The solely character issues that arose when former Alabama basketball participant Darius Miles was evaluated throughout his recruitment needed to do with basketball, slightly than private character, Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats stated Friday.
Miles is one among two males charged with capital homicide within the taking pictures dying of Jamea Jonae Harris, 23, early Sunday. He is being held with out bond, and a possible trigger listening to has been set for Feb. 7.
Oats stated Miles’ recruitment occurred through the COVID-19 pandemic, which required contact by way of Zoom and telephone calls slightly than in-person, however stated he was assured in Miles’ character as a highschool recruit.
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“You get the standard ‘He’s so gifted, typically perhaps he takes performs off,’ however that had nothing to do along with his character off the ground in any respect. There had been zero off-the-floor character points once we recruited him. And to be sincere with you, even when he was right here, we had no actual points with him off the ground,” Oats stated. “He was a likable child, everyone preferred (him). The solely points we ever had had been to attempt to get him motivated to play a little bit more durable in follow, be extra constant, simply basketball stuff. Nobody noticed this coming.”
According to arrest warrants made public earlier this week, Miles advised police he supplied a handgun to Michael Lynn Davis previous to the taking pictures, and that witnesses recognized Davis because the shooter. Investigators consider the taking pictures stemmed from a minor argument between Harris, Miles, and Davis.
Harris and an unidentified man had been in a car when she was killed by a single gunshot wound. The unidentified man returned hearth, and The Tuscaloosa News has authenticated a video during which not less than 11 photographs might be heard in an change of gunfire.
Per the movement for bond filed on Miles’ behalf Thursday, he had no prior legal historical past, in line with his attorneys.
Oats stated he tries to go deeper than suggestions from highschool coaches in evaluating the character of recruits.
“The coach often would not wish to say something (unhealthy) a couple of child, and we get that. We get a considerably sincere analysis from most coaches, however they need their children to go to the best degree they’ll, if that is smart. You get a little bit extra honesty if you begin calling the academics, the principals, steering counselors. … We had been at a faculty, me and Brian (Hodgson) had been, a pair weeks in the past in Ohio. We talked till the evening custodian. They had follow within the night, so that is the custodian that is across the workforce on a regular basis when no one else is round. You discover much more out about children performing some analysis like that.”
Oats additionally stated he suggested his workforce on deal with the chance that college students or followers of different groups, throughout Alabama highway video games, would possibly say derogatory issues to gamers concerning the prices towards Miles. Oats stated there have been no such points on the Crimson Tide’s recreation at Vanderbilt earlier this week. UA travels to Missouri on Saturday.
“If individuals wish to be ignorant and say issues which are utterly out of line … this is not a case the place any individual bought in some gentle hassle. These are critical issues. There is a 5-year-old that does not have a mom anymore,” Oats stated. “This just isn’t, to me, one thing college students ought to be joking about. If any individual does occur to say one thing, I advised our guys ‘You’ve bought to be robust sufficient, powerful sufficient, to only say ‘We’re right here to play basketball.'”
Reach Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on Twitter @chasegoodbread.