Brandon Miller gets treatment on Alabama bench, goes scoreless in NCAA Tournament opener

Alabama superstar Brandon Miller has had a slow start to the NCAA Tournament, with the leading scorer for the Crimson Tide held scoreless and then relegated to the bench with a possible muscle strain.

Miller was having his left thigh tended to by trainers on the bench, and CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson noted he also had a heating pad on it at various points.

“Brandon Miller scoreless in this one and it’s been extended minutes on the bench, and we might not see him because of the score right now, but something of note he has had a heating pad on that left thigh for most of this half,” Wolfson reported on the air. “Certainly something to watch. Alabama telling me it’s not something to be concerned with, but it is something certainly for us to keep an eye on.”

That Alabama doesn’t sound overly concerned by the injury is good news indeed for Crimson Tide fans.

Miller went into the NCAA Tournament averaging 19.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 0.9 blocks per game.

There was really no need for Miller to play in the second half, with Alabama building its lead over Texas A&M Corpus Christi out to 20 points in the second half.

Miller didn’t contribute much in the game prior to him hitting the bench. He had no points on 0-for-5 shooting from the floor and 0-for-3 shooting from 3-point range.

He did chip in five rebounds and three assists before sitting down.

His absence was really no problem for Alabama, which got a well-rounded scoring effort and was threatening to hit the century mark in the final stages of the game.

Double-digit scorers for the Crimson Tide included Nick Pringle (19), Nimari Burnett (11), Mark Sears (15), Jahvon Quinerly (13) and Noah Clowney (10).

Brandon Miller and Jaden Bradley were the only two players who hit the floor for more than one minute in the game for Alabama who did not find their way onto the score sheet. Bradley was 0-for-4 from the floor in the game.

Alabama’s 96-75 win will move it ahead in the NCAA Tournament bracket. Maryland advanced earlier in the day with a 67-65 win over West Virginia, locking the Terps in for a date with the Crimson Tide in the Round of 32.