Jumbo Package: New Jan. 15 details emerge as Brandon Miller, Alabama basketball begin tournament play

Happy Friday, everyone. It’s Senior Night for gymnastics, as the Gym Tide close out the season against Boise State tonight. Meanwhile the softball team will be tested in an invitational at #9 Texas this weekend, in which they will play the Longhorns twice among four total games. Unfortunately only the nine people who get Longhorn Network will have the opportunity to watch live. The red hot baseball team gets one final, tasty cupcake as Columbia comes to Tuscaloosa. Things will get much tougher at #6 Florida next weekend.

Of course, all eyes are on the basketball team as they open SEC tournament play at noon today vs. Mississippi State. Bulldogs star Tolu Smith is confident that Alabama won’t complete the three game sweep.

“I just think the third time’s the charm,” Smith said after beating Florida. “I think we have a really good chance to get a win.

“It’s hard (to defend star freshman Brandon Miller) but I think we got some guys who are ready to sit down and lock in. ... I don’t think we’re scared of nobody. I think we’re ready to attack them.”

Miller, of course, has been in the news for mostly non-basketball reasons lately, and some more information was released yesterday that will hopefully quiet a bit of that noise.

“There’s a lot of stuff out there I want to (respond to). A lot of stuff (Simms) wants to say. But you don’t get into back and forth with people who don’t know Brandon. It’s a small circle,” Phillips Jr. said. “... The thing with this situation is Brandon had the dash cam. When all the information comes out, there’s gonna be a lot of people that are like, ‘Aw, I didn’t realize it happened like that.’ But you gotta sell the narrative, you gotta sell the story. You gotta get on ESPN. … It’s the nature of the beast. That’s how you get paid. So you don’t feed into that. (The Millers are) well-rounded, good family, good people, as long as Brandon’s OK, it’s all you got.”

Miles’ attorney said in the Feb. 21 hearing that Johnson, upset with Davis’ dancing near the Jeep, got out of the vehicle, crossed the street and talked to three of his friends. Then Johnson, she said, got back into the Jeep and drove with his lights off.

An unrelated fight that had broken out nearby among several women blocked traffic in the area, making it slow going through the corner of University Boulevard and Grace Street. Harris’ Jeep waited in the alley behind the Houndstooth for another car to turn.

At 1:43 a.m., Miller’s car pulled up behind Bradley’s car, and Miles stepped out of Bradley’s car.

Harris’ Jeep made a left on Grace Street, away from the fight among the women in the alley and street. The Jeep turned around, lights still off, and pulled up behind Miller’s car.

The last text asking Miller to come pick Miles up came in at 1:10am. The area was congested so it took Brandon a while to get there. Still unclear whether he even saw the text about the gun, but regardless, it may very well be that Miles never looks for the gun had the Jeep driven by Humphrey not circled around to pull in behind them with the lights off. That piece also mentions that ESPN reviewed video showing Davis falling backwards before firing into the Jeep, which calls into question who fired first. That will be heavily debated at the trials on Miles and Davis.

The whole thing is just senseless and tragic. These young people had never met one another until 1:36am on January 15, and at 1:45am Jamea was shot. Nine minutes of nonsense ended one life and altered many.

But it’s more clear than ever that Brandon Miller played no role in it. He certainly didn’t block the road so that the Jeep couldn’t leave, which was the insinuation from Carol Robinson that started all the innuendo to begin with. And it’s tough to call the gun “delivered” when Miles and Davis had to rummage through stuff in the back seat just to find it.

Last, Tua Tagovailoa is looking to expand his business interests.

Move over, Jordan Brand.

Tua Brand appears on the horizon.

According to trademark attorney Josh Gerben, Tagovailoa has filed a trademark application for his own name.

This clears the way for Tua to launch a TUA Brand that could include items such as:

● Clothing

● Footballs

● Sporting Goods

● Under-Eye Grease

If that happens there won’t be a kid in Hawaii who doesn’t have a closet full of TUA swag.

That’s about it for today. Have a great weekend.

Roll Tide.