Brandon Miller: From Collegiate Standout to NBA Rising Star

Brandon Jordan Miller, born on November 22, 2002, is an American professional basketball player currently with the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His journey to the NBA was paved with success at Cane Ridge High School, where he earned the title of Tennessee Mr. Basketball, followed by a impactful single season of college basketball for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

High School Career

Miller grew up in Antioch, Tennessee, and attended Cane Ridge High School. During his junior season, he was named the Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging impressive stats: 23.3 points, eight rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.6 blocks, and 2.3 steals per game. Miller repeated as the Gatorade Player of the Year and was named Tennessee Mr. Basketball as a senior.

Recruitment

Miller was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2022 class, according to major recruiting services. He was heavily scouted and recruited by several top college programs. Ultimately, he chose to commit to the University of Alabama.

College Career at Alabama

Brandon Miller played his lone college season at Alabama, where he led the Crimson Tide to the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. In 37 appearances for Alabama, Miller put up impressive numbers, averaging 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. He showcased his shooting prowess by hitting 38.4 percent from three on 7.5 attempts per game. Miller registered 14 games with at least 20 points and four games with at least 30, headlined by a season-high 41 points in a win over South Carolina on Feb. 22. In a win over Jacksonville State on Nov. 18, Miller drained seven three-pointers on his way to 28 points and eight rebounds. Later in the season, in a Jan. 14 win over LSU, Miller again hit seven threes, this time finishing with 31 points and nine boards.

Accolades

At the end of the season, Miller was named the SEC Player of the Year, SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP and a consensus All-American. These accolades underscore the impact he had on the Alabama Crimson Tide and the SEC conference during his single season.

Read also: Wolverine to Eagle: Graham's Path

NBA Draft and Early Career

Miller's outstanding college performance led him to declare for the 2023 NBA draft, where he was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 2nd overall pick. Signed a two-year, $22.31 million contract with the Hornets in July of 2023. The Hornets exercised $11.97 million team option for 2025-26 in October of 2024. Hornets exercised $15.1 million team option for 2026-27 in October of 2025.

NBA Performance and Statistics

Miller started 27 games for Charlotte during the 2024-25 NBA season, averaging 21.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. Miller finished third in Rookie of the Year voting last season behind phenoms Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, who both had historically good campaigns. The Alabama product wasn't as prolific but still averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 stocks in 32.2 minutes per game while starting 68 of 74 appearances. Miller was also somewhat efficient for a rookie, posting 44/37/83 shooting splits.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Miller is an elite scorer who's equally comfortable attacking the rim as he is launching threes. He has excellent size at 6-9 with a wingspan approaching seven feet. While he'll need to eventually add weight, Miller is already a crafty scorer who uses his length and athleticism to get to the hoop and finish over and around defenders. Scoring is his calling card, but Miller is a willing passer who displays high-level vision traits as a ball-handler and in the pick-and-roll. Mechanics-wise, Miller's jumpshot is nearly flawless, and his three-point (38.4%) and free-throw (85.9%) percentages portend borderline-elite shooting at the next level. Defensively, Miller is active and engaged and should have the size to keep up with most NBA wings. However, his Summer League performances were discouraging. He posted shooting splits of 38/31/78 on his 15.2 points across five appearances and didn't take games over in the way you'd hope from a Top 3 pick.

Potential and Future

Miller is the type of prospect who will likely start and handle a heavy workload from Day 1. The return of a healthy LaMelo Ball will likely mean less usage for Miller on a nightly basis, but a point guard of that caliber should increase the pace and create easier looks for Miller, whose main weakness in category leagues was his field-goal percentage. If Ball gets the Hornets back on track, Miller could be in store for a major breakout as the No. 2 offensive weapon in a high-octane offense. However, there's also a world where Ball gets hurt again, and Miles Bridges maintains a leading role over Miller.

Personal Life and Background

Miller was born in Nashville, Tennessee. Miller's father, Darrell Miller, played college football as a tight end at Alabama under head coach Gene Stallings in the early 1990s. His older brother, Darrell Jr., played college basketball at Fisk University and professionally overseas.

Read also: Brandon School District Portal

Legal Controversy

On February 21, 2023, a Tuscaloosa police officer testified that Miller brought a firearm to teammate Darius Miles that was used in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris in Tuscaloosa earlier that year. According to Miller's attorney, Miles had left the gun in Miller's vehicle after Miller dropped Miles off at a club. As Miller was on his way back to pick up Miles, Miles texted Miller, requesting that Miller bring Miles's gun. When Miller arrived, Miles told his friend Michael Davis that the gun was in the vehicle. Davis retrieved the gun and shot into a vehicle in which Harris was a passenger, while Harris's boyfriend returned fire, resulting in two bullets striking Miller's car.

Player Comparisons

Miller's game very closely resembles that of Paul George, almost to an uncanny degree. He also displays shades of Brandon Ingram, Andrew Wiggins and Buddy Hield.

Recent Performances

Miller sank five threes for the second consecutive game as the Hornets continue to build momentum. He's made at least four threes in five of his last six outings, averaging 22.5 points over that stretch. The Hornets finished a perfect 4-0 in Week 15 and suddenly are in the mix for a playoff spot. During that stretch, Miller averaged 26.3 points and 5.8 rebounds on 50.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

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