournament earlier this month. The injury saw him play a season-low 19 minutes against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the first round and reportedly limited him to 80% health during the second-round win over Maryland. However, Miller claims the setback had no effect on his performance in Friday night’s loss.
“I think we just came out and played a good, hard-working team,” he said. “I’ve got to give my props to San Diego State. They’re a vet group, a lot of experience, and they’ve just came out with the most energy they had to get a win.”
Despite its sour ending, Miller’s season will go down as one of the best in school history. Over 37 games, he averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 38.4% from deep. His 696 points set an Alabama freshman record and helped him take home SEC player of the year and freshman of the year honors. He also led Alabama (31-6) to its most wins in program history, helping the Crimson Tide take home both the SEC regular season and conference tournament titles.
Of course, Miller’s season will also be remembered for his involvement in the capital murder case involving the shooting of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris in January. According to law enforcement officers, Miller transported the gun used to kill Harris. However, he was not charged with any crime and, according to a statement from his attorney, did not know the weapon would be used in an illegal activity.
How history remembers Miller’s and Alabama’s run will vary. However, the star forward says he’s going to view prominently as a success.
“It’s a great season,” Miller said. “We came to a Sweet 16 as young of a group as we are. We only have a few vets in here. I feel like that’s pretty successful, but our mission wasn’t complete."
Miller is widely projected to be a top-five pick in this year’s NBA Draft. While he’s expected to turn pro this offseason, he said he hasn’t thought about his decision or when he will make it moving forward.
“That one I can’t say,” Miller said. “I think I’m just focused on my guys right now.”
Miller spoke multiple times about the “unbreakable bonds” he and his teammates share, stating he plans to remain close to them regardless of how his future plays out. As for what’s in store for next season, he believes Alabama will be strong with or without him leading the way.
“It’s a great team,” Miller said. “The best thing about it is just being around these guys. I don’t think anybody is going to top this. I feel like we have the biggest bond in this country. Honestly, I think we’re still the best team in the country.”
