Paul Finebaum says Alabama handled off-court pressure in Nashville 'very well'

Alabama is the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and is one of the serious favorites to cut down the nets in Houston. But there is still something else hanging around the program, with Brandon Miller being a serious talking point in the media. Miller has appeared in front of reporters this past week and has continually been asked about the murder of Jamea Harris.

Throughout the run in the SEC Tournament, Miller and Nate Oats were asked questions about the situation. Unlike previous weeks, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum thought Alabama handled the media “very well” in Nashville.

“For starters, I thought Alabama handled it very well,” Finebaum said. “For all the mistakes that were made previously — which have been pointed out a nauseam — Nate Oats was very calm and poised. And I think so was Brandon Miller.”

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The pressure from the media is only going to continue, especially as Alabama advances in the NCAA Tournament. Oats — and Miller when made available — will continue to receive questions and from multiple different outlets. Nothing can be done about that on the national stage.

Finebaum talked about the situation from the media’s perspective and how they can be “embarrassed” in the public eye. Twitter can be a ruthless place for reporters to receive criticism but at the same time, the ESPN figure understands they are just doing their job.

“Having said that, I know how the other side of the industry works,” Finebaum said. “I worked in newspaper. I know what happens when an editor tells a reporter ‘you go in there and ask the same question over and over again.’ To me, the media ends up getting embarrassed when they call attention to themselves. There’s a way to cover this story and by being a bowl in the china shop doesn’t work.

“The story isn’t going to change. Brandon Miller’s answers are not going to change here until the final net is cut down. Neither will Nate Oats’ except for the media spotlight will continue to burn bright. From a journalistic standpoint, I understand the other side of it but I think journalism suffers when it looks like you’re not being fair but you’re knocking people over the head. That’s really the concern.”

Alabama will be playing in a hometown setting in the Round of 64, facing off against a 16-seed in Birmingham. Even so, the NCAA Tournament will bring a lot more than just local reporters into the media room. Everyone in Tuscaloosa must be ready for more pressure in the coming days.