2025 Super Centex Newcomer of the Year

March 30, 2025 | Michael Haag Waco Trib

Every basketball journey takes a different path.

For Midway’s Gus Mills, it started in third or fourth grade when he first picked up a ball. By middle school, he was fully invested in the sport, and before he knew it, he was one of the Panthers’ leading scorers as a freshman.

That’s quite the introduction to Class 6A basketball.

While Mills has always had a passion for the game, it intensified when his "Pops" passed away in 2021.

"And he told me I was going to make it," Mills said. "So, he keeps me motivated to keep going. And then also just, I like competition and I like winning. ... I just like the idea of competition, it's really fun."

Mills can take a well-earned victory lap — his grandfather would be beyond proud.

The freshman guard put together an impressive debut season, averaging 10.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-2 standout also shot 80% from the free-throw line and now adds Super Centex Newcomer of the Year to his resume.

So how did Mills go from middle school ball to becoming a key varsity contributor so quickly? It started with catching the eye of Midway head coach Eric McDade.

McDade saw Mills’ potential early and gave him the chance to prove himself at the varsity level. Mills didn’t just survive — he thrived.

"With Gus, man, that's a tremendous player," McDade said. "But what's going to take him even further is the type of person he is. That's a guy who has a family that has a huge heart for our community, so it doesn’t surprise me that he's having the success that he's having. He's about serving others, so I'm excited for him."

Mills was confident he could contribute right away. All he needed was the green light from the coaching staff, and he got it.

"Our first game against Round Rock, I did really good," Mills said of Midway’s 61-60 win over the Dragons on Nov. 9, 2024. "I had like 20 points, seven rebounds. I wasn’t expecting to have that good of a game, but I just did what I do, and when I know I can do that, it just carries on. Once I had that game, it kind of just led on for the rest of the season, and that's where I probably got my confidence."

Of course, the jump from middle school to the highest classification in UIL basketball had its challenges.

"We had some summer preseason tournaments, and there was probably a tournament where I got the ball stolen and I was like, 'Oh shoot, it's real, this is where it starts,'" Mills said. "But once I got comfortable, I was myself, and they couldn’t really stop me."

Few teams found a way to slow him down, giving Mills plenty of confidence moving forward. Midway finished the season 14-17 overall and 5-7 in District 12-6A play, narrowly missing the playoffs for the second straight year.

Still, Mills’ success gives the Panthers something to build on. He embraces a "Mamba Mentality," yet learned the importance of trusting his teammates in his first year — something he believes will benefit him next season.

"I think we’ll be really good," Mills said. "At the end of the day, it's a process. And it's going to take hard work and time, but I think just from what I learned last year as a freshman, for even those juniors who weren’t on varsity last year, I can teach them some things — sophomores, incoming freshmen. So, I think once I give them some advice, it will just carry on, and we’ll have a good year."

Unlike some athletes who take time off after the season, Mills will spend the summer traveling the country with his AAU team, Southern Assault. He plans to use the extra game reps to improve his vertical, overall athleticism and defense.

Though he hates to see McDade retire after 30 years of coaching, Mills is grateful for the impact he had in just one season and is ready to carry those lessons forward.

"He changed me a lot," Mills said. "He got me as a better person, as a better man. And then playing for him — he's been a head coach at many big places all over the state — so just learning from one of the most prestigious coaches in high school, it was great. I could not have had a better experience, for sure."