Alabama star Brandon Miller named most valuable player in SEC tournament

Brandon Miller’s homecoming was a successful one. After Alabama won the second Southeastern Conference tournament championship in the Nate Oats era, Miller was named the most outstanding player of all the competitors who rolled through Bridgestone Arena.

Miller, playing about 12 miles from his hometown of Antioch, Tenn., posted a combined 61 points, 33 rebounds, 13 assists and five steals in three games.

It was the latest accolade for the star freshman. On Saturday, he was retroactively added to the Wooden Award watchlist, the third national honor he’s deemed a finalist. Miller broke Collin Sexton’s single-season points record for a freshman later in the day against Missouri. He took over the second half, rallying from a four-point deficit.

“He’s going to have a great NBA career. So want to congratulate Brandon on (the record). It’s a big deal. He’s played really well for us,” Oats said on Saturday.

Miller and the Tide have been the subject of national attention this week. A group of Vanderbilt fans chanted “Bran-don kill-ler” at him during warmups yesterday. Two Alabama fans also wore shirts that read ‘killin’ our way through the SEC,’ an apparent reference to the Jan. 15 shooting involving former Tide player Darius Miles.

Missouri’s D’Moi Hodge, Vanderbilt’s Ezra Manjon, Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV, Alabama’s Charles Bediako, Jahvon Quinerly and Miller were named to the All-SEC tournament first team.

ALABAMA MEN’S BASKETBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS

Brandon Miller: Sporting News first-team All-America; Naismith Award semifinalist; Wooden Award final 15; USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy late-season watch list; Julius Erving Award final five; SEC player of the year (coaches vote); SEC player of the year (Associated Press vote); SEC freshman of the year (coaches vote); SEC newcomer of the year (Associated Press vote); All-SEC first team (coaches vote); All-SEC first team (Associated Press vote); SEC all-freshman team (coaches vote); SEC tournament first team; SEC tournament MVP

Jahvon Quinerly: SEC co-sixth man of the year (coaches vote); SEC tournament first team

Charles Bediako: SEC all-defensive team (coaches vote); SEC tournament first team

Mark Sears: All-SEC second team (coaches vote)

Noah Clowney: SEC all-freshman team (coaches vote)

Jaden Bradley: SEC all-freshman team (coaches vote)

This post will be updated.