Alabama’s Brandon Miller scores 41 in OT win at some point after hyperlink to homicide case comes out

No. 2 Alabama escaped an upset scare on the highway from South Carolina with a 78-76 win in time beyond regulation because of a career-high 41 factors from star freshman Brandon Miller on Wednesday. It was a extremely aggressive recreation from the bounce with 9 ties and 9 lead adjustments in regulation with no staff main by greater than seven factors, however regardless of the extent of play, the story stays targeted on Miller, who carried out at an elite stage below the best ranges of scrutiny. 

Police testimony revealed Tuesday tied Miller to the scene of the crime when former teammate Darius Miles and one other man, Michael Davis, had been arrested after 23-year-old Jamea Harris died in a campus capturing in January. AL.com reported that the findings included Miller bringing the gun to the scene of the crime and receiving textual content messages from Miles referencing the weapon. 

Authorities have indicated there’s nothing Miller might be charged with in relation to the killing, and college representatives — alongside together with his authorized representatives — have continued to boast his full cooperation with the investigation. So with clearance from the legislation and his faculty, Miller took to the court docket on Wednesday and turned in the most effective efficiency of his younger profession. 

Miller’s 41 factors got here on 14-of-25 capturing with a 7-of-8 exhibiting on the free-throw line and included each the game-tying shot in regulation and the game-winning shot in time beyond regulation. It was a spot the place Alabama didn’t have its greatest type defensively, however Miller continued to get the buckets wanted to maintain the Crimson Tide within the recreation. 

Alabama AD explains why Miller was energetic

Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne joined ESPN’s School Gameday Podcast with Rece Davis and Pete Thamel on Wednesday, simply hours earlier than the sport. He acknowledged on the time that he anticipated Miller to play and defined the college’s place in response to the brand new data tying Miller to the killing. 

Byrne plainly acknowledged the place of the athletic division as not making an attempt to “do the job of investigators” and taking the place of full cooperation with the method. That is led to conditions like this week the place Tuesday’s revelations from the listening to had been additionally adopted by an announcement from Miller’s lawyer on Wednesday, discussing the truth that Miles had been texting Miller for “near an hour” asking for a experience house and Miller “was not concerned within the assortment of the weapon.” 

“Though we’re not investigators, we do have an obligation to judge whether or not anybody concerned has violated the principles, insurance policies or requirements of the college. We make that analysis primarily based on details. We discovered some new details yesterday, we discovered some new details at this time,” Byrne mentioned. “Here is what we all know: Brandon Miller was not there for the verbal altercation. Brandon was already on his technique to decide up Darius when Darius texted him. Brandon by no means left his car and was not concerned within the assortment of the weapon. The capturing occurred simply seconds after Brandon arrived. Brandon is a totally cooperating witness, and isn’t a suspect.”