This basketball transfer from Texas Tech has won everywhere. He expects the same at TCU
Mike Miles had a simple sales pitch to Micah Peavy.
“He gets to play with me,” Miles said, laughing about his recruitment of a former high school rival this offseason.
It worked. Peavy officially joined TCU this week and expects to bring two things to the team.
“Leadership and a winner’s mentality,” Peavy said.
Those will be welcomed at a program that has lost more than it has won in the last two seasons. TCU is coming off its first losing season under Jamie Dixon in 2020-21 and went .500 in 2019-20.
But the Frogs believe they are on the path back to contending for a March Madness berth. Landing a player of Peavy’s caliber is a significant reason why.
This is a guy who was considered a top 40 prospect in the country coming out of Duncanville High School in 2020. He can become a focal point for TCU. Peavy averaged just 5.7 points as a true freshman at Texas Tech last season, but feels a new system and a change of scenery will get him back to the scoring ways he showcased in high school.
Peavy averaged 19 points and 7.5 rebounds as a senior for Duncanville in 2019-20, earning TABC Class 6A player of the year honors. As a junior, he averaged 16 points and 6.6 rebounds in helping Duncanville win a state championship.
“I feel like it’s a lot of confidence,” Peavy said. “Freshmen struggle with that and I struggled with that some. But, as the year kept going on, I felt like playing against older guys and learning from all the older players, your confidence comes with it.”
Added Miles, a Lancaster product who faced Peavy in high school: “At Texas Tech, he didn’t get to show his scoring ability but he can score. He’ll show that in our system.”
Peavy is putting in the work this offseason to ensure that happens next season. He had a morning workout last week focusing mostly on his shot and form.
Peavy passes the eye test, to say the least. He looks like the player who carried Duncanville to consecutive UIL state tournaments as a junior and senior. Duncanville won the title in 2019 and was in position to repeat in 2020 before the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You can tell a different confidence right now knowing the situation that he’s about to walk into,” said David Peavy, Micah’s father and Duncanville’s basketball coach.
“He’s got a different kind of confidence. He knows the offense is a lot freer. He’s going to have more opportunities with the ball in his hands. He’s going to be expected to shoot the ball a lot more and score. But the leadership part is the most important for his confidence.”
Joining a team where he could become a leader was a driving factor for Micah once he entered the NCAA transfer portal. Most thought he would follow former Tech coach Chris Beard to Texas, but the situation at TCU proved to be the better fit.
Why the Frogs? There were several reasons.
TCU was a strong contender during his initial recruitment out of high school. Micah has relationships with players such as Miles and Eddie Lampkin. He likes what he’s seen from a development perspective, pointing to Desmond Bane becoming a first-round NBA pick. He likes how Jamie Dixon runs the offense with a more open, NBA-type style. And, as stated, the program is looking for leadership with the possibility that RJ Nembhard and Kevin Samuel turn pro.
Micah embraces the expectations of being one of the guys who helps turn TCU into a NCAA Tournament team next season.
“I’ve won every place I’ve been at every level, so I think I can bring that to the program and help us be successful,” he said. “I’m a person who doesn’t take any plays off, offense or defense. I just want to win.”
Added his father: “He got a lot out of being at Tech. It was a great culture. He learned a lot about team defense. He learned that he could play at that level, play in the Big 12. But moving forward, the things that TCU does will bring out his skill set a little bit better. The way he plays, a lot more open, get more in transition and that’s where he’s elite. I think it’ll be a much better fit offensively for sure.”
That should be music to TCU fans ears. The Frogs ranked eighth in scoring offense (66.9) among Big 12 teams last season. Micah has no question they’ll improve with his presence and the other incoming players.
Asked about TCU’s potential next season, Micah said: “There’s going to be a lot of noise made. There’s a lot more guys they’ve added from the transfer portal and guys coming back. It’s a great group of guys who just want to win and is going to put in a lot of work to win.
“I think it’s going to be really good.”
This story was originally published April 21, 2021 at 5:30 AM.
