Key matchup: Projected NBA lottery pick Brandon Miller off to scorching start for Alabama

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – When Gonzaga and Alabama met in Seattle last season, the Crimson Tide had the task of facing a projected lottery NBA pick – shot-blocking, perimeter-shooting freshman Chet Holmgren, who was taken second overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Alabama will be happy to hand Gonzaga a similar assignment in Round 2.

Brandon Miller may not have the same cachet as Holmgren, but not unlike Gonzaga’s skilled 7-footer, Alabama’s freshman forward came to school as a prized top-15 recruit and continues to produce in a way that’s validated those who consider him a high first-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

At 18.5 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game, Miller’s also elevated the Crimson Tide (9-1) to the country’s No. 4 ranking. That’s up 16 spots from where Alabama opened the season and represents the program’s highest mark since 2006-07.

Miller, a five-star prospect who was the nation’s fourth-rated small forward in the 2022 recruiting class (247Sports.com), has scored 15-plus points in seven of 10 games and he’ll be at the center of Gonzaga’s scouting report before Saturday’s game against Alabama in Birmingham .

“He’s a great player,” Bulldogs coach Mark Few said.

Miller’s been a guaranteed double-digit scorer for Alabama and it’s not a surprise when you consider his offensive usage. The 6-foot-9, 200-pounder from Antioch, Tennessee, leads Alabama in minutes played (33.4 per game) and ranks second in the SEC at 13.7 field-goal attempts per game, taking 21% of his team’s shots this season.

Miller may be a freshman, but at 20 years old he’s also the same age as Gonzaga junior Julian Strawther, who doesn’t turn 21 until April.

In a media session Thursday, Alabama coach Nate Oats praised Miller for his play, but also suggested he’s been impressed by his attitude and approach to the college game.

“McDonald’s All-American, highly touted, playing as good as any freshman in the country right now,” Oats said.

“If he’s not the team guy he is and doesn’t have the camaraderie and chemistry with the team, we’re not as good as we are.”

The Bulldogs won’t mind Miller shooting inside the 3-point arc, but they’ll have to close out quickly whenever he steps behind it. Miller’s made 31 of 71 (43%) shots from beyond the arc and he’s attempted only 66 inside the arc, making just 34% of those.

Miller’s coming off a 24-point outing against Memphis that saw him shoot 7 of 13 from the field, but offensive efficiency hasn’t always been guaranteed . Alabama’s played two top-ranked teams and Miller struggled in both games, making 4 of 21 against North Carolina at the Phil Knight Invitational before going 0 of 8 last Saturday against Houston. In four games against ranked opponents, he’s shot 26% from the field.

Miller’s size and athleticism make him a tough cover and Strawther, who’s struggled at times on the defensive end, projects to be Gonzaga’s best and potentially only option on him.

Drew Timme and Anton Watson should have their hands full with 7-foot, 225-pound center Charles Bediako and 6-10, 210-pound Noah Clowney.