Peete Ready to Represent Memphis…in Tulsa

By The Memphis Roar Staff on August 17th, 2009

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Image from The Commercial Appeal

Over the last few years, there seems to be a glaringly obvious trend in the landscape of college basketball. Year in and year out, a different “Memphis” player goes from unknown and underrated to celebrated in the spotlight. The bevy of talented prep stars in Memphis leaves a lot of kids with no choice but to leave home. With each one that leaves, you can add one more name to a list of Memphis guys out there that are representing the 901 and trying to get their name on the national map.

Lester Hudson, from Memphis’ Central High School, is a fitting example. Terrico White being another. Is Central High School’s Tim Peete the next Memphis product to leave home, potentially making a big name for himself on the national stage? With Peete headed to the University of Tulsa, one thing is certain; if he is, Memphis fans will get to watch the transformation up close and personal.

“Memphis is my hometown, and I will represent Memphis even when I am in Tulsa,” said Peete. “If it comes down to hitting that game winning shot against Memphis, I’m hitting that shot. To me, it’s all about winning, whatever it takes.”

Peete, for those that do not know, is a 6’4″, 185 pound combo-guard at Central High School who was recruited by MTSU, Houston, Tulane, North Texas and UTEP. In addition to those schools, Peete said he always had a dream to play for Tubby Smith, citing his coaching style and his respect for the game. Peete also seems to have a great amount of respect for the game.

“I love basketball. I really do. A lot of people say they do, but they don’t respect it,” Peete said. ”This is my life. Basketball is what I do, what I know.”

Tim Peete is the pefect example of a Memphis kid that has the talent but gets too little exposure due to guys like Joe Jackson, Tarik Black and Chris Crawford. Speaking with a local Memphis coach, he said, “Tim going to Tulsa really is the perfect fit. It’s his level. I really think he can shine there. It’s somewhere he can develop and earn playing time.”

One reason behind Peete’s lack of exposure is due to the fact that he did not play on the summer circuit this year.

“I had a messed up thigh,” explained Peete. ”It was a deep thigh buise and a messed up nerve in my thigh as well, so I didn’t play. I wasn’t really planning on playing AAU this past summer anyways because I wanted to take more time to work on my game, my handles, consistency with my jump-shot. Being ranked isn’t a big deal to me.”

With Peete mending and making his way back onto the court, he says that the focus is now on his senior year on and off the court.

“It feels like a big relief to commit. I can finally focus on my senior year of school and the basketball season,” said Peete. ”I can focus now. It feels like something has been lifted off my back.”

Continuing, Peete wanted to send a message to his classmates at Central. “Central High School, we are gonna do what it takes to win a state championship. We are gonna have three seniors and we are working towards winning a state championship. I want to bring the first one to Central since 1985 or ’86.”

Flashing an excellent knowledge of the game, players, coaches and everything inbetween, Peete seemed to be very educated on why he made the decision he made. “My dad taught me that if I love something, you do what you can to learn about it. I study it all, players, coaches, whatever.”

“That’s really one of the main reasons that I committed to Tulsa, is because of their coaching staff. They have a really good staff. They have coaches that have been at North Carolina when they won a championship and at Michigan State when they were doing really well. You can really tell they know their basketball.”

Q&A with Tim Peete

Q: What position has the Tulsa coaching staff said you will play?

A: “I want to play both the point and the shooting guard. Tulsa wants to play me at the shooting guard. Coach Wojcik wants me to be a combo because he wants me to have a future after basketball. I will likely play a little bit of both.”

Q: Have you thought about a major yet?

A: “I haven’t thought about a major yet. I was thinking maybe a major in business and a minor in marketing. I’ve even thought about doing something in the medical field, maybe physical therapy. My mom and my aunt seem to want me to go into some type of media broadcasting but I really want to get out into the corporate world.”

Q: Do you have any people that have guided you or mentored you to help you get to the point where you are today?

A: “I have several people. My mom and my dad. Outside of family, I would say Coach Applewhite and another guy named Lynn Smith who played at Kansas under Larry Brown. Lester Hudson is another guy that has mentored me. I’m lucky to have those types of people to be there for me.”

Q: Despite the fact that you are not going to Memphis and are leaving the city, what is your opinion of the new Memphis staff?

A: “I think that Coach Pastner is going to be a lot better than people give him credit for. He’s gonna be a good coach and he has a ton of respect from all the high school coaches in Memphis. The players in Memphis are listening to him, they know he can help them get to the next level. He’s a nice guy at that. He’s only 30-something years old, but he’s been around the block a time or two. He’s been under Lute Olson. I believe he will get the job done. He may be young but that’s a good thing to a lot of kids. It’s like he can relate to you. If someone looks at his resume, they should know right away that he knows what he’s doing and what he’s talking about.

Q: For Tulsa fans, what are you bringing to the Golden Hurricane in 2010?

A: “I will bring a different player than they’ve had in a while. I’ll try to be very energetic and try to bring it every night. Try to have some fun but still bring it every night. I am the first Memphis player that they have signed in 35 years. I hope that I can help in building the tradition that they have going. I mainly want to have fun and try to win, potentially win a conference championship and strive to win a national championship. I am a winner. I would rather score 2 points and win instead of scoring 45 and lose.”