A day after one of his players was charged with capital murder, Alabama men’s basketball coach Nate Oats expressed his sympathy Monday for the family of Jamea Jonae Harris, the woman who was killed in a shooting early Sunday morning in Tuscaloosa.
“It’s really a tragedy all around, but especially for Jamea and her family,” Oats said in a news conference Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after forward Darius Miles was one of two men charged with the murder of Harris.
Oats said the criminal investigation prevented him from discussing any specifics of the case as they related to Miles, but disclosed that he’s had multiple conversations with Miles’s mother Sunday. A school statement Sunday said that Miles, who was in his third year at Alabama, had been “removed from campus” and was no longer a member of the team.
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Birmingham law firm Boles Holmes White LLC said it represents Miles and proclaimed his innocence in a statement reported by AL.com.
“Darius Miles and his family are heartbroken tonight over the death of Jamea Jonae Harris,’’ the statement said. “While Darius has been accused of being involved with this tragedy, he maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court.”
Oats said he met with his players Sunday night to explain the situation and to make counseling and support services available to them. He said “our remaining team will be traveling to Nashville and will be available” when the No. 4-ranked Tide play Vanderbilt Tuesday.
“Wish we weren’t having to address this situation. But we really have to pull together as a team and be there for each other,” Oats said.
Miles had been in and out of the Alabama lineup for multiple reasons, according to Oats, playing in only six games this season. Before the Tide played LSU Saturday, Miles was declared out for the season with an ankle injury. Prior to that, the Washington, D.C., product had missed time due to what Oats called a “personal matter.”
“He actually went back home to D.C. to deal with the personal matter,” Oats said Monday. “He’s had multiple issues. They were all completely unrelated to this situation.”
Last season, Miles missed a game against Tennessee due to what Oats described as poor practice habits. A month later he missed a game against Baylor for a reported knee injury, and then was suspended one week later for a game against Kentucky for a violation of team rules.
“Based on our conversation moving forward, how he handles himself, we’ll plan on him being available,” Oats said at the time, according to AL.com.
The 23-year-old Harris, a mother of one, was not affiliated with the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa police said. Neither is the second man charged in the case, Michael Lynn Davis, of Maryland. Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit captain Jack Kennedy said Sunday that the 1:45 a.m. shooting appeared to have arisen from a minor altercation earlier in the night on The Strip, a popular bar and restaurant area near campus.
Oats said the tragedy was another opportunity to reinforce conduct requirements to his team.
“Everybody listens a little closer after an incident like this,” he said. “We’ve had speakers come in to talk about off-court conduct, and we’ll continue to do that.”
