Behind the Scenes: Micah Peavy's Path to Emerging as NBA-Level Talent

Micah Peavy is a 6-foot-8 wing at Georgetown and one of the best defenders in the country. The graduate student is averaging 14.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting nearly 34% from beyond the arc (80 attempts).

Peavy has had an interesting path to being a star on Georgetown, from playing for his father at Duncanville High School, to being a four-star recruit, to starting at Texas Tech as a freshman, to becoming a leader at TCU, and now flourishing as the leading scorer, best defender, and one of the best players in the country on Georgetown.

Growing Up
First Stop: Duncanville High School
Second Stop: Texas Tech
Third Stop: TCU
Fourth Stop: Georgetown
Next Goal: The NBA
Off the Court

Growing Up

Peavy grew up in a true basketball family and has been around the game his entire life. Micah's father, David Peavy, played college basketball and has been the Head Coach of Duncanville High School since 2018. Peavy's mother, sister, and brother all played college basketball as well.

Peavy's family followed basketball wherever it led them, including all around the state of Texas. When his father would get a better basketball job, the family would follow to a new location. Peavy claims he's essentially lived in every major city in Texas. The graduate senior mentioned some of the lessons that came along with his upbringing.

"Going from place to place, I got meet a lot of people," Peavy told Draft Digest's Jordan Monaco. "My dad coached a lot of great players and I've seen how hard those players have worked."

First Stop: Duncanville High School

Duncanville High School has seen many talented players come through their program, including Ron Holland and Anthony Black. The program has been known for winning, and this day-to-day hardworking mentality was instilled into Peavy at a young age.

"When my dad got the job there, all they talked about was winning a state championship. They're called the City of Champions. If you don't win, it's not a good look," Peavy told Draft Digest.

It's one thing to talk about building a winning culture, but participating in the day-to-day grind of one isn't an easy task -- especially if your father is head coach. Peavy credits his father for helping to instill his defensive-first, winning mentality that he still plays with today.

"When I was a freshman and sophomore, I didn't understand why my dad coached me so hard. Once I got more mature, it helped me get better and held me accountable. He didn't let me take bad shots. Also, defense was his mentality -- the way I got to play more minutes from my dad was defense," Peavy explained to Draft Digest's Jordan Monaco.

Outside of Duncanville, Peavy participated in the Under Armour Circuits and then the Nike EYBL Circuit in his 17s year. Peavy explained how the Nike Circuit's NBA-style rules, such as a 24-second shot clock and three-second violations, helped him adjust to a more professional style of basketball. Additionally, Peavy got to compete against all of the best players in the country -- allowing him to compare his game to theirs.

Second Stop: Texas Tech

After being ranked the No. 66 overall recruit in the 2020 high school class, Peavy had offers from a multitude of top college programs including Tennessee, Texas, TCU, Houston, and of course Texas Tech, to name a few.

Peavy chose Texas Tech for many reasons, with one of them being his father's relationship with Chris Beard. Interestingly enough, Chris Beard was David Peavy's Graduate Assistant when David was playing college basketball.

Another reason Peavy chose Texas Tech was playing time. Chris Beard had told him he'd play as a freshman, and he kept his word. Peavy started 25 games as a freshman on Texas Tech while playing 20.3 minutes per game.

When asked about how he grew there as both a student and a basketball player, Peavy discussed work ethic.

"I learned how to be in the gym 24/7. If you know anything about Chris Beard, it's about work. We had to have two individual workouts, practice, and two film sessions every day. It was a grind as a freshman, but it taught me that you do have time in the day to go to the gym and get better. It built that hard work mentality."

Third Stop: TCU

After Chris Beard announced that he would be taking the job at the University of Texas-Austin, Peavy decided to enter the portal. When asked what led to him choosing TCU, Peavy mentioned the prior relationships he made from his high school recruiting process.

"When in high school, TCU and Texas Tech were the finalists -- so I had the relationships with coaches at TCU and Texas as well. At the end of the day I chose TCU because I wanted to be able to grow more. He knew the players Texas were bringing in were fifth-year guys and I wanted to have that leadership role at TCU," Peavy explained to Draft Digest.

