Alabama's Nate Oats 'Prays' Brandon Miller Can Play Through Groin Injury vs. Maryland

The top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide cruised to the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, but they might face a challenge in their next game if their best player is unavailable.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats told reporters on Friday that he "prays" that star guard Brandon Miller will be available for Saturday's game against No. 8 Maryland after he suffered a groin injury in the SEC tournament title game.

Miller played in Alabama's first-round win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi, but he went scoreless on 0-of-5 shooting in 19 minutes of action in the 96-75 victory. It was a surprising performance from the projected lottery pick after he led the Crimson Tide with 19.7 points per game this season, though he did add five rebounds, three assists and three turnovers.

"I think he's smart enough to know if he can go or not and help us," Oats said. "If he can't, the good thing about our team is we've got a lot of depth. ... We've got different options. Pray we don't have to go to all those."

For his part, Miller expressed confidence that he'll be able to take the floor on Saturday.

"I feel like I was just there to support my team," he said after the game on Thursday, later adding that the injury is "getting better by the day." When asked if he expected to play against Maryland, he responded, "Of course."

Miller has dealt with some tumult in recent weeks due to his connection to a capital murder case involving former teammate Darius Miles and another man, who are both charged in a deadly shooting that occurred on Jan. 15. A police officer testified that Miller, who is not a suspect in the crime and is cooperating with the investigation, received a text from Miles to bring him his gun in the hours before the fatal shooting.

Due to recent death threats, Miller has been escorted by an armed security guard at the NCAA tournament.

It would be a significant blow to Alabama's national championship hopes if Miller is unable to take the floor on Saturday.

"I hope he's good enough and healthy enough to play. ... I think he will. But it definitely would limit us," Oats said. "Shoot, he might be the best player in the country. It would be nice if we had him."

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