Alabama’s Miller calls fatal shooting ‘really heartbreaking’ Texas Tech coach Adams resigns after insensitive comments North Carolina beats BC 85-61, keeps NCAA hopes alive Texas A&M-Corpus Christi wins Southern tournament again Colgate rolls to third straight Patriot Tournament title Jim Boeheim’s long career at Syracuse ends, Autry takes over

TASCALOOSE, Alabama. Alabama basketball star Brandon Miller spoke on Wednesday of being at the scene of a fatal shooting that killed a 23-year-old mother, saying he “never loses sight of the fact that a family has lost one of their loved ones” . those”.

Miller, in the week he was collecting awards – and was snubbed for a large award – made his first public appearance, as his name was linked to the Jan. 15 scene in Tuscaloosa where Jamie Harris was killed.

“This whole situation is just heartbreaking, but with all due respect, that’s all I can say about it,” the Southeastern Conference player and Rookie of the Year told The Associated Press.

Former Alabama player Darius Miles has been charged with capital murder. Prosecutors say he gave the gun that was fired to another man, Michael Davis, who shot Harris. Davis is also charged with murder.

Miller’s name was mentioned in court by authorities as the person who delivered the gun on the night of the shooting at Miles’ request. Freshman point guard Jayden Bradley was also at the scene, authorities said. None of them have been charged with a crime.

Alabama said its star striker is a cooperating witness, not a suspect. Neither Miller nor Bradley were eliminated from the game.

Miller’s lawyer said the gun was in the back of Miller’s car, and that the Tide star did not see or hold it.

As Miller and Alabama prepare for the SEC and NCAA tournament, it’s hard to separate the accolades and success from Harris’ death.

Probable No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament, Alabama won the SEC regular season title and opens its bid for the league tournament on Friday in Nashville, Tennessee. Miller is predicted to be selected in the top five in the NBA draft.

On Wednesday, he was named one of five finalists for the Division I Julius Erving Award, which recognizes the best small forward in the nation.

Miller didn’t shed much light on what the final weeks were like for him before he returned to his hometown, Nashville.

Asked about playing to fan chants such as “Guilty” and “Lock him up”, Miller said, “We hear chants.”

“I feel like we’re just leaning on each other. Just go to places like this and try to get big wins,” he said.

Miller was also asked if he received advice to leave school and start preparing for the NBA draft.

“I mean, I hear a lot of people with my ears… I just lean on these guys next to me and transform myself into the person that I am now,” he said. Miller said he wanted to be “remembered as a champion” in Alabama.

Miller became the first SEC player to win both Player and Freshman of the Year awards given by the league since Kentucky’s Anthony Davis in 2012. He averages 19.6 points per game.

Teammate Javon Quinerley said the team stuck together despite adversity “and we just made sure (Miller) was good.”

Alabama coach Nate Oates said that Miller “took this whole situation very seriously from day one.” He ordered Miller to stop his pre-game ritual when a teammate groped him during a performance.

“This is a tough situation for all of us and, to be honest, it’s just sad,” Oates said. “But I never thought Brandon was taking it lightly. So off the court, not necessarily a huge change, but I don’t think there should be any big change.

“He’s a great guy, we’re all going through a tough situation together and we’re trying to rely on each other for this deal.”

KANSAS CITY, Missouri. Texas Tech coach Mark Adams, who was recently suspended for making racially insensitive comments about one of his players, resigned shortly after the Red Raiders were eliminated from the Big 12 on Wednesday.

Second-year assistant Corey Williams led the Red Raiders in their 78–62 loss to West Virginia.

The incident involving Adams occurred during a meeting with an unnamed player, the Texas Institute of Technology said Sunday, announcing his suspension. The school said that Adams “encouraged the student-athlete to be more receptive to training and referred to Bible verses about workers, teachers, parents, and slaves serving their masters.”

Red Raiders athletic director Kirby Hockatt learned of the incident last Friday and issued a written reprimand, while Adams coached them in their loss to Oklahoma State at the end of the regular season. But after Hocutt looked into the situation further, he decided to suspend Adams just three days before the start of the Big 12 tournament.

Adams waited until his team was eliminated before announcing he was retiring.

