Nick Saban appears to throw shade at Alabama basketball after player's arrest
Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban appeared to throw some shade at the Alabama basketball program on Monday. During a media session with reporters, Saban revealed that freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell, a 2023 five-star, has been suspended after his recent arrest. Mitchell was arrested in Florida last week on charges of marijuana […]
Alabama Crimson Tide head football coach Nick Saban appeared to throw some shade at the Alabama basketball program on Monday.
During a media session with reporters, Saban revealed that freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell, a 2023 five-star, has been suspended after his recent arrest.
Mitchell was arrested in Florida last week on charges of marijuana possession with intent to sell and/or deliver.
While announcing the suspension, Saban appeared to throw some shade at Alabama basketball.
"Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team and all team activities until we get more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is," said Saban on Monday. "Everybody's got an opportunity to make choices and decisions. There's no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You've got to be responsible for who you're with, who you're around and what you do, and who you associate with and the situations you put yourself in. It is what it is. There is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations."
The wrong place wrong time comment definitely feels like it was directed at Alabama head basketball coach Nate Oats.
Oats, in case you don't remember, used almost the exact same phrase while talking about star basketball player Brandon Miller's involvement in the Jamea Jonae Harris murder case.
Miller allegedly drove the gun that was used to shoot Harris to the scene of the crime.
"Can't control everything everybody does outside of practice," said Oats last month while discussing the case. "Nobody knew that was going to happen. College kids are out, Brandon hasn't been in any type of trouble nor is he in any type of trouble in this case. Wrong spot at the wrong time.”
The "wrong spot at the wrong time" comment from Oats was highly publicized. And I think it's more than fair to assume that Saban heard it.
Saban's strong response to Mitchell's arrest suggests that the legendary head coach doesn't necessarily approve of the way Alabama basketball handled the Miller situation.
It's either that or this is just a massive coincidence. Given the nature of the Miller case and Saban's attention to detail, I'm going to go out on a limb and say it's highly unlikely that this was a coincidence.
