Maybe they should’ve known when Brandon Miller debuted for Alabama with a double-double in November. Or when he posted 24 and 9 against Michigan State and followed it up with 18 and 8 against UConn the next day. But if they didn’t know by then, they do now.
Bradley Beal Elite alum Brandon Miller is one of the best in the game.
In the month of December, Brandon and Bama have been on a tear. They dethroned two number ones: North Carolina and Houston, and climbed as high as No. 4 in the nation. They came up short of another massive win over Gonzaga, but it wasn’t for lack of trying from Brandon, who scored a career-high 36 points in that loss.
In the three games since, Brandon has posted back-to-back double doubles, 10 points and 14 boards in a win over Jackson State and 19 points and 11 rebounds as the Crimson Tide opened their conference schedule with a win over No. 21 Mississippi State.
Tonight's 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙩 award winner presented by @mcabeeinc: Brandon Miller! #RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/iPMbI1ln5U
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) December 29, 2022
He followed that up with 17 points on 7-of-12 with five rebounds and three steals in a win over Ole Miss.
Alabama now has four wins over ranked opponents and their only two losses have come to two teams that currently sit in the Top 10: Connecticut, then No. 20, now No. 4, and Gonzaga, then No. 15, now No. 9. The Crimson Tide sit right in between at No. 7 going into the new year and Brandon is a huge reason why.
He’s currently averaging over 19 points per game, the most by any freshman in the country, and over 8 and a half rebounds per game. He is one of 10 players in Division I, the only player in the SEC and the only freshman in the country who has scored 260 points and recorded 120 rebounds this season.
On January 2nd he was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the third time this year, and on January 4th he was selected to the Wooden Award Midseason Watch List as one of the top 25 players in the nation. He is one of just four freshmen to be named to the list.
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭
Brandon Miller has been named to the @WoodenAward Midseason Top 25 Watch List!@brandmillerr | #RollTide pic.twitter.com/AUAJ4YSLLS
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) January 5, 2023
Last month, Tate Frazier of FOX Sports said that Brandon is his pick for the award.
.@tatefrazier, we speak your name!#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/MelmqmTpJs
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) December 23, 2022
Alabama’s schedule strengthens over the next month with six games against four currently ranked teams, so Brandon will have a chance to strengthen his resume as the Crimson Tide attempt to strengthen their standing before March.