Peavy got to do just that at TCU -- playing a multitude of roles and getting better each year. He was third on the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals his final season at TCU.

Fourth Stop: Georgetown

After three years at TCU, Peavy decided to transfer to Georgetown. When asked why he transferred from TCU, Peavy explained that he wanted to take another step towards his ultimate goal.

"I had a great three years at TCU, but I felt like it was time for me. I got better every year but felt like there was another step I needed to take to reach my ultimate goal of the NBA," Peavy explained to Draft Digest.

When asked what led to him choosing Georgetown, Peavy mentioned that he wanted an opportunity to showcase just how good of a defender he was.

"When you're a good defender, you have to be able to gamble a little and your coach has to have the ultimate trust in you -- which is why I chose Coach Cooley. He checked every box and he's done all he's promised plus more. I feel like I made a great decision," Peavy told Draft Digest.

The Texas native feels like Georgetown has also helped put him in positions to succeed on the court in multiple ways, not just defensively.

"They're putting me in different positions I haven't played since high school or at all. Cooley is a coach who can draw up so many different plays and put you in a multitude of roles in those plays. Sometimes that's getting into the mid-post - I've had that in my bag but hadn't been able to unleash that since I'd been in college. They're letting me go on defense and letting me show that I'm the best defender in college," Peavy said.

Additionally, Peavy credits the assistant coaching staff with helping him develop as well.

"I've been in the gym a lot with Dontae [LaDontae Henton] -- polishing my game, midrange, three-point shot, my passing, ball-handling, everything to help me be successful this year." LeDontae Henton is the Assistant Coach & Director of Player Development at Georgetown.

Leadership & Mentality

After playing at Texas Tech, TCU, and now Georgetown, Peavy has been a leader on multiple teams. He discussed what it's like to be a role model for the younger guys and his style of leadership.

"You have to talk to different people in different ways -- similar to life in general. On TCU we had an older team, so we would get on each other and everyone understood. Georgetown we have a younger roster, so you have to talk to each player differently. I'm leading more by example now and I like to take guys to the side and talk to them 1-on-1. Guys like coming up to me to talk about my defense -- how I'm getting through these screens, how to recover from past games to perform at a high level the next game, etc. I tell them know I've been through every role in college and had to be a defender and rebounder to start on Texas Tech. I feel like a good person to ask questions to and that's what the young guys like to do," Peavy told Draft Digest's Jordan Monaco.

Building on the idea of mentally preparing for games, the graduate senior discussed how he keeps the routine the same before each game.

"I listen to the same music every game -- if I'm home I'll listen to gospel. I only listen to Drake and J Cole right before the game. I have to have a routine. I do the exact same thing: my stretching is in the same order, if I'm warming up in the layup line I do the exact same thing every time. It gets me locked in. I like to have fun and work in a couple of trick shots as well, but it's the same routine each game." Peavy also mentioned that his favorite J Cole song is "Love Yourz," an incredible song that revolves around gratitude. Peavy even has the phrase tattooed on him.

Peavy, averaging nearly three steals plus blocks per game, is one of the best defenders in the country. His mentality and preparation translates to the defensive end of the floor as well. When asked what defense meant to him and why it's important, he discussed that it's something you can control.

"I feel like it's important because defense is about effort and technique and it's something you can control. I can't control if I make every shot that night, but defense you can control every night. I like to tell guys: It's not an ego thing but I don't like to get socred on. I take pride in stopping guys from scoring. I like to look at who gets blocks and steals, but I'm best at stopping guys from scoring -- which is the most important thing. It's fun to me and I think guys should focus on it."

Next Goal: The NBA

Micah Peavy is in the midst of an incredible college season and impressive college career, but his story is only beginning. His ultimate goal: making the NBA.

Peavy's game has evolved immensely throughout his college career, but it's his mindset and confidence that have grown the most throughout the years.

"I used to be worried about missed shots and what coaches thought because I'm a coach's kid. Now my mindset has changed completely. Georgetown really helped me with that. Everybody misses shots so you don't have to be worried about them. That's why I love defense - if I get a turnover or missed shot I'll get it back for us and make a play on defense. It gives me confidence throughout the whole game and I feel like I'm the best player on the court every time," Peavy explained to Draft Digest's Jordan Monaco.

Not only has his mindset and confidence improved, but his play on the floor has reached another level this season. When asked what he's been working on the most this season and what areas of his game he's still looking to improve, Peavy discussed many aspects of his game.

"I've been working on a lot with Dontae. We've worked on ball-handling, knowing they'd put me at the 1 a lot. [We've] worked on my passing and drills where I'm working on passing to the corner coming off of screens, off-the-dribble shooting, live-dribble passing, catch-and-shoot, etc. [We've also worked on] all aspects of the game because I knew the team would need me to be better on everything. I'm still looking to improve everything I just mentioned as well, especially my three-point shot. My jump shot has gotten better and I'm confident in it, but I'm not the best shooter in the world so I have to continue to work on it. I want to be a great shooter."

After discussing areas of his game Peavy felt he needed to work on, we discussed his aspirations to play in the NBA and aspects of his game that he could immediately provide to an NBA team.

"My defense first. I think I can compete with any defender in the world -- I'm that confident in my defense. I think I can be a 3-and-D guy right away. My mentality, hustle, rebounding, being a playmaker. I can do all the dirty work. I know the two best players on the team will shoot 20 shots per game, so I'll be ready to knock down that three-point shot and guard whoever the team wants me to guard."

When further discussing his strengths and weaknesses, we dove into potential player comparisons. The most notable: Josh Hart -- a player who Peavy mentioned is having a great career and impacting the game in ways Peavy believes he can as well. These include doing the little things, diving for loose balls, getting extra possessions for his team, and having that winning mentality.

"I like to look at guys like Josh Hart -- a do-it-all guy. He's a winner. I like looking at guys who are winners. Since you mentioned him, Jaylen Wells -- 3-and-D guy who's having an incredible year as a rookie. I like Herb Jones - long defender who's coming to his own scoring wise. Like to watch a lot of PG [Paul George} and DeMar DeRozan. Bigger guards who come off ball screens into the midrange as well as back-to-basket shots and fades. Also Jrue Holiday and Marcus Smart for defensive highlights - how they're getting steals whether it's on-ball or with their hands in passing lanes."

Off the Court

Growing up in a basketball family, Peavy has always been focused on the game he loves. When asked what he does for fun or if he wasn't playing basketball, the answer was still fairly clear: basketball in some capacity - either watching hoops or recovering from playing.

"I'm a pretty boring guy, honestly," Peavy said laughing. "I don't play video games much. If I'm not at the gym, I'm really just relaxing. I'll have some recovery boots on and watch some hoops or Netflix. Really just do the basketball thing because that's what I want to do for my career."

Peavy is motivated by two main things: His love for basketball and his family.

"I'm in love with basketball. It's something that's brought me joy and my family joy my whole life. I know I can change my family's life through this game of basketball so that's why I work so hard and in the gym so much and study so hard. I don't want to just change my life, I want to change my family's life. That motivates me a lot," Peavy told Draft Digest.

When asked who some people are that have greatly impacted his life and helped him get to where he is today, Peavy's answer centered around family again.

"My family - my dad. He was my coach growing up and is how I became the player I am today. My mom - I talk to her everyday. My brother - he's someone I got to watch growing up. He's two years older but is the hardest worker I've ever seen. As a kid I was six and he was eight years old. He was running miles with my dad's high school team. He's someone I continue to talk to - about his mindset, hard work, and getting out the mud. My sister as well - my family in general," Peavy told Draft Digest.

His family, which has had a profoundly positive impact on him, has gone through events that have added an extra layer of motivation for Peavy as well. When his brother, DJ, was a freshman in high school, DJ found out he had a heart condition and almost had to stop playing basketball.

"I saw how it impacted him. I saw how he fought back and still became a Divison I basketball player. It made me grind even harder. It almost got stripped away from him and made him a better player," Peavy told Draft Digest.

Overall, Peavy's story of hard work and determination serves as motivation for any person pursuing their basketball dream. The Georgetown star is an NBA Draft prospect to monitor for this upcoming draft, and Georgetown's combination of him, Malik Mack, and Thomas Sorber has surely garnered the eyes of scouts across the country.

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