The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541451
34 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2025 BY JOHN BORTON B asketball observers identify Dusty May's 2025-26 crew as potentially elite, like they did with Steve Fisher's 1991-92 aggregation. The present team draws its strength from savvy veterans, though, rather than five brash and bold fresh- men. May isn't bereft of rookie talent, to be sure. Guard Trey McKenney underscored that fact with emphasis in the Wolver- ines' raucous 121-78 rout of Oakland University at Crisler Arena Nov. 3. The state of Michigan's reigning Mr. Basket- ball initially got off to a rocky start in ex- hibition games, going 0-for-7 from the field against Cincinnati and 1-for-5 in a 96-94 win over St. John's at Madison Square Garden. Then the bright lights of the regular season turned on — and so did McKen- ney. Amid a host of veteran talent begin- ning a fourth, fifth or even sixth year on the court, the rookie didn't look lost. He appeared completely in command — poised with the basketball, flowing freely without it. And the shots? They were raining down on the Golden Grizzlies like bear spray from a dozen cornered hunters. Michigan poured in a jaw-dropping 19 three-pointers in the runaway, its prize rookie leading the way with a 6-for-8 effort. He shot 7 of 10 overall, scored 21 points, grabbed a pair of rebounds, and dished out 4 assists without a turnover. He even lit it up in the dark, scoring on a drive a split second after the Crisler Arena lights went out. "That was definitely a first," McKen- ney said. "It was insane. I don't really know how we kept playing. I didn't know if I made it or not." He made it, and there's little doubt he will make it. May stood convinced of that when he got the Orchard Lake St. Mary's star to commit to Michigan roughly a year ago. McKenney, a long- time Wolverines fan, chose Michigan over Georgetown, and May's basketball mind over everyone else's. The head coach didn't flinch one bit over a couple of tough-shooting games against excellent exhibition competition either, he noted following the takedown of the Grizzlies. "I thought he kept us organized," May said. "I thought he had a real plan when he caught the ball. "When you put a lot into this, and it means a lot to you, and you've always dreamed of these moments, the excite- ment sometimes can cause you to play not very well. It's very, very common. I'd almost be worried if he came out and played great his first game. He would think it's too simple, too easy. He's had a good week of practice, he wants to do the right things, he has great character. "We talk about it as a staff. When you're a real person like Trey is — au- thentic, curious, you genuinely care about your teammates as much if not more than yourself — good things are going to hap- pen for you. Guys like that with his per- sonality traits usually get the benefit of the doubt, even if they don't play well, just because of who they are as people." McKenney also caught former head coach John Beilein's attention with his opening-night marksmanship. Beilein tossed McKenney's name into some se- riously good company, speaking on Bill Simonson's "The Huge Show" across the state. "I have had guys that were great shooters that have come in, and their first couple of games as freshmen, they couldn't make a basket," Beilein said. "Every guy that I've ever had that comes in and comes off the bench and starts knocking down threes in his first game has been, 90 percent of the time, an elite superstar. "[Nik] Stauskas came in and did it. Duncan Robinson came in and did it. Tim Hardaway came in and did it. That is really telling when a kid just shakes off those nerves. "Something I never did that I think is a great idea, playing St. John's and Cincin- nati in these new exempted games early. Great idea, because when they saw the Oakland personnel, it was like, OK, let's go hoop." MCKENNEY'S PATH TO MICHIGAN McKenney could pretty much call his shot, basketball-wise, after four stand- out years at St. Mary's, including a state championship season as a junior. He paced his team as a senior, averaging 23.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. A consensus top-25 national recruit (ranked highest by On3 at No. 16), the McDonald's All-American also garnered Michigan Player of the Year honors by Gatorade and MaxPreps in ad- dition to the Mr. Basketball honors. The coveted recruit grew up watch- ing vintage Beilein squads and dreamed of performing at Crisler. He still wasn't wholly settled on Michigan until the fall of last year. Once he made the call, noth- ing else mattered. He'd watched May's first Michigan team make a stirring late-season run to the Big Ten Tourna- ment championship and the Sweet 16. He knew about his new coach's skills at attracting great talent, both in recruiting and from the transfer portal. McKenney embraced the challenge without hesitation. "The transfer portal, recruiting, I don't think it really affected my deci- sion with Michigan," McKenney said. "I trusted the coaching staff through the whole process. I understood they were only going to recruit players that aligned with their thinking of playing the game, TREY FOR THE TREY Trey McKenney Opens Up His Michigan Career With Emphasis As a senior at Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's, McKenney averaged 23.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, on his way to McDonald's All-American honors. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL