Miles Heide stands out on the court in a tournament bursting with talent
Standing 6-foot-9, 225 pounds, Miles Heide is pretty hard to miss as it is. However, his play on the court is what really sets him apart as one of the best players at the Desert Holiday Classic basketball tournament.
Heide, who is a senior at Mount Si High School in Snoqualmie, Washington, is a three-star recruit, the No. 3 ranked player in all of Washington and is a candidate for 4A State player of the year. He is committed to San Diego State, choosing the Aztecs over schools such school as Iowa, Fresno State and BYU. He is currently averaging 17.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in his senior season. The center was expected to be one of the top players at the ongoing four-day tournament in the desert, and on Tuesday he showed exactly why, lifting his team to a 61-57 win over Monsignor Scanlan, a team from New York.
Heide scored 18 points while doing the bulk of his work in the paint. He's an elite athlete for his size and he used that athleticism to score in a variety of ways, whether that be finishing strong at the rim, above and through defenders or sending home an alley-oop throwdown that brought the crowd to its feet. Not only was he impressive in the scoring department, he also came down with 20 rebounds and five blocks in a dominating defensive performance.
Desert Holiday Classic high school basketball tournament back in full swing
Heide said basketball has been his passion since he could remember. You could say it's in his DNA.
"My family played basketball, my dad and my mom both played at Oregon State," Heide said. "My sister plays basketball at California Berkeley. We're a basketball family. I've always been around it and I've always wanted to play the sport."
Heide's point totals jump off the stat sheet on a nightly basis, and he's a proficient passer for a big man, too, but he knows what sets his game apart from other players is what he does on the other side of the ball.
"Being strong with the ball, getting rebounds, and just working hard," said Heide, "What really sets me apart is my effort on the defensive side of the ball."
Despite getting offers from multiple Division I programs, Heide has made the decision to commit to San Diego State University, and it's a decision he's very confident in.
"The coaching staff was a big thing for me, just surrounding myself with good people, and SDSU has some great coaches on and off the court," Heide said. "They're giving me a great opportunity, and I'm very excited to go down there."
Mount Si head basketball coach Jason Griffith had nothing but praise for his star player.
"He's the prime example of a kid who works hard," Griffith said. "He brings it every day, every possession, he never takes plays off. When you're 6-foot-9, 225, and athletic you know you're gonna impact the game in a big way, and he does."
If you want to catch Heide in action, there is still time. His Mount Si team plays Pinnacle High of Arizona at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, and Sheldon (Calif.) at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. The team's game time and opponent on Friday will be determined by how they perform throughout the event. All of Mount Si's games will be at Rancho Mirage High School.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Miles Heide stands out in a tournament bursting with talent