“My lifelong goal has been to help and positively impact my players and be part of the Texas Tech men’s basketball team,” Adams said in a statement. “However, both the university and I believe this incident has become a distraction for the Texas Tech men’s basketball team and the university that I care about so much.”

This isn’t the first time high-profile coaches have gotten in trouble for tactless comments.

Three years ago, Pat Chambers resigned from Penn State after one of his former players reported that the coach said he wanted to “loosen the noose around your neck” when talking to a player about how to help him reduce his stress levels; This season, he was hired on the Gulf Coast in Florida. And in the 2020–21 season, Creighton coach Greg McDermott apologized for telling his team after the loss to “stay on the plantation” to remind them to stick together; he was suspended for one game.

Adams, 66, graduated from Texas Tech in 1979 and has been there since 2016, starting as director of basketball under Tubby Smith and then working under Chris Beard. He was named head coach when Byrd left for Texas and signed a five-year, $15.5 million contract last spring.

The extension came after Adams led the Red Raiders to the finals of the Big 12 Tournament where they lost to the eventual national champion Kansas, and the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in his first season in charge.

However, this season things quickly turned sour. Texas Tech lost their first eight conference games, and any hope of winning the Big 12 Tournament and returning to the NCAA Tournament ended in a bad game against the Mountaineers.

“To be honest, there is a big burden on these children now. They’ve been through a lot in the last week or so,” Williams said afterwards. “And in a way, I just feel like it caught up with them and they wanted to win.

“They gave their best. And as soon as the ball stopped falling a little, it became a little stiffer, ”he added. “The hill got a lot steeper and unfortunately we couldn’t make up the difference.”

GREENSBOROW, NC — Caleb Love scored 22 points, R. J. Davis hit four 3-pointers to finish with 18 points, and North Carolina kept their NCAA Tournament hopes alive by defeating Boston College 85-61 on Wednesday night in the second round of the tournament ACC. .

Armando Backot had 10 points, six rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes to finish seventh in North Carolina (20-12). The 6-foot-11, elderly player walked out of the game with about five minutes left in the first half with an apparent ankle injury. He started the second half before returning to the bench for good with 2:27 p.m. to play with the Tar Heels leading 58-31.

Backot, Love and Davis scored eight points each in the first half, going 29-12 to give the Tar Heels a 33-16 lead with 7:45 to half time, with Boston College trailing by double figures the rest of the way.

Mackay Ashton-Langford added 16 points, Jayden Zachary added 15 and Quinten Post added 13 to finish 10th at Boston College (16-17).

UNC made 10 three-pointers, 55% (34 of 62) shots from the field, and had just seven assists.

North Carolina, which lost to Kanas 72–69 in the 2022 national championship game and finished first in the preseason poll, likely needs an ACC championship, or at least a title game, to earn the tournament. bet. The Tar Heels have won four of their last five games.

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Boston College probably finished the season

North Carolina will play second-place Virginia in the quarterfinals on Thursday. UNC shared the season series with the Cavaliers, with each team winning at their home court.

Jalen Jackson scored 13 of his season-high 17 points in the second half, Owen Dees came off the bench to add a season-high 16 points, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi defeated Northwestern State 75-71 to win their second straight Southern Tournament Championship. conferences. on Wednesday.

The Islanders (23-10) beat the second-seeded Demons for the third time this season to become the first No. 1 to win a tournament title since New Orleans in 2017.

Trevian Tennyson scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half, while Isaac Mushila scored 10 points and nine rebounds for Corpus Christi.

Conference Player of the Year DeMarcus Sharp scored 32 points on 15 of 31 shots to lead the Northwestern State (22-11). Ja’Monta Black added 15 points and Jalen Hampton added 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Islanders bounced back from an early 16-point deficit after losing senior point guard Terrion Merdix, the conference’s leading defenseman who averages double figures, to a leg injury in the opening minutes.

The Islanders took the lead for good with eight minutes left on Mushila’s 3-point shot and led by eight minutes before the last push of the Demons, who scored on Sharpe’s layup after a couple of losses to the Islanders.

Tennyson hit the float with 20.7 left, although the shot clock was reset after the Islanders missed. Black missed an unbalanced three-pointer and Jackson’s 5.5 free throw from the left completed…