Lancaster basketball coach Ferrin Douglas isn’t afraid to call Mike Miles the best point guard he’s ever coached. He admits his bias, but he thinks Miles is the best high school point guard in the country. He calls the senior “the complete package,” and Douglas knew Miles had the potential to become it back when Miles was in fourth grade – the same time millions across the country found out.
Miles, or “Mike Mike” as he’s known at Lancaster, was called a “phenom” and a “point guard prodigy” in a two-minute highlight video posted by Ballislife in 2012. The video, showing ball handling skills beyond his years, has been viewed more than four million times.
Eight years later, Miles has lived up to his potential. The TCU signee, a four-year starter for the Tigers, led his team to the state tournament after a wire-to-wire run as the state’s top-ranked 5A team. He averaged 21.4 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals for 36-1 Lancaster on his way to being named SportsDay’s All-Area Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
“You could just go down the line in the Dallas area,” Douglas said of how many talented players there are in the area, “but just for ‘Mike Mike’ to get that award, not only am I proud but I guarantee there won’t be no fuss with the other players because I believe he’s earned their respect.”
Miles said the honor means a lot because he’s been set on proving himself this season. Despite being called a prodigy as a fourth grader, he’s felt like he was overlooked. Rivals has him as the 123rd-ranked prospect in the class of 2020 and the 27th-best point guard. This season, his last high school season, Miles was on a mission.
“I wanted to show I was the best player on the best team in Dallas,” he said.
That meant winning a state title, something Miles hadn’t done and something Lancaster had accomplished in back-to-back seasons before Miles’ freshman year. So, before this season, Miles made a promise to his teammates: he was going to bring a state championship back to Lancaster.
In the 37 games before the state tournament, he did his part. Against reigning state champion Duncanville, he scored a game-high 32 points. Against St. Mark’s, this year’s Southwest Preparatory Conference Champions, he scored a game-high 38.
Lancaster, the top-ranked team in the state, looked like the state title favorites before the state tournament was suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Douglas is thinking positively, but if the tournament ultimately ends up being canceled, his heart will break for this team, especially Miles.
“It hurts a lot … but I still have hope that it will happen and I can complete my mission,” Miles said.
Regardless, Miles’ legacy at Lancaster is already set in the mind of Douglas. Miles showed his potential as a fourth grader and lived up to it during his high school career. Now he’ll head off to TCU as one of the best players to come out of Texas in 2020.
“Just to sum it all up: he’s been pretty much what I envisioned he would be -- the top player in the area and the top player in the state,” Douglas said.
Get to know Mike a little better
Mike’s 2019-20 season in photos
Recent Player of the Year winners
2019: Jahmi’us Ramsey, Duncanville
2018: Tyrese Maxey, South Garland
2017: Marcus Garrett, Skyline
2016: Marques Bolden, DeSoto
2015: Admon Gilder, Madison
More boys basketball awards
Can’t see the links above? Find our awards below.
Player of the Year: Lancaster’s Mike Miles
Coach and Newcomer of the Year
First, second and third all-area teams
All-district teams: MVPs, other award winners
Find more high school stories from SportsDayHS here.
+++
