As an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Michigan, Trey McKenney helped lead the Michigan Wolverines Men’s Basketball team to win the National Championship on April 6. As a Flint resident, he seeks to bring that sense of community with him wherever he goes.
McKenney said Flint has a lot to do with who he is as a person. “A lot of my qualities, and the way I go about my everyday life, I think it all comes back to where I’m from.”
His mother, Jasmine McKenney, a program director for the Flint & Genesee Economic Alliance, said that Trey took an interest in basketball from a young age, “He always tended to gravitate towards basketball,” Jasmine said.
He started to take basketball more seriously in the eighth grade, practicing drills long into the night. He continued to play basketball at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s High School in Orchard Lake, Mich.
After high school, Trey enrolled in U-M. Trey said he was drawn in by the overall atmosphere, “I’ve grown up around it. I always dreamed of going here. I think it was a perfect fit all around.”
Trey McKenney is interviewed by local media ABC12 after winning the National Championship on April 6. Photo provided by Jasmine McKenney. 
Trey McKenney stands in front of the Flint sign in Brush Park in downtown Flint, Mich. Photo provided by Jasmine McKenney. 
Trey McKenney surrounded by teammates after their win in the National Championship on April 6. Photo provided by Jasmine McKenney.
While playing in the National Championship, he scored nine points, eight rebounds and one assist, which helped drive his team to a 69-63 victory against the UConn men’s basketball team.
While he didn’t get to see his parents’ immediate reactions to winning the game, he said that after they had gotten off the court, both his mom and dad were very proud of him.
Jasmine said, “To see my own child achieve that dream that they set for themselves… it just takes my breath away”.
Trey said it was “unbelievable” to have such an impact on the game and was something he was “very proud of.”
As a player, Trey had to fill big shoes early in his career with the Michigan Wolverines. Trey stepped in for injured player, L.J. Cason, with two games left in the season.
Drew Williamson, assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines, said he was impressed by his growth as a player during this time, “Trey is somebody who could’ve gone somewhere else and easily averaged 15-20 points a game as a freshman. But he decided to come here and sacrifice a little bit to be on a championship team. It’s always rewarding to see them celebrate as a team.”
Trey said that in the future, his goal is to play for the NBA and compete in another championship game. “I definitely want to help compete for another national championship next year. I also definitely wanna play in the NBA. That’s definitely the goal.”
