The first basketball experience Kyle Bingham encountered at Mesa Mountain View -- getting cut from the freshman summer team. Bingham had not shown up religiously at open gyms after playing with Poston Junior High as a freshman. That did nott bode well for his chances of making  the Toros junior varsity once his sophomore year began in the fall of 2008.

Bingham, however, was not overly concerned. As he puts it, "I have always felt I was meant to play basketball."

Bingham, two years later, is the starting center for 9-1 Mountain View. "Meant to play basketball", he became more visible and vigilant about attending open gyms and tried out for the junior varsity his sophomore year. He made it as a reserve. A foot in the door.

"I cut him that summer," Mountain View junior varsity coach Kyle Cummins said. "He wasn't  one of the top 15. He came back when the school year started and made an impression. He was probably 6-3 or so then."

After doing more sitting than playing prior to the holiday break that sophomore year, Bingham got a full-blown chance to show what he could do. The player ahead of him was injured. Bingham got good looks as the understudy. His stock rose.

"It's kind of a Wally Pipp story," Cummins said. "He got a chance and did so well I couldn't sit him again."

Bingham hasn't been less than a starter since, but with a caveat.

Thinking it would be onward and upward his junior year, Bingham was taken aback when he learned coach Gary Ernst wanted him to play on the junior varsity.

"I wasn't very happy about it," Bingham said. "I didn't want to play JV again. But it turned out to be a good thing."

Bingham, who was 6-foot-3 when he came to Mountain View, grew and matured the first two years. At 6-6 and now 6-7, he dominated at the junior varsity level helping the team to an 18-0 season.

"We felt it would be better to have him down there and get another year of experience," Ernst said. "He is a kid that has gotten better and better. We felt with more playing time on the JV rather than sitting a lot on varsity it was to his benefit."

Bingham warmed up to role after fighting it.

"I took the mindset they were investing in me," Bingham said. "This year they took me out of  the bank. So far it's been very good."

Bingham is averaging 12 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. A slender, but wirey 6-7, he has strong hands and teams up inside with power forward Camyn Boone to give the Toros a staunch inside game.

"Over the years I've had players work and work and make their way like Kyle has," Ernst said. "He's worked so hard to get where he is that I think he appreciates it more. He's a very hungry player. He's very motivated."

Mountain View has shown in its first 10 games it's a bonafide contender for the 5A-I title. Add  the Toros other starters -- veteran Jaren Sweeney, Mark Mazzucco and Jeff Kerr  and solid reserves Mitch Wallace and Sam Kamp -- and Bingham has a chance to make his one varsity season worth the wait and toil.

"The thing that's been hardest at times for me is listening to the coaches," Bingham said. "Accepting what they say even if I don't agree with it. Looking back, it works."