Why Micah Peavy is TCU basketball’s biggest X-Factor
TCU wing Micah Peavy has already proven to be one of the nation’s best perimeter defenders and now the senior is aiming to be one of the best two-way players this season.
Peavy averaged a modest 7.0 points per game and 3.1 rebounds in 21 minutes last season, but with Mike Miles Jr. and Damion Baugh gone there’s an opportunity for a bigger role and higher usage rate this season for Peavy.
“Last year he was good for us in the summer and started the year with some injuries,” coach Jamie Dixon said. “He wasn’t as efficient as we thought, but I believe he’s going to be that this year.”
Peavy showed glimpses of his offensive games at different points last season. He scored 16 points and knocked down two 3-pointers in TCU’s win over Iowa in the Emerald Coast Classic championship game and followed that up with 13 points against a NCAA Tournament team, Providence.
Later during the season when Miles went down with an injury Peavy had a four-game stretch where he averaged 11 points per game and hit a 3 in each game against Big 12 competition.
That’s the type of production Peavy is hoping to consistently provide for the Horned Frogs this season. To put him in a better position to do that on a nightly basis, Dixon moved Peavy to guard where he will have a chance to initiate the offense or play the two-guard spot.
“He was really good this summer,” Dion said. “He’s huge for us and we’re playing him a lot at the guard spot and we could be really big with the lineup we put out there.”
Peavy is listed at 6-foot-8 and can jump out of the gym as one of the team’s more athletic players. Assuming Jameer Nelson Jr. mans the point guard spot you potentially see a lineup with Nelson, the 6’8 Peavy, the 6’7 forwards Chuck O’Bannon and Emanuel Miller plus the 6’11 Ernest Udeh at center.
It’s a big lineup with big potential on offense and defense assuming TCU is able to knock down enough perimeter shots. The transition from forward to guard has been smooth for Peavy as he’s leaned on instincts from his past.
“I would say it hasn’t been that big of a transition,” Peavy said. “Growing up that’s all I played, also when I was at Texas Tech I played the point, so it’s almost just going back to what I’m used to and I like it a lot. I think it helps our team with me being a bigger guard.”
His size provides an obvious advantage on defense with his length and strength allowing him to limit the impact of opposing guards. Peavy also has the lateral quickness to keep pace with smaller, shiftier guards.
Peavy’s defense will be essential to TCU having success, but he also understands that he has to take that next step offensively and his father David Peavy, the head basketball coach of powerhouse Duncanville High, has been instrumental in him continuing to improve.
“When we had our time off in the summer I would go up there and workout with him and talk to him about my game,” Peavy said.
As one of the top coaches in the state, Coach Peavy understands how to get the most of players, especially his son. Peavy said most of the work he and his father did focused more on the mental aspect of things.
“He really helped with my mindset with being more aggressive,” Peavy said. “Not being afraid to miss shots, take the shots that are open and don’t worry about anything. The coaches have confidence in me, my teammates have confidence in me and I gotta have that confidence in myself.”
You can count Dixon in that camp of people around the TCU program that has plenty of confidence in what Peavy will be able to do offensively this season.
“He’s making really good decisions, better than ever,” Dixon said. “The shooting has been good. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do. He’s versatile, defends, rebounds and can get other guys shots. He will make shots this year.”
If he does then it’ll only help TCU achieve a third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs open the regular season on Nov. 6 against Southern.
