With under 16 minutes to go in its NCAA tournament second-round game against mighty Alabama, Maryland still harbored hope. The Terrapins trailed the No. 1 Crimson Tide by seven points in Birmingham’s Legacy Arena, and guard Jahmir Young was sprinting toward the basket for a layup that could have cut the deficit to five.
The next eight seconds extinguished that hope. Alabama star Brandon Miller came soaring in to spike Young’s layup attempt, then immediately turned and sprinted down the sideline as teammate Mark Spears grabbed the ball and started a fast break. Seventy feet later, Miller took a pass in transition from Sears, rose in one fluid motion on the wing and flicked his right wrist. The three-point shot splashed, the arena erupted, Bama then led by 10 and the game was effectively over. The Tide rolled on.
If you want a distilled snapshot of why Alabama has refused to bench Miller after he played a role in a fatal shooting in Tuscaloosa on Jan. 15, those jaw-dropping eight seconds are it. The slender, 6'9" freshman—compared by some to six-time NBA All-Star Paul George—is the most talented player in men’s college basketball and projected to be a top-five draft pick come June. He has lifted the Crimson Tide to Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships, their first NCAA tourney No. 1 seed and now within reach of their first Final Four and men’s basketball national title.
