The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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52 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2023 BY ANTHONY BROOME M ichigan men's basketball recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of its 2012-13 season, when the team made a run through the NCAA Tournament and came mere minutes away from cap- turing a national championship. Point guard Trey Burke was the standout performer in that chapter of program history, winning National Player of the Year honors and a laundry list of accolades. U-M Athletics honored the 2013 na- tional runner-up squad at halftime of a Feb. 19 win over rival Michigan State, which gave Burke and his peers a chance to reflect on the decade that had passed. "It's great to be back," Burke, cur- rently a member of the NBA G League's Stockton Kings, said in a session with the media prior to the game. "Anytime I get a chance to come back, it brings back all of the memories of just the two years that I was here. So much that I remem- ber, but it happened so fast. "Being able to be recognized for such a legendary run that we had. … It's not just about me, or Coach [John] Beilein. It's not just about Tim [Hardaway Jr.]. It's about a group of guys that really believed. At the end of the season, we were on a decline, and we found a way to make the run that we did. So, to be able to acknowledge and be recognized for something great like that, I love it." Burke was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2011-12, foreshadowing what would come next. His play on a team that was ranked No. 1 at times during the 2012-13 season — averaging 18.6 points and 6.7 assists per game — earned him Consensus National Player of the Year and first-team All-America honors along with Big Ten Player of the Year and first-team All-Big Ten recog- nition. He acknowledged these were heights he was able to reach due to the rela- tionship he formed with Beilein, who now works with the Detroit Pistons or- ganization as an advisor after a brief stint coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2019-20. "Trust was the biggest thing. Trust both ways," Burke said. "Coach Beilein really trusted my skill set and what I could bring to this team from Day 1. When he came to see me in high school [and] the AAU trips, his gravitation to- wards my skill set as well as the assis- tant coaches, it just made sense. Being able to play for such a legendary coach, I'll never forget that. I still want to play for him to this day. We always have those conversations. [We would love to] if it presents itself." Burke was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft and was later flipped to the Utah Jazz on draft night. He has spent time with five NBA orga- nizations since then, but he was not the only Wolverine from that squad to go on to a professional basketball career. Guards Tim Hardaway Jr., Nik Stauskas and Caris LeVert, and center Mitch Mc- Gary would all be eventual first-round picks. Forward Glenn Robinson III was a second-round selection. It never oc- curred to them at the time how special a collection of talent was brought to- gether. "I think when you're in it, you d o n 't rea l ly re cog n i ze h ow g rea t you have something," Burke said. "So, for me, not really at the time, but now looking back on it, we did have a lot ❱ WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Trey Burke's Return Trip Sparks Memories Of Legendary Run In the 2012-13 season, Burke earned consensus first-team All-America and National Player of the Year honors as a sophomore at Michigan while leading the Wolverines to the national title game. PHOTO BY ADAM GLANZMAN