Josiah Mills '23 Recruiting Profile

Something that people should know about my background in order to understand me would be, everything didn't come easy. Nothing was ever handed to me. Now that I look back on it, I am very grateful that I grew up the way I did because it taught me how to work hard and not depend on anybody for anything. If I really wanted something, I would find a way to get it. 

      There is a lot I had to overcome to get to this point. One main reason would be that I was raised by a single parent. Which means I would have to learn how to do a lot of things on my own. A lot of things I wanted to do I couldn't, mainly because of transportation or I didn’t want to ask my mom. I was already able to move freely but once I got old enough to really use the bus by myself there was no keeping me in the house. The game of basketball will always mean something to me as I fell in love with it at an early age because of Allen Iverson. This was also around the time Derrick Rose was taking over Chicago, so I had to have the full uniform. I got it as a gift on Christmas. Although I was raised by my mom, I stillI still always had a great relationship and would be with my dad but his legal issues often kept us apart. I respect my mom a lot and I'm proud of her for being where she is, considering what she had to go through and deal with from the time she was a child. The things she had to deal with at a young age a child should never have to go through. She had my older brother at 16 and was working two jobs to maintain a comfortable lifestyle with the help of my grandma. 

I got into basketball mainly because my older brother played and I would always see it on television. Everything I had or did was basketball related. I don't know if it was the excitement of someone dunking, or if it was the roar of the crowd that kept me attached. I always had people there to support, but for me to play I had to find out about the leagues and tournaments myself. I feel like that’s why I had fun and really had to play hard because it was something I really wanted to do. I feel my dedication and love for the game combined with my work ethic would lead me to achieve the goals that I have set for myself. As long as I stick to it and stay on the right path, everything will play out and the work will show. My coaches and family and friends are definitely a big part of my basketball career and my mild success that I have come by. They help me get to school, with financial needs and without them my development as an athlete or as a person in general would be where it is today.

 With all of that being said, I feel like anything I put my mind to I can achieve because I have come too far to go back. I wouldn't say I had the hardest childhood but I have gone through some things that I wouldn't want my little brother or my kids to go through. The people around me are counting on me and I do everything with a chip on my shoulder. Even though I love my people I don't let it get to my head, because at the end of the day I have to make the decisions. I can be a great value to any program and won't take anything for granted. There are a lot of things I can do, and there are a lot of things I don't know but I am willing to learn. It's a blessing to be able to wake up everyday, live and breathe because in a lot of places there are people who won’t have the same opportunity.