How Nate Oats said Alabama basketball players explained Brandon Miller pat down: 'I dropped the ball'
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats took the blame for Brandon Miller's player introduction from Saturday's home game against Arkansas. Oats said Tuesday that the pregame routine, in which Miller was patted down by teammate Adam Cottrell, is "on me."
"We addressed it as a team," Oats said. "As soon as I brought it up to them, they immediately understood how it could be interpreted. We all felt awful about it. They explained to me, it's like when TSA checks you before you get on a plane. Now Brandon is cleared for takeoff. We as the adults in the room should have been more sensitive to how it could have been interpreted. I dropped the ball. We've addressed it. I can assure you it won't happen again."
Miller and the program quickly received criticism for the pregame introduction that he has done all year after, earlier in the week, a police investigator testified testified during a preliminary hearing for former Alabama player Darius Miles and Michael Davis. The investigator said Miller had been at the scene of a fatal shooting on the Tuscaloosa Strip on Jan. 15 and the gun used in the shooting was brought to the scene in Miller's car.
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Miller has not been charged with a crime, and his attorney said Wednesday that Miller never touched the gun, was not involved in its exchange and never knew illegal activity involving the gun would occur. Miles, 21, and Davis, 20, who is not affiliated with the basketball program or university, are facing capital murder charges in the shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris.
Oats said after Saturday's game that he had been made aware of the routine and had understood it to have been happening all year.
"I don't watch our introductions," Oats said after the win over Arkansas. "I'm not involved with them. I'm drawing up plays during that time. Regardless, it's not appropriate. It's been addressed, and I can assure you it definitely will not happen again the remainder of this year."
No. 2 Alabama (25-4, 15-1 SEC) next faces Auburn (19-10, 9-7) on Wednesday (6 p.m., ESPN2) at Coleman Coliseum.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats explains Brandon Miller pat down
