Tommy Meyer has always known he wanted to play college basketball.

Recently, exactly what that looked like has come into focus for the 6-foot-5 Liberty Christian guard/forward and Montgomery City resident.

Meyer signed to play basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange University.

“It seemed like the right fit for me,” Meyer said. “I like the campus. I like the way they go about things. Their beliefs line up with ours. I’ve always wanted to play (college basketball). It’s been my goal.”

He will head off to college as a state champion.

Meyer averaged 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for Liberty (24-8) as the Eagles captured the Missouri Christian Schools Athletic Association (MCSAA) state championship.

“It (winning state) was encouraging,” Meyer said. “I (was a part of) what’s possible and I can’t wait to see what’s possible at the next level.”

Meyer will join a Trojans squad that finished its season 19-8 under the direction of Coach Jason Durst.
Durst, who was on hand for Meyer’s signing, said that the young man fits what he’s looking for in his program.

“Coming from a small Christian school, that’s what we are,” Durst said. “He’s a really good fit for what we are, not only on the basketball team, but as a university. We look for good citizens, not just good basketball players. We’re hoping he can make that transition (to college) and be a good fit.”

On the court, Durst said that one of the things he likes about Meyer is the list of intangibles he already possesses.

“Obviously, Tommy’s a good athlete and that’s one of the first things we noticed, his athleticism,” Durst said. “Coming from a small school in high school, everybody’s got to make that jump physically. The challenge is going to be for him to get stronger and to just continue to be good at the things he’s good at to compete at a higher level.”

Liberty Christian Coach Butch Clark said that he’s going to be excited to see just what Meyer can do at the next level.

“Tommy is about to find out the difference between high school and college, but he possesses all the tools to make it at that level,” Clark said. “He’s 6-5 and he can jump. I think his shooting can improve, but I’m excited to see what he can do.”

Meyer, himself, added that he’s ready to take the things he’s learned at the Wright City school and carry them forward into college. He said that he won’t soon forget everything the family-oriented atmosphere has taught him.

“I feel really blessed because this is a God-given talent,” Meyer said. “It’s going to help me a lot playing college ball. (Liberty Christian) has been my family my whole life, so this is like going away from my family.”