Sports

Alabama star freshman Miller entering NBA draft

Alabama freshman forward Brandon Miller, the No. 3 prospect in ESPN’s latest mock draft, is entering the 2023 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Thursday.

Miller, a 6-foot-9 All-American considered to be the top college prospect in the draft class, has emerged shoulder-to-shoulder with G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson to become the No. 2 pick in the June draft behind generational No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama of France.

Miller told ESPN that that he thanked “God, my family, my fans and all the coaches at the University of Alabama,” and now planned to forgo his college eligibility.

Miller, 20, is a dynamic wing player with incredible scoring ability who had an extremely productive season for the Crimson Tide, the SEC champions who were a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Miller was the nation’s leading freshman scorer at 18.8 points a game, including 41 points against South Carolina in February. In the SEC tournament, he became the first freshman with consecutive 20-point, 10-rebound games in a conference tournament since Duke’s Zion Williamson in 2019.

In the NCAA tournament, Miller was slowed by a groin injury that impacted his production. Alabama lost to San Diego State in the Sweet 16.

ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony contributed to this report.