Transfer Antony Peacock finds a new home with Missouri Western hoops
Jul. 15—Before coming to Missouri Western on a recruiting visit this spring, Anthony Peacock had never stepped foot in the state.
The Braintree, Massachusetts, native had been all over the east coast, though. Over a three-year span, Peacock played hoops for three different schools in Maryland, North Carolina and his home state.
After signing on with the Griffons in April, Peacock feels he's found where he feels home in St. Joseph. A major reason is a staff that knows all about winning at a high level with Kentucky ties from head coach Will Martin and assistants Jon Hood and Perry Stevenson.
"Coach Will, the experience that he has at Kentucky, and how he brought in Coach Hood, Coach Perry. They all have experience at that next level and I trust them to bring my game there," Peacock said.
A 6-foot-8 forward from the northeast, Peacock went to Harford Community College his first year out of high school. Though he started 18 of the 27 games he played in, he noted never feeling fully comfortable his first time away from home.
In a move back home to his roots at Quincy College in Massachusetts, he was a third-team NJCAA Division III All-American as a sophomore. He put up a gaudy 23.7 points and 14.6 rebounds, scoring 20-plus 18 times. He went for 22 double-doubles, all while bouncing around between more than a half-dozen homes of family friends just to go to school.
"I had to. That was my sophomore year, I didn't have any offers going into that year. I didn't know what the future would hold," Peacock said. "That coach trusted me, and I trusted him. He let me come in and play my game. I knew what he was about, and he knew what I was about. It all worked out."
With COVID cutting the season and recruiting cycle short, Peacock went to Division II Catawba College in North Carolina. Injuries limited him to just 11 games last year, averaging five points and 2.5 rebounds.
With two years of eligibility remaining, Peacock has been on campus and around his teammates since the start of summer, already building a bond he struggled to capture in recent stops.
"I've gone from school to school, so it's hard for guys to get to know you. You walk in on the first day of school and get to practice with a month or two to prepare," Peacock said. "Now I'm here, we're all getting real close. They're already close but are welcoming me in with open arms. We've been working hard, going at it for two or three workouts a day."
Peacock takes pride in his rebounding ability, though he jokingly admits it's come as a natural gift with his instincts and size. He will also serve as an offensive threat who can play either around the 3-point line with an ability to drive or to play in the paint, while contributing as a shot-blocker defensively.
Joining a team coming off its first regional berth in a decade and vying for one of the top spots in the MIAA, Peacock comes in knowing what's expected in the build up to the first tip in November.
"We have a standard this year. Everyone has to hold each other accountable and take ownership in their faults," Peacock said. "In order for us to be a good team this year, we all have to come together, play together and be a family. Our goal is a national championship, and I think we can get there with the pieces we have."
Brandon Zenner can be reached at brandon.zenner@newspressnow.com. Follow him on Twitter: @NPNowZenner.
