Nate Oats says Brandon Miller didn't practice Monday, should be 'ready to go' for Sweet Sixteen

Despite dealing with a groin injury, Alabama star freshman Brandon Miller is expected to play in the Sweet Sixteen. Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats revealed on his radio show that Miller did not practice Monday, but added that he thinks the forward will be “ready to go” for a matchup against San Diego State on Friday.

“He didn’t practice today,” Oats said. “He rehabbed it. We’re going to limit him tomorrow again, try to get him in on Wednesday and see how it feels on Wednesday. The goal is to have him 100% healthy by Friday.

“I think he’ll be ready to go Friday. This obviously is one of those deals where we’re gonna have to nurse it until the season’s over, really.”

Miller was clearly feeling the effects of the injury during Alabama’s first two tournament games, as he was held scoreless for the first time this season in the opening round. In Saturday’s win against No. 8 seed Maryland, he scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, but was just 5-of-17 (29.4%) shooting.

Brandon Miller initially suffered the injury during Alabama’s run to the SEC Tournament title. The Crimson Tide will hope he can return to full health soon, as he leads the team in points (19.1), rebounds (8.2) and three-point percentage (39.6%).

Thankfully, he’ll have a few more days to rest up, and it sounds like Oats and the coaching staff have a plan in place to ensure he’s ready. Alabama is set to tip off against San Diego State at 5:30 p.m. CT on Friday.

Brandon Miller says his performance against Maryland felt ‘great’

Coming off of his scoreless outing against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Miller was determined to bounce back. He proved effective at getting to the foul line, shooting an efficient 7-of-8 on his free throw attempts.

Alabama entered halftime with only a 28-23 advantage, but found its rhythm offensively in the second half to come away with a 73-51 victory. After the game, Miller revealed how he felt about his performance.

“It felt great, just being out there,” he said. “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.”

Miller is a projected top five NBA draft pick according to a recent mock draft from ESPN. With that being the case, he is likely playing his final games in an Alabama jersey. Before then, however, he’ll hope to carry the Crimson Tide to their first Final Four appearance in school history.