By CLTure
June 22, 2023
With the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets have selected Brandon Miller, the 6’ 9” wing from Alabama and a consensus second-team All-American in 2023. Miller averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in his freshman season at Alabama shooting 43% from the field and 38.4% from three-point range.
Growing up in Antioch, Tennessee, Miller was named Gatorade Player of the Year twice in the state, and was Tennessee’s Mr. Basketball in his senior year of high school as well as a McDonald’s All-American.
In his only season at Alabama, Miller was also named the SEC Player of the Year, SEC Rookie of the Year, and first-team All-Conference. Despite his stellar season, he struggled in his NCAA tournament appearances, shooting only 19% in three games, before declaring for the NBA Draft.
Miller was also involved in a firearm incident in January, when he unknowingly (according to his attorneys) drove a car carrying a gun owned by former teammate Darius Miles, which was used by another man, resulting in the murder of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris. As of January 1, Alabama stopped requiring a permit, background check, or safety training to carry a concealed handgun.
Miller is now the second Alabama player drafted this year by a North Carolina professional sports franchise in the first round, after Bryce Young was drafted No. 1 overall by the Carolina Panthers. Miller’s father, Darrell Miller, also played college football at Alabama as a tight end.
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