It Can’t Be Called “College Athletics” With No Lessons Required

Alabama freshman basketball standout Brandon Miller is one of the best players in the nation. Miller is the leading scorer on the Crimson Tide and he leads the entire SEC in scoring. With that kind of talent, he will surely be playing in the NBA before you know it on a lucrative contract. On Tuesday, a Tuscaloosa police officer testified that Miller gave an off-court "assist" by bringing a teammate a handgun that would be used to kill a young woman hours later that night.

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According to an ESPN report, Tuscaloosa detective Branden Culpepper testified on Tuesday that Brandon Miller brought Darius Miles' gun to him on the night of the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris, after Miles texted him and asked him to do so. Miles has since been removed from the Crimson Tide program. He has admitted to providing the gun used in the fatal shooting to Michael Lynn Davis, who allegedly fired the weapon. Miller has not been charged with involvement in the capital murder case nor has he missed one basketball game for the University at Alabama.

ESPN reported that Tuscaloosa chief deputy district attorney, Paula Whitley told AL.com on Tuesday that "there's nothing we could charge (Miller) with." Crimson Tide head basketball coach Nate Oats made horrific remarks during a press conference on Tuesday. "We knew about that," the Alabama coach said when asked about Miller allegedly bringing the gun to Miles. "Can't control everything anybody does outside of practice. Nobody knew that was going to happen. Brandon hasn't been in any type of trouble, nor is he in any type of trouble in this case. Wrong spot at the wrong time." Seriously? This is a college employee making those comments regarding the murder of a young woman?

Oats tried to backtrack his comments later on in the day after getting hammered on social media. You don't need to listen to coaches like Nate Oats to know their one and only intention: win games. Alabama knew about Miller's involvement, yet he never sat for one minute, after bring the weapon to the killers that ended a young woman's life. I agree, Brandon Miller MAY not have known the killers intentions but guns aren't used as party favors. Bad things usually happen to people when guns are being used. But guys like Nate Oats don't care. They just want to win.

I am not advocating for Brandon Miller be kicked-off the Alabama basketball team. However, if this is truly "college basketball" shouldn't someone be teaching Miller that bringing a handgun to another person puts him directly involved with whatever situation happens with that gun? Is personal responsibility gone forever? Aren't coaches supposed to teach personal responsibility? Not anymore. The NCAA, in collaboration with the Power 5 conferences, have created professional programs performing on some elite college campuses throughout the country, with little care about the lessons being learned by some of their so-called "student-athletes."