How Alabama basketball program is responding after Darius Miles arrest

There’s a blank spot on the wall in the bowels of Coleman Coliseum where action shots of Alabama basketball players lead to the floor.

Four metallic hangers remain where Darius Miles’ photo once lined the institutional white walls under the cavernous empty bowl that hummed only with the sound of florescent lights Monday afternoon.

Just two days earlier and less than 12 hours before a shooting near the Alabama campus, Miles celebrated a 40-point win over LSU with teammates. By Sunday afternoon, the injured junior from Washington D.C. was in jail charged with murder in that early-morning

In a packed interview room just off that hallway, Alabama coach Nate Oats arrived at 12:30 p.m. Monday for the most abnormal of news conferences. Dressed in a jacket and dress shirt instead of the usual practice sweats and with athletics director Greg Byrne in the back of the room, a somber Oats discussed the tragedy that’s suddenly overshadowing a historic season.

The arrest of now-former Crimson Tide basketball player Miles was the only topic of conversation a day before a Tuesday game at Vanderbilt. From his seat in a room with at least double the reporters and cameras as a normal pregame press availability, Oats repeated the sympathy he has for the victim of the Sunday-morning shooting, Jamea Jonae Harris.

“A daughter and mother who was taken way too soon from a senseless act,” Oats said of the 23-year-old victim from Birmingham. “This is an incredibly sad situation and our hearts go out to the loved ones.”

The fourth-year coach also explained how Alabama is handing the matter and how he learned of it.

“I got a call Sunday morning that alerted me to what’s going on,” Oats said. “I immediately called Greg (Byrne) and we immediately started putting a plan in place to handle situations like this.”

The shooting occurred at approximately 1:45 a.m. CT Sunday and news of Miles’ arrest came that evening.

A team meeting was called for Sunday evening to deal with the emotions surrounding the situation.

“We came together last night and talked,” Oats said. “I thought it was important that we were all here and around to support one another through this situation. With this being a pending investigation, there’s nothing more I can add that hasn’t already been shared.”

In terms of the mindset of the locker room, it’s a challenge.

“They’ve been good,” Oats said. “There were a lot of hugs last night. Everyone understands the situation but everyone is aware of the (mental health) services offered on campus and is taking advantage of them through our sports medicine for this type of situation. And they’re going to need additional support moving forward.”

Nate Oats

Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats takes questions at his news conference, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023 after the arrest of now-former Crimson Tide player Darius Miles on capital murder charges. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)AP

For Oats, the job of leading a highly-ranked program in the spotlight takes on a few different dimensions when facing a group of players processing the arrest of a veteran member.

“They didn’t really have too many questions,” Oats said. “Really, it’s more of a grieving process. They understand the severity of the situation with Jamea. And they also understand the severity of the situation with Darius and there are both sides of dealing with it. Yeah, it’s not something you go through often as a coach but we have the services around the program to help us handle the situation.”

On a personal note, Oats mentioned the fact he has three daughters (one in college) “and it went through my mind how easily it could have been one of mine.” He also said he spoke with Miles’ mother, Tracy Palmer, on “multiple” occasions Sunday.

“It’s a very hard situation on both accounts,” he said.

Alabama (15-2, 5-0 SEC) will face Vanderbilt at 7:30 p.m. CT Tuesday in Nashville. The game was not discussed in Monday’s news conference.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

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