STARKVILLE — Starkville boys basketball has been a pipeline for players to continue their basketball careers into college and further into the pro ranks.
On Wednesday afternoon, Makhi Myles became the next Yellow Jacket to join the pipeline as he signed his National Letter of Intent to play for Wichita State next season.
Joined by family, friends, teammates and coaches inside the main gym of Starkville High School, Myles now carries the torch, representing SHS in the American Athletic Conference.
“I saw their campus and how their team interacts with each other and I really liked it,” Myles said. “Wichita State is a really good program. It’s a winning program, so putting myself in a position to play against that kind of competition, play on that stage, I felt like it was really a no-brainer for me.”
Myles made his commitment official on Twitter on Aug. 29 following a recent visit to the school, turning down offers from Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Southern Miss and others.
Last season, Myles cemented himself as one of the best players in the state of Mississippi, putting up double-double averages of 24 points and 11 rebounds a game along with 4.5 blocks a game.
The 6-6 small forward was named the MHSAA Class 6A, Region 1 Most Valuable Player as a result and will join the ranks of Yellow Jackets players before him who have continued basketball into college.
“As a coach, you get excited when any of your players get the opportunity to not only further their basketball careers, but their academic careers as well at the next level,” Starkville head coach Qu’Varius “Woodie” Howard said. “He loved it. He felt like it was the best fit for him to get him to where he was trying to go, so we supported him 100 percent.”
Heading to Wichita State, Myles will have the opportunity to play for a program that within the last decade has made the Final Four and one that took an unbeaten record into the 2014 NCAA tournament, becoming the first team to do so in two decades.
He’ll also have the opportunity to play some of the best teams in the country, like Houston — currently the No. 3 team in the nation — Memphis and UCF.
Shockers head coach Isaac Brown has already been in talks with Myles on how he’s going to be utilized once he gets there, and already, Wichita State’s play style fits well into his current game.
“He mainly wanted me to be there to be able to shoot the ball and spread out the offense,” Myles said. “I felt like the way I was built in my game, I was really going to be able to bring that and more to the table.”
This senior season will be very much a no-stress season for Myles, who is chasing a state championship ring with Starkville.
With college plans all settled, the focus is now 100 percent on basketball as Myles looks to put up all-district and MVP numbers again for the Yellow Jackets.
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