Alabama coach Nate Oats’s comments regarding forward Brandon Miller on Tuesday drew shock and condemnation from analysts and fans throughout the college basketball world—a list that now includes the game’s most visible television personality.
Longtime ESPN analyst Dick Vitale denounced Oats’s defense of Miller, whom police allege gave former teammate Darius Miles the gun he allegedly used to kill 23-year-old Jamea Harris on Jan. 15 in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
“I was shocked by the comments of Nate Oats yesterday but I am doubly shocked that superstar Brandon Miller is scheduled to play tonight,” Vitale wrote Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Crimson Tide’s night game at South Carolina. “Isn’t providing a gun to a teammate that was used in a murder a serious offense?”
Police testified Tuesday that they were unable to legally bring any charges against Miller for providing Miles with the weapon.
“We knew about that,” Oats said during a Tuesday press conference about Miller’s link to the crime. “Can’t control everything everybody 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.”
After facing a wave of criticism, Oats released a statement later Tuesday night attempting to clarify his comment.
“I thought it was important for me to clarify the unfortunate remarks I made earlier,” Oats’s statement read in part. “This entire time I’ve tried to be thoughtful in my words relative to this tragic incident, and my statements came across poorly.”
Miller is the SEC’s leading scorer this season and has been mentioned as a potential top-five pick in June’s NBA draft.
