Coaches, Writers Name Brandon Miller SEC Player and Freshman of the Year

Voters were not deterred by the controversy surrounding the forward.

It's awards season in college basketball, and a contentious year did not deter the SEC's coaches and writers from decorating Alabama forward Brandon Miller.

Miller was named the Associated Press’ player of the year and newcomer of the year in the SEC Tuesday morning, a day after winning near-identical awards from the league's coaches. He is the sixth Crimson Tide player to win the player of the year award and the third Alabama player to win the rookie of the year award.

The award comes amid controversy surrounding Miller and the Crimson Tide’s handling of the capital murder charge against former Alabama forward Darius Miles, stemming from the Jan. 15 shooting of 23-year-old Jamea Harris in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Police testified Feb. 21 that Miller provided Miles with the gun used to kill Harris, and were unable to charge him with any crime under Alabama law. Miller’s lawyer has disputed the claim.

On the court, Miller averages a league-leading 19.6 points per game, and is widely regarded as one of the top available prospects in June's NBA draft.