Alabama’s Brandon Miller has a security guard due to threats

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama star Brandon Miller was accompanied by an armed security guard to the NCAA tournament on Wednesday because of threats directed at him, Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said.

“If you saw some of what I saw happen to him, I think you would understand why that is,” Oats said of the extra protection the school provided for Miller. “I don’t want to get into any of this. The whole situation, as you know, is just a heartbreaking situation in every way.

Miller’s name surfaced last month in court testimony regarding the capital murder case of former Alabama player Darius Miles and another man, who are accused of fatally shooting Jamea Harris, 23, on January 15.

A police officer testified that Miles texted Miller asking him to bring Miles’ gun in the early morning hours of the shooting. Fellow freshman Jaden Bradley was also at the scene. Neither Miller nor Bradley have been charged with any crime, and the university described Miller as a cooperating witness, not a suspect.

The Crimson Tide (29-5) is the No. 1 seed in the tournament for the first time in school history. They will play their South Regional opener on Thursday, facing No. 16 seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in Birmingham — less than an hour’s drive from the Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa.

The guard, who was carrying a gun, badge and an Alabama polo shirt, accompanied Miller to the interview area and then watched him participate in light training.

The freshman, who was the Southeastern Conference Player and Newcomer of the Year, declined to go into additional security details, implying it was nothing ‘unusual.

“I always travel safely to all games,” Miller said. “That’s all I’m going to say about it.”

But Oats admitted it was not business as usual.

“Some of the posts from people who may be sitting behind fake email addresses, but who knows if they’re real or not,” Oats said. “But if you had seen what I saw, you would understand what is happening right now.”

Oats added that he looks at all of his players as his own children: “I put myself in his parents’ shoes, and our administration saw what I saw. It is appropriate. But it’s nothing a college kid should have to go through.

After his name was revealed in the case, Miller received a harsh reception in a victory in South Carolina, where the crowd chanted “lock him up” and “guilty”.

Miller has repeatedly declined to discuss the details of the case, saying just last week he relied on the camaraderie of his teammates to deal with issues off the pitch.

“I just lean on my teammates,” he said. “They are like family to me away from home.”