Fourteen years ago, an undersized three-star point guard from Columbus, Ohio made the decision to return to his new home of Ann Arbor for his sophomore season, hoping to become one of the best players to ever put on a Michigan Wolverines basketball uniform.
Today, another guard is quietly assembling the early building blocks of an eerily similar story.
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From 2012-13, Michigan legend Trey Burke had one of the greatest two-year runs in program history. As a true freshman under John Beilein, Burke averaged 14.8 points per game, 4.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 34.8 percent from three. He consistently made big shots in big moments, scored 20 or more points against Duke and Michigan State, and was a strong defender. His performance earned him Associated Press All-American Honorable Mention (first player since 1998 to earn honor), All-Big Ten Second Team (coaches and media) and Big Ten All-Freshman team (unanimous selection).
Meanwhile in 2025-26, Trey McKenney was also extremely successful in his first year with the Wolverines. The guard from Flint averaged 10 points off the bench this past season, by shooting 46 percent from the field, and he was one of the best defenders on the roster, unafraid to shut down the top guards in college basketball.
After each of their strong freshman campaigns, both Burke and McKenney had a decision to make — go to the NBA Draft and hope their age and raw skills would be enough to be taken, or return to Michigan. Both players made the same decision, and now there are many reasons to think that McKenney is capable of a Burke-like sophomore leap.
Burke was not at the level of being one of the best players in college basketball at the end of his freshman year, but he was definitely draftable. However, Burke chose to come back to Michigan for his sophomore season, and now his jersey is up in the rafters of Crisler Center.
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In 2013, Burke led the Wolverines in scoring (18.6 points per game) and reached double-digit points in 37 of 39 games. He hit the 20-point mark 16 times and was the only player in the Big Ten to score at least 15 points in every conference game that season. He was the National Player of the Year and a consensus All-American.
Accolades and stats aside, Burke also0 hit one of the most famous shots in Michigan basketball history, making an impossible three-pointer to save Michigan’s 2013 tournament run against Kansas — the shot that helped the Wolverines get as far as they did.
McKenney is no stranger to big shots himself. He was tasked with hitting a game-winning layup against Nebraska as time expired, giving the Wolverines a crucial Top-10 win in the thick of conference play. Against No. 4 seed Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen, McKenney dropped 17 points off the bench, burying three three-pointers to help put away the most serious threat Michigan had faced up to that point in the postseason. And in the National Championship, he connected on a step-back three-pointer with less than a minute to go to seal the deal.
There are a lot of similarities between the two Trey’s based on how their freshmen years went, but going into his sophomore year, McKenney will be taking on a ton more responsibility that Burke was already given in year one.
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The true test of McKenney’s sophomore leap will be how he handles primary ball handling responsibilities. Like Burke, McKenney is physically stronger than most guards he faces, using a “bully ball” approach to finish through contact at the rim rather than around it. Like Burke, his mid-range game is genuinely advanced for his age, being able to use it as a weapon that opens up everything else. But unlike Burke, McKenney does not have a full season under his belt as a primary point guard, instead being a role player off the bench this past year.
McKenney does not need to reach the lofty goals of playing well enough to get his jersey in the rafters