Brandon Miller Headlines Alabama Debut With DOUBLE-DOUBLE | 14 PTS & 13 REB

The Brandon Miller era of Alabama basketball began with a bang. Actually, it started with a missed 3-point attempt that clanged off the iron. However, the five-star freshman was there to calmly collect his missed shot and follow it up with a layup. Miller didn’t get the opportunity to show off his dunking ability or many of the highlights that have him projected as a lottery pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Instead, he quietly led No. 20 Alabama to a 75-54 victory over Longwood, demonstrating the poise of a seasoned veteran rather than that of a freshman making his first start. “I can’t lie, I was a bit nervous,” Miller admitted after the game. “But after a while, I came up with the pieces. I had a great time. I thought we played really hard, just crashed the defensive glass and just got out and run. Just really happy to get a win.” Miller finished his debut with a double-double, recording 14 points and 13 rebounds. After starting slow in both the preseason scrimmage against TCU and the exhibition against Southern Illinois, the freshman forward wasted no time making a difference against Longwood, tallying eight points and eight boards by the break. It wasn’t a perfect debut by any means. Miller hit an offensive lull in the second half, missing his first six shots coming out of the break. He also finished 0-for-6 from deep, contributing to Alabama’s frigid 3-point shooting performance as the Crimson Tide made just 3 of 28 shots from beyond the arc. Still, there weren’t many complaints from his head coach. “He could have got frustrated for stuff not going great for him early, but I thought he stayed in it, kept competing,” Nate Oats said. “He had a few highlight plays there late in the game. I thought he did a good job.” Miller was one of four freshmen to make their Alabama debuts in the opener as each of the Crimson Tide’s newcomers shined in their college debuts.