Alabama's Brandon Miller Has Security Guard at NCAA Tournament After Getting Threats

As the Alabama Crimson Tide prepare to start their run in the 2023 NCAA men's basketball tournament, star player Brandon Miller is traveling with an armed security guard.

"If you guys saw some of what I've seen sent his way, I think you would understand why that's the case," head coach Nate Oats said, per Paul Newberry of the Associated Press. "I don't want to get into all that. The entire situation, as you know, is just a heartbreaking situation on all accounts."

Miller did not say much about the situation.

"I always travel with security to all the games," he said. "That's all I'm gonna say on that."

The armed guard was present during Miller's interview session and when he was participating in a practice.

Newberry noted a police officer mentioned the freshman forward during February testimony in the capital murder case of former Alabama player Darius Miles and another man, Michael Davis. Miles and Davis were charged in the January shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris.

According to the police officer, Miller brought Miles—who has since been dismissed from the Crimson Tide team—his gun when Miles texted him asking him to do so.

Miller has not been charged with a crime and has been described as a cooperating witness.

"That's not a question I can answer," Tuscaloosa chief deputy district attorney Paula Whitley said when asked why Miller was not charged with anything, per Mike Rodak of AL.com. "There's nothing we could charge him with."

On the court, Miller was the SEC Player of the Year and a major reason Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. He is also expected to be a high pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

The Crimson Tide face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday in their first-round matchup.