The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 53 ❱ WHERE ARE THEY NOW? of talent on that team, and I don't think we took that for granted." There remains some bitterness over the way the season ended after losing to a Louisville team that would eventually have its title vacated because of NCAA violations within the program. It still does not take away from what Burke feels his U-M team accomplished that season. "[The championship push] was a dream come true that you feel like ended right at the championship moment. It's something I always think about, but at the same time, I think about the great memories, too. "Making it to the Final Four, getting to that [championship] game. I still be- lieve I am a champion. I still believe we are champions, honestly. In my heart, that's how I feel." Burke's signature moment and leg- end-making turn came in the Sweet 16 against Kansas on a shot that will live forever in Michigan history. After being down 10 points with two minutes to play, Burke hit a three- pointer from 30 feet out at the end of regulation to send Michigan to over- time against top-seeded Kansas. It led to an 87-85 overtime victory that sent the Wolverines to the Elite Eight. All 23 of Burke's points that night came after halftime, but none were bigger in his career than the triple with 4.2 seconds remaining in regulation. "Everything happened fast," Burke said. "I think going back on it, those were just hours and hours of prepara- tion. Being a kid, having a wild imagina- tion, dreaming of those moments and getting to a game where, you're losing the whole game and you're personally not playing well. "When you are having such a great individual season, you try to figure it out. Not make it about you, because you want to win. You can easily make it about you if you start out on a slow note. And I kind of did. So, I tried to figure out how to do other things to help my team win, and we look up and we're down 10 points with two minutes left. "I remember thinking I can either lose hope now or just keep figuring it out step by step. We made one play after an- other, and I remember being at the free throw line for a one-and-one [for Kan- sas]. I talk about God as a man of faith. I remember just thinking, 'You give me this miss. Then it would just be like a Christmas present.' And that ball rolled off. There wasn't time to think, it was no more thinking, you know, I knew that it was just a sign to go and be a big play- maker for my team and just that whole journey. I think that moment signifies a lot about this team and just having a will to find a way to win always." Michigan's magical run through the 2012-13 season started with a foundation laid long before Burke's group walked through the doors. There were ups and downs in the early stages of the Beilein era, but a culture was already in place to be passed down. U-M had the mental part of the game, and in 2012-13, the tal- ent matched it. "I think it started before we got here, honestly," Burke said. "Those guys right before we came, Zack Novak, Stu Doug- las, Darius [Morris] and those guys, that spirit that they instilled in us when we first got here. They didn't play around. Specifically, Zack and Stu, they did not play around." Burke's highlights are still played be- fore games at Crisler Center, and his shot against Kansas remains one of the greatest moments in tournament history. There is plenty of support for his No. 3 to hang in the rafters in Ann Arbor, which is something he would not take for granted. "It would mean the world, honestly," Burke said. "That's something you dream about as a kid. Growing up, I loved col- lege basketball. I was one of those kids that was running around with a little rubber basketball dreaming to make big shots or just to have something to leave your legacy on. "Something like that, as big as that, at such a great university, that would be great for me. I would love it." ❏ Burke, who has played for five NBA teams since 2013, currently suits up for the Stockton Kings in the NBA G League. PHOTO COURTESY STOCKTON KINGS ❱ The Trey Burke File Michigan Accolades: Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2012) ... First-team All-Big Ten (2013)... Big Ten Player of the Year (2013)... Bob Cousy Award (2013)... Consensus first-team All-Amer- ican (2013)... Consensus National College Player of the Year (2013). Professional Accolades: First-round pick (9th overall) in 2013 NBA Draft (Utah Jazz via Minne- sota Timberwolves)... NBA All-Rookie First Team (2014)... Third-team All NBA G League (2018) Family: Trey married his high school sweet- heart, De'Monique Burke, and together they have two children.