Prospect Spotlight: Miles Lightfoot
Miles Lightfoot, younger brother of Mitch Lightfoot who was Arizona’s top ranked basketball player in 2016, received his first his first Division 1 offer from West Point Naval Academy in June of this year. Yesterday he committed to play there starting in the 2019-2020 season. Lightfoot had other service academies such as the Air Force and Navy show interest in him.
Lightfoot played well his junior season, his team went into the state tournament where he helped clinch a few games on the team’s way to winning the 2A state Championship. “I pride myself in defense and the ability to use my length to block a lot of shots, I am a primarily stretch four that can shoot some and play in the post if I have a smaller defender” Lightfoot said to describe his style of play. These strengths of his (length, scoring, blocking shots, and rebounding) along with the ability to handle the ball are the reasons that he compares his play to the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
When the high school season is over Miles takes his talents to AAU ball; he plays with PowerHouse Hoops. “AAU has been great, my team has yet to lose…” Lightfoot added “[I chose PowerHouse] mostly because John Ortega… he had been a huge part of my brother’s success, I’m good friends with my coach.”
Mitch, who is the oldest of the Lightfoot siblings, currently resides at Kansas University where he will be heading into his sophomore season. On the topic of who is the better player Miles was very modest saying “Mitch and I are different players, he has his strengths and I have mine. I don’t know if you could say one of us is better in my opinion… [in a game of 21] he would probably win, but it would be close.”
Lightfoot will get a chance to become a back to back state champion having one more high school season before he will be off to West Point. He hopes to continue his progress as a player as well as a student and says that he is honored to get the opportunity to serve this country. For his last high school season, Lightfoot said “I want to be small schools player of the year. Whether I get it or not I’m using that as motivation to push myself.”