Mekhi Lairy, Bosse alumni, scoring machine for Miami (Ohio) basketball
In the fall of 2015, I ran into Mater Dei boys’ basketball coach Kurt Wildeman in the school parking lot as I prepared to conduct interviews with the Wildcats’ football team before practice.
Because the Courier & Press sports staff was also working on our upcoming basketball preview section, I asked Wildeman, “Do you see any surprises in the SIAC?”
He said, “Bosse.”
I said, “But their best player was a 5-foot-7 freshman.”
That player, of course, was Mekhi Lairy. Little did I know that he would lead the Bulldogs to a Class 3A state runner-up finish as a sophomore in the spring of 2016 and again as a senior in ‘18. Lairy went on to become the City’s career boys’ scoring leader with 2,237 points and has eclipsed the 1,000-point mark in his senior season at Miami (Ohio).
“I think the thing I was most impressed with when he was a freshman was how fearless he was,” Wildeman said. “He was not afraid to shoot it. I don’t think you could ever tell if he had hit 10 shots in a row or missed 10 shots in a row.”
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Lairy is Miami’s second-leading scorer with a 13.6 average. He ranks sixth nationally in free throw percentage with a 93.8 mark (45-for-48) — hitting his last 29 in a row — for Miami, 9-10 overall and 3-5 in the Mid-American Conference.
“Man, it’s been a long journey,” said Lairy, a 5-foot-8 point guard who also averages 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds.
He credits friends, family and coaches for lending a helping hand throughout, noting that Bosse coach Shane Burkhart’s is in the back of his mind every single day.
“I don’t think I would be where I am today without him,” Lairy said.
Wildeman said Lairy played with confidence you rarely see from young players.
“My two cents on him is that he was the best scorer I’ve seen and I’ve been coaching in southern Indiana since 1998,” he said. “I was always impressed how he showed up in the biggest games. He was not a guy who went out and put up big numbers against small schools or below-average teams. He did it against the best of the best for four straight years. He always showed up in the biggest moments and under the brightest lights. Bottom line is that he was phenomenal. It’s been fun watching him continue to flourish at the college level.”
What’s also refreshing is Lairy’s humility.
“My friends remind me, ‘Bro, you’re the City’s all-time leading scorer.’ Sometimes I forget about that,” he said.
Pullup jump shot gives Lairy 1,000 points
Lairy’s last basket in overtime in the RedHawks’ 85-82 victory over visiting Northern Illinois on Jan. 22 — on his trademark pullup jumper — gave him 21 points in that game and exactly 1,000 points in his career, resulting in a large ovation.
“I had no clue,” he said. “I heard the crowd chanting.”
Lairy, who terrorized Southern Indiana Athletic Conference foes with his quickness and dexterity in the open court, adapted his game to the more defensive-oriented MAC. He learned to slice and dice when it was there and play conservatively when it wasn’t.
Lairy faced two of his old SIAC rivals in Alex Hemenway and Dylan Penn, who got the best of him earlier this season. Hemenway, a junior from Castle, scored 17 points in Clemson’s 89-76 victory over Miami on Dec. 14. Lairy had 12.
He loved the fact that his former rivals are having solid college careers.
“Mekhi isn’t only a great player but a great person,” Hemenway said. “Having played with and against Mekhi since sixth or seventh grade, it’s hard for me to put into words how much I look up to and respect Mekhi. With all the great accolades he’s accomplished so far he always remains humble and unbothered, which is something hard to come across in such a talented player.”
Lairy said he didn’t guard Hemenway much but switched onto him a few possessions.
“He wasn’t my matchup,” he said. “We stay in touch all the time. That’s my boy.”
Penn, a senior from Memorial, totaled 18 points and 10 assists in Bellarmine’s 77-68 decision over the RedHawks on Dec. 18.
“He’s my guy,” said Lairy, who scored nine points against the Knights. “We still talk and play pickup games (in the offseason).”
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When he’s not shining under the bright lights of a basketball arena, he’s content to stay in his room, quietly playing video games. Nicknamed “Deuce” because he wears No. 2, Lairy has always concentrated on academics as well as athletics.
“I didn’t have to worry about them wanting to excel, they all wanted to excel, plus there were so many guidelines and discipline help from our leadership that all the student-athletes understood the expectations without question,” Burkhart said. “This helped all of them stay humble.”
He said Lairy was the leader in that category.
“He never told his teammates he was better or they were terrible, he showed up every day ready to be the best at everything,” Burkhart said. “It was refreshing, and we worked very hard daily. He took the coaching, criticism, and success in stride. He was a joy to be around and coach.”
As far as being a leader, Lairy has always done it through his play. Burkhart and Miami coach Jack Owens have urged him to become more demonstrative.
“Coach Owens tells me to be more vocal, be a coach on the floor,” Lairy said. “It’s a role I have played pretty well.”
In that surprising 2015-16 season, Bosse senior point guard Erik Bell was a blur dribbling the ball upcourt, freeing Lairy to play shooting guard. After a moderately successful 13-10 regular season, the Bulldogs caught fire, advancing all the way to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“When Mekhi first got to Bosse, he was already a really talented player,” said Bell, who played one year for Manchester before transferring to Kentucky Wesleyan. “Everything he accomplished came off of his hard work.”
Bell is currently a Bosse assistant.
“What makes him special is that he is going to work hard and play hard no matter what the circumstances,” Bell said. “He wants to win more than anything. He knew he was our guy as a sophomore and still he was always unselfish and played to win.”
As a senior, Lairy lifted Bosse to a 25-5 record and was the Mr. Basketball runner-up to New Albany’s Romeo Langford, currently a member of the Boston Celtics. After defeating Culver Academy 74-64 during the regular season, the Bulldogs fell 64-49 to the Eagles in the state championship game, which left a bitter taste.
Lairy seemingly has always faced an uphill battle. But Burkhart said his lack of height never stopped him from doing anything on the court.
“His ability to change speeds, score at all three levels, shoot 90% from free throw line, as well as being able to stop on a dime for his mid-range pullup jumper made him impossible to guard at the high school level,” Burkhart said. “What also helped him were the teammates around him. He played with a very talented group that did not allow teams to just lock in on him.”
It goes without saying that Lairy will be remembered, not only for his scoring ability but for playing a major role in one of the greatest runs in the City’s history. Between state championship game appearances, Bosse advanced to semistate in 2017.
“We played one of the toughest schedules and the gyms were electric,” Burkhart said. “The City was abuzz and they were there to see ‘Deuce’ and the Bulldogs and he and his teammates just kept producing.”
For his part, Lairy said it’s “pretty crazy” to think that he’s down to playing his last few games collegiately. Hopefully a basketball lifer, he plans to coach once his playing days are over.
“Coach Burkhart warned me that there will be a lot of heartaches,” Lairy said.
Heartaches or not, he loves the game and loves being around it.
Lairy already has a pretty impressive resume, rising above his stature, as an undersized, relatively unsung guard, at least at first, to becoming the City’s all-time leading scorer and making his mark in the MAC.
In the coming years, he’ll probably silence anyone who doubts his coaching ability.
Contact Gordon Engelhardt by email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @EngGordon.
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