Shay Moloney is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Mesa High School for AZPreps365.com

In this day and age of sports, talk about recruitment and transfer athletes typically persists at the collegiate level. But in Arizona, with open enrollment policies in place, it’s the top athletes at the high school level that are being sought after.

Kyi Kyi Miles, a star freshman point guard, was the latest player schools across the state were vying for. Miles has yet to play a single minute of high school basketball, but has racked up six Division I offers and already is considered one of the top players in the state, as well as one of the best freshman guards in the entire country. His immense talent was recognized years ago, and since Arizona allows high school students to enroll at any school they choose, Miles knew he’d have his pick.

His ultimate decision to enroll at Mesa High School, a public school, was seen as a surprise by many, but it presented a unique opportunity for Miles. 

“I wanted to carve my own path, not just go to the same places where everyone before me went. And I think me choosing to go to Mesa will make other players want to create their own stories as well,” Miles said. 

While he’s glad he chose the Jackrabbits for his next chapter, Miles admitted it wasn’t a straightforward decision. 

“It was hard before I committed to Mesa because there were so many options I could have gone to school at, and it was so last minute. But I had my visit with Mesa and really liked it,” Miles said about his process. 

For Scott Stansberry, Mesa’s head basketball coach and the 2021 Arizona Preps Coach of the Year, Miles’ decision to play under him the next four years did not come as a surprise. 

“Our brand of basketball here at Mesa is very blue collar, roll your sleeves up. It’s not for everyone, but it’s definitely for Kyi Kyi. He’s embracing that style, he works hard, and doesn’t want anything handed to him. He wants to earn everything,” Stansberry said. 

Another value Miles is honoring by attending Mesa is legacy. His uncle and personal trainer, Jahii Carson, is an “all-time legend” for Mesa basketball if you ask Stansberry. Carson broke every scoring record possible at Mesa, and parlayed that into a scholarship to play basketball at Arizona State University, one of the six schools that already has made an offer to Miles. Carson played a major role in getting Miles in the purple and gold, and will now see his nephew attempt to break his own high school records. 

Stansberry also knows Miles will have a huge impact on Mesa basketball both on and off the court. 

“Kyi Kyi choosing Mesa brought an immediate spotlight on us. We’ve really enjoyed seeing the Mesa name alongside his, but at the same time, we know that puts a target on our back. We’ll need to work even harder to get the results we want to achieve,” Stansberry said. 

The added level of attention and focus on Mesa has been the most apparent on social media. Miles himself has nearly 20 thousand followers on Instagram, and his decision naturally led his followers and fans toward his new school’s social media platforms.

“Increasing our social media presence has definitely played an important role recently. When the world found out Kyi Kyi was coming to Mesa, our social media blew up in the best way possible. Now other schools and coaches are recognizing Mesa High School,” Kilea Thomas, Mesa’s assistant athletic director, said. 

Running the athletic department’s social media accounts is one of Thomas’s most important responsibilities, but she made it clear that it’s not for outside approval. 

“The reason why we took such a step in social media was not to get known or seen by other schools, it was mainly for our athletes. Social media is a big part of their lives right now, and we just want to highlight all of the great things they’re accomplishing,” Thomas said. 

Thomas and Stansberry also aren’t focused on putting Miles on a pedestal and using him as a poster child to lure future ultra-talented athletes. 

“Kyi Kyi’s different in the fact that Mesa doesn’t usually have the elite athletes knocking on our door, but that’s never mattered. We pride ourselves on being able to win with the kids in our own backyard. We have the talent in our neighborhood, in our boundary,” Thomas said.

It’s clear that Mesa’s basketball program and athletic department are intent on a business-as-usual approach to Miles’ decision to further develop his anything-but-usual skills at Mesa. No matter the approach, Miles will look to the Jackrabbits as a launching pad for what’s shaping up to be a very successful collegiate, and perhaps even professional career on the hardwood.