MESA – It wasn’t the start Mesa High School sophomore Kyi Kyi Miles – or his teammates – had in mind. But it might have been the kind of game that sharpens a team built for more than just the summer.
The MaxPreps National Freshman of The Year and top-ranked point guard in his class had already helped lead the Jackrabbits to a 6A state title appearance. So when Mesa took the floor against California powerhouse Etiwanda at the Section 7 tournament on Friday, the buzz around court 7 at Arizona Athletic grounds felt earned — a mix of curiosity and expectation surrounding one of the top young players in the country.
In a facility packed with college coaches like USC’s Eric Musselman and former NBA players like five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher, actor and hoops fan Will Ferrell also took in the action, a sign of Section 7’s visibility as a showcase for top high school players.
From the opening tip, Etiwanda came after Miles, often with multiple defenders, trying to grab ahold of both the point guard and the game.
“They got physical with us and it affected us a little bit,” coach Scott Stansberry said. “But it’s not something we haven’t seen before.”
For much of the first half, Mesa struggled to find answers. Miles missed his first several shots, most of them short. When ball movement stalled, he attacked the rim himself – only to run into traffic, often leaving Mesa vulnerable in transition. The turnovers piled up. So did the deficit.
By the time Etiwanda banked in a 3-pointer to stretch its lead to 39–18, Mesa started to look out of its depth.
Still, the Jackrabbits ran their offense through Miles on every play, their confidence unwavering. Slowly, he began to adjust, until a scoreless start turned into a flurry. A post-up fadeaway late in the first half got him on the board. Then another. He found an open man in the corner for a 3, and then hit one of his own in transition. Two more jump shots on back-to-back possessions brought the deficit to single digits.
On that particular day, it was too little too late. Etiwanda pulled away late against Mesa’s desperation full-court press defense, giving the impression of a blowout in a 75-57 victory.
“We adjusted — just not fast enough,” Miles said. “I think we got better as the game went on, which is a good sign.”
Junior standout guard Daijon Grayson had a number of steals, reinforcing his emerging reputation as an elite defender in the Arizona high school basketball circuit and a rising name in recruiting circles. A second-half steal and dunk sparked life under the packed bleachers – where scouts and college coaches leaned in.
“It’s a lot of fun, a great environment,” Grayson said of the Section 7 tournament atmosphere. “Chance to come out as a team and show what we can do.”
Inside the program, the growing belief is that Grayson and Miles are more than just pieces – they’re a foundation. Coach Stansberry has gone as far as saying, “at the end of the day … this is the best backcourt in the state.”
Stansberry praised the team’s potential, saying, “The sky’s the limit for us. The team that you saw today won’t be the team that you see in season. … We’ll learn from this and get better when it absolutely counts.”
For Mesa – a program with 14 state titles and a long history of excellence, Miles and Grayson are key to its next evolution. The loss to Etiwanda showed growing pains, but also a backcourt and a program that might just be scratching the surface.
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