Transfers help lead TCU basketball to dominating win over Southern Miss
The transfer portal in college athletics might have some coaches waking up in a cold sweat but it’s been a dream come true for most athletes.
That’s certainly the case with TCU men’s basketball transfers Emanuel Miller and Micah Peavy, who helped the Horned Frogs roll past Southern Miss 83-51 Monday night at Schollmaier Arena.
Miller had his second double-double with 12 points and a team-high 13 rebounds, and Peavy had 10 points, five rebounds and four assists to help lead the Horned Frogs (2-0). Mike Miles Jr. led all scorers with 20 points on 9 of 15 shooting, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range.
“It feels good,” said Miller, a junior who transferred from Texas A&M. “Anything I can do to help my teammates and help this program. I feel like we’re in a good position and if I can contribute in any way I’m more than glad to do so.”
TCU next hosts Nicholls at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Frogs coach Jamie Dixon is pleased with Miller’s rebounding in the first two games despite forcing him to play more on the perimeter.
“I think he’s playing more on the perimeter, outside the three, but he’s still got the ability to get those rebounds and we don’t want to lose that ability,” Dixon said.
Miles and Miller each had three of TCU’s 16 turnovers. Some of those came during their transition game or in the paint. It comes down to better decision-making, Dixon said.
“That’s something we knew he had to improve on and that’s what we’re going to continue to improve on,” he said. “Just got to keep getting better and making better decisions on drives more than anything else.”
Peavy, a sophomore who transferred from Texas Tech, said the transition to TCU was easier than expected.
“We just all get along,” he said. “And we just clicked right away on and off and the court. Off the court I feel like helped us on the court.”
Dixon is glad the team gets along on and off the court, especially with the new teammates. But that doesn’t always translate onto the court.
“I think playing together, you can like each other, but seeing guys in certain situations, it takes time,” Dixon said. “But every team is going through it. Every school in the country, is going, ‘I’ve got to figure out all of these transfers’ and then you look at the other teams and realize, well, everybody’s got transfers. It shouldn’t be a surprise.
“You give kids an opportunity to go wherever they want to go, then they’re going to go wherever they want to go. It’s just the reality.”
Miller agreed with Peavy. “Why not TCU?” he said.
“The culture here is just amazing. You see all the athletic programs, you have football. I see football [players] in the stands. I see soccer [players] in the stands,” Miller said. “Any sport, you just want to support each other, and I think when you have a program, a culture of that magnitude, that was an easy decision for me.”
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 10:42 PM.
