Sports feeds
E-mail sports alerts
DDN sports mobile
Sports TwitterPeavy's hoops dream may begin in Europe
The C-J and Miami star doesn't expect to be drafted, but hopes to work his way to the NBA.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
ROSS TWP., Butler County — Three months after helping lead Miami University to the NCAA basketball tournament, Nathan Peavy is going pro, and his ultimate sights are set on the NBA.
It's a roundabout path, though, one that he expects will take him across the Atlantic Ocean first.
Extras
Peavy, a Chaminade-Julienne High School graduate, has signed with agent Ingo Wolf, who is based in Bermen, Germany. Peavy hopes to sign with a European team sometime in August.
"I'm staying in shape now, playing in the Deveroes Summer League," said Peavy, who has been helping out this week at the Charlie Coles Basketball Camp at Ross High School.
The Deveroes Summer League in Cincinnati involves some of Peavy's former Miami teammates such as Alter's Doug Penno, Monty St. Clair, Tyler Dierkers and Antonio Ballard, plus former and current players from Xavier, Cincinnati and Dayton.
"I'm concentrating specifically on my ballhandling skills — shooting off the dribble, developing a more solid perimeter game," Peavy said. "And just gaining experience will really help me.
"I'm not really familiar with the leagues and the teams (in Europe)," he continued, "but I have heard which countries are the best for playing basketball. Spain is the best, then France, Italy, Germany and Belgium. It'll be exciting."
Peavy plans to fine-tune his game in Europe and then return to the United States.
"That's what I'm working for," he said. "Yeah, I'm looking at the NBA."
The odds might seem a little daunting, but Peavy said he knows it can be done.
"I see some guys who've gone from (the European leagues to the NBA)," Peavy pointed out. "Anthony Parker, he played overseas for some years and now he plays for the (Toronto) Raptors."
As a senior Peavy averaged 14.1 points for a Miami team that finished 18-15, won the Mid-American Conference Tournament and came within a hair of upsetting Oregon in the first round of the NCAA.
Peavy, a multi-threat player, led the RedHawks in rebounding with 6.3 per game, blocked 39 shots, and shot 52.9 percent from the floor and 73.2 percent from the foul line.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2197 or pconrad@coxohio.com.
