Tyshawn Archie Q&A
SPIRE Academy guard Tyshawn Archie, a 2023 James Madison signee, is a dynamic athlete who excels in the open floor and uses his advanced body control and acceleration to get into the teeth of the defense and make plays.
Recently, Archie spent time with Pro Insight’s David Hendren after showing out at a recent event where we saw him live. When learning Archie’s story, resiliency is something that shines through. In this interview, he recounts moving away from his family in Texas to pursue his dream, receiving his first offer last summer, his decision to sign with James Madison, and more.
For the next installment of the Pro Insight Q&A Series, we present class of 2023 prospect Tyshawn Archie, from Houston, Texas:
Pro Insight: Give us some background — how long have you been playing basketball and when did you start taking it seriously?
Tyshawn Archie: I started taking basketball seriously in the 7th grade after I got done playing football that year.
PI: What position(s) did you play in football?
TA: I played quarterback and wide receiver. I enjoyed playing wide receiver because it improved my footwork, which helps with basketball.
PI: What would you say made you fall in love with basketball?
TA: My dad was my coach and I played a lot of games locally when I was younger. Just being around the game and playing a lot of games made me fall in love with the game.
PI: Can you talk a little bit about your upbringing in Texas?
TA: I’m originally from Huntsville, Texas. I moved to Houston when I was in 7th grade. I really liked it and have been to a few different areas in Houston. Also, my mom’s side of the family is from Huntsville and my dad’s side is from Nacogdoches.
PI: Any other family members play sports at a high level?
TA: None of them played at the college level.
PI: When did you realize you could possibly get to that next level and earn a college scholarship?
TA: My sophomore summer going into my junior year I realized I could go to college due to basketball. I was playing with Team Temple and we played in Kentucky at a big tournament and I played well against some high level talent.
PI: What was your experience like playing with the ProSkills Nike EYBL program?
TA: Everything got faster on the EYBL circuit. There is a lot of talent out there so I had to bring my game with me everywhere I went. It was really about consistency.
PI: How do you feel you grew as a player playing with ProSkills?
TA: My coach really sped up my game a lot. I was making quicker decisions and ProSkills really made me become an all-around point guard.
PI: What are the most important things you learned while playing with ProSkills?
TA: To play faster and since we played with a shot-clock, I didn’t want to waste any time.
PI: Who do you model your game after or study on film?
TA: My favorite player is Kyrie Irving, but a lot of people say I play like Ja Morant. I try to model my game after Kyrie for the most part.
PI: How do you feel he will mesh alongside Luka in Dallas?
TA: I like him and Luka together; I think that will work out.
PI: Would you say you watch more NBA or college basketball?
TA: I like watching both, but if I had to choose, I would pick the NBA.
PI: Why’s that?
TA: They run a lot of quick sets to get quick baskets. I like the tempo of the NBA.
PI: Talk us through your decision to transfer to SPIRE Academy.
TA: I wanted to play against high-level competition and a national schedule. In Houston, it wasn’t going to be the same as it was playing at SPIRE. We are playing in different states every weekend.