March Madness is one of the most unpredictable sporting events, notorious for Cinderella stories such as Loyola-Chicago reaching the Final Four or No. 16 seed UMBC defeating No. 1 seed Virginia in 2018.

In Alabama's tournament opener Thursday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christie, Brandon Miller failed to score for the first time in his collegiate career against the No. 16 seed Islanders, going 0-3 from deep, and 0-5 from the field.

"He's got a groin injury that he's been nursing since Sunday," coach Nate Oats said.

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Fresh off becoming the first player in conference history to win SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Player of the Year, and SEC Tournament MVP, Miller fell flat on the offensive side of the ball.

Despite the scoring drought, Miller found a way to help his teammates on offense, recording two offensive rebounds and three assists.

Luckily for Miller, his teammates picked him up on the offensive win in a dominant 96-75 win. Miller has constantly emphasized how he has relied on his teammates for support in the last few weeks.

Five Alabama players scored in double digits Thursday: Noah Clowney, Mark Sears, Jahvon Quinerly, Nick Pringle, and Nimari Burnett. Pringle had a team high 19 points and 15 rebounds, his second double-double of the season.

Three-point shooting was not an issue to start March Madness, as the Crimson Tide went 15-34 from deep, a 44% conversion rate. Sears, Burnett, and Clowney all made three shots from behind the arc.

Alabama is set to face No. 8 seed Maryland Saturday in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years. The Crimson Tide dominated in 2021, winning 96-77.

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