Brandon Miller says it felt 'great' to have stronger showing

Alabama star big man Brandon Miller did not have a great opening-round game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi. But in the Crimson Tide’s Round of 32 matchup against Maryland, the likely top-five lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft had a much improved game against the Terrapins. After Alabama’s 73-51 victory, Miller talked about his strong showing against Maryland, highlighting how “great” it felt.

“It felt great, just being out there,” said Miller. “It’s just a blessing just being out there. I think growing up as a kid — for all kids, it’s a dream for them. To be here is just a blessing to be here to play and compete with my team.”

In the Crimson Tide’s first-round matchup against the Islanders, Miller had a night to forget. The freshman phenom was 0-3 from the arc and 0-5 from the field, finishing the contest without a single point. He also found himself in early foul trouble, which contributed to his just 19 minutes of action. Miller’s night against Texas A&M Corpus Christi ended with him recording five rebounds, three assists, three fouls, and three turnovers to go along with his zero points.

Against Maryland, Miller had a solid. The six-foot-nine forward scored 19 points in the game but did it on 5-17 shooting from the field. Miller was a little more efficient from three-point land, converting two of his six attempts. Where he was most impactful in the game was in drawing fouls against the Terrapins’ defense. That resulted in several trips to the free-throw line for the freshman forward. Miller finished going 7-8 from the charity stripe and brought down seven boards.

Up next for Miller and the Crimson Tide is a Sweet Sixteen showdown with the Aztecs of San Diego State. In the first two games of the tournament, San Diego State has taken out the 12-seed Charleston Cougars and the 13-seed Furman Paladins. The Aztecs didn’t let Furman’s upset of Virginia become a trend and now get the Crimson Tide as a result.

Currently, ESPN’s has Alabama as huge favorites to win. According to their analytics, the Crimson Tide has an 84.3 percent chance of victory. You can catch Alabama’s next game on Friday, March 24, on TBS. The game is scheduled for an evening tip-off at 5:30 p.m. CT. But most importantly, fans will get to see if Miller can build off of his performance against Maryland and lead Alabama to a birth in the Elite Eight.