The Alabama Crimson Tide have been led by polarizing star Brandon Miller all season. However, he did not bring his best performance when it mattered most in the team’s Sweet 16 matchup against San Diego State Aztecs.
Miller struggled to get his offense going against an extremely tough Aztecs defense. He shot just 3-for-19 from the field to go along with six turnovers.
San Diego State loves to make the game gritty and physical. The Aztecs did just that, limiting Alabama’s top-five offense in the country to just 64 points in a shocking 71-64 upset victory.
"SAN DIEGO STATE HAS DONE IT! FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY, THEY'RE GOING TO THE ELITE EIGHT! THE 619 IS ALIVE! AND THE NO. 1 OVERALL SEED, ALABAMA, IS OUT!"- Ian Eagle 🏀🔥🎙️ #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/NkU3SAsElD
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 25, 2023
While Alabama’s offense as a whole struggled heavily in the game, Miller’s struggles in particular were hard to ignore. Many took to social media to blame Miller’s abnormal performance for the team’s loss on Friday.
Brandon Miller tonight: pic.twitter.com/dJqvdoPJLD
— Pickswise (@Pickswise) March 25, 2023
Brandon Miller 3-17 and looking … soft.
Great player but Didn’t want to drive into the 22 year olds and get hammered. 85% FTs and he’s only attempted 2
— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) March 25, 2023
Brandon Miller in March pic.twitter.com/tTZqevOyYH
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 25, 2023
Brandon Miller probably just had one of the worst tournaments of all time
— Jake (@Procis1on) March 25, 2023
Brandon Miller: 3/18
Everybody else: 20/41
— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) March 25, 2023
No sugarcoating it: Brandon Miller has been terrible.
— Dirk Chatelain (@dirkchatelain) March 25, 2023
Miller and the Alabama team as a whole notably had a ton of criticism surrounding them all season due to Miller’s alleged involvement in the Darius Miles murder case back in January. All of this pressure seems to have finally caught up to them against an extremely talented San Diego State team.
This poor performance from Brandon Miller may raise some questions about his playing career moving forward. Coming into the NCAA Tournament, many expected him to be a likely lottery pick in the upcoming 2023 NBA Draft.
While this performance is certainly not an indication of his overall talent as a player, it could prove that he perhaps needs some more experience before entering his name in the NBA Draft.
