Mesa Jackrabbit Basketball

Mesa boys hoops made gains at Section 7
Section 7 boys high school basketball showcase gave Arizona teams a chance to see how good they'll be for the 2026-27 season, battling against top teams from all over the country in the June 12-14 event at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa. Some were getting acquainted with transfers. Some were seeing what it's like without their stars.

For Mesa, it was a chance to gain confidence and show that it should be just fine without star guard Jakyi "Kyi Kyi" Miles, who transferred to national prep academy powerhouse Chandler AZ Compass Prep at the end of the school year.
Mesa went 3-1 in its bracket, as 6-foot-1 senior point guard Daijon Grayson took a big leap in his development, gaining Division I interest.

"We're sharing the ball," coach Scott Stansberry said. "Obviously, we had Kyi Kyi, who is such a phenomenal talent. But people need to realize there were people surrounding him. And those guys are still here, and they're pretty good."

Grayson is an electric athlete who can score from all three levels. Inside, the Jackrabbits are anchored by 6-8 senior power forward Brig Bowden. Jace Parris, 6-9, and Innocent Onwo, 6-4, both rising sophomores, looked like they're ready to have big seasons with their performances at Section 7.

All of those guys, Stansberry said, received strong interest from colleges.

"They sacrificed having Kyi Kyi on the team," Stansberry said. "But now their shot volume is going to go up. I'm excited for them to showcase their abilities. And that's kind of what they've been doing all summer."

Stansberry said his team has lost only three games this summer. There still is a 64-team tournament this weekend in the Valley, then Nevada Live to finish June, before high school players go to their club teams for July AAU basketball.

There were 176 teams from 11 states playing in Section 7, sanctioned by the National Federation of High School Associations, and with each game having three-man officiating crews. More than 500 college coaches came through to evaluate the players.

COACH STANSBERRY named Top 75 Most Influential High School Coach by Silver Waves Media
Scott Stansberry is the head boys basketball coach at Mesa High School, entering his 9th year leading the program and his 12th year coaching at the varsity level overall. He has built Mesa into a consistent 6A contender, pairing competitive success on the court with sustained academic performance, as the program has consistently maintained a 3.6 team GPA.

During his tenure at Mesa, Stansberry has compiled a 153–68 record, contributing to an overall varsity head coaching record of 183–121. His teams have won five region championships and made seven appearances in the Arizona 6A state playoffs, including three Open Division appearances. The program has also advanced deep into postseason play with two Elite Eight appearances, two Final Four appearances, and one state championship game appearance.

Beyond team success, Stansberry has helped develop more than 20 student-athletes who have gone on to compete at the collegiate level, reflecting the program’s emphasis on player development and long-term opportunity.

His coaching achievements have been recognized with multiple honors, including Arizona Preps Coach of the Year awards in 2020–21 and 2024–25, as well as East Valley Region Coach of the Year selections in 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2023–24.

2026-27 SEASON - The Jackrabbits will be competing in the 6A East Valley Region along with Dobson, Mountain View, Red Mountain, Tucson and Westwood.

ON-LINE TICKETS - You can buy tickets on-line for every home, conveniently and securely, through Go Fan. BUY TICKETS

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS - We appreciate the support from our 2025-26 business sponsors. Please visit them if you're in need of the goods and services they provide. SPONSORS

Tradition Never Graduates - Basketball is family right? I mean, that’s what any high school, college, and even professional basketball player is going to tell you. Players like to say it’s the competition that gets their juices flowing or the roar of the crowd that gets them fired up. What if there was a place where the READ MORE......

STATE CHAMPS - Take a look back at the teams that won State championships from 1914 to 2016 on the HISTORY page.

MESA RECORDS - Check out the individual game, individual season and individual career records on the RECORDS page.

Mesa TOP ALL TIME PLAYERS - Richard Obert, azcentral sports
Mesa High has as rich a football history as any high school in Arizona. Boys basketball was good in the school's early years. But it really picked up in the 1980s under coach Paul Newendyke, and hasn't stopped rolling under Shawn Lynch in the early 2000s, then Shane Burcar, and now with Scott Stansberry in charge.

It is easy to find 10 players but extremely tough to pick a No. 1. Any of the top three players can make a case for being the best basketball player in school history. Here are Richard Obert's top all-time Mesa High boys basketball players. STORY

Mesa ALUMNI WHO HAVE GONE ONTO THE NEXT LEVELS - Jackrabbit tradition is rich with All-State players, Player of the Year winners and those that have gone on to excel at the next level, including some that have played in professional leagues around the world. They include David Van Dyke, Lee Cummard, Aaron Fuller, Graham Hatch, Donte Medder, Michael Crowell, Hakeem Rollins, Blondy Barutti and Jahii Carson. Read about these former Jackrabbits on the ALUMNI page.

HELP THE PROGRAM, HELP YOURSELF - Arizona law provides a tax credit for contributions to public schools to support extracurricular activities or character education.

You can help the Mesa basketball program and possibly lower your tax bill by making a donation earmarked for the basketball program.

The state tax credit is available to ALL qualifying individual Arizona state taxpayers. You do not need to have a child enrolled in a school to take advantage of this state tax credit. DONATE

PARENTS - Your athlete's information must be completed on REGISTER MY ATHLETE before they can join the team. All students who wish to participate in interscholastic athletic programs at Mesa High must have a successfully completed physical packet on file in the athletic office at Mesa High before they can begin to practice or before they can check out equipment.

MESA HIGH SCHOOL
1630 E Southern Ave.
Mesa, AZ 85204
(480) 472-5900
MESA PUBLIC SCHOOL

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   View the video, news articles and photos from the 2016 championship season.
   2016 CHAMPIONSHIP ARCHIVE