Nate Oats Says Darius Miles' Personal Matter 'Completely Unrelated' to Sunday Incident

Miles was absent from the Alabama basketball team for four games dealing with a personal matter.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Sunday afternoon, it was confirmed that Alabama basketball forward Darius Miles was arrested and charged with capital murder in the death of Jamea Jonae Harris. He was almost immediately removed from the university as a student and the basketball team as a player. 

Less than 24 hours earlier, he was on the bench in sweats for the Crimson Tide's 106-66 win over LSU with a statement released before the game that he would miss the remainder of the season with an ankle injury. Even though he obviously did not play, it was still his first game back with the program since Dec. 20 against Jackson State. 

Miles was not on the bench for the Crimson Tide in the SEC opener at Mississippi State Dec. 28, and after the game Oats said he was taking time away from the team to deal with a personal matter. He was not with the team for the following three games either. 

Oats revealed Monday morning that Miles had gone home to Washington D.C. during his absence from the team to deal with the personal matter. 

"And he had the ankle injury— it was kind of ongoing," Oats said. "So I mean he's had multiple issues. They were all completely unrelated to the this incident Saturday though, or Sunday morning.”

Miles only played in six games for Alabama this season while dealing with the ankle injury after being a consistent role player off the bench for the Crimson Tide the last two years under Oats.

The Alabama head coach was asked if any other players were involved with the incident Sunday morning, and Oats said the entire remaining team got together as a group Sunday night and will practice Monday in Tuscaloosa before the road game at Vanderbilt Tuesday night. 

"As I mentioned earlier, all of us got together last night—it’s an ongoing investigation," Oats said. "Our entire remaining team is traveling to Nashville and will be available to play in the game tomorrow.”

Alabama will try to regroup and refocus for a matchup against the Commodores Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

See also:

Alabama Basketball Player Darius Miles Charged With Capital Murder

How Alabama Basketball Responded to the Darius Miles Incident

Everything Nate Oats Said About Darius Miles Arrest, Upcoming Game at Vanderbilt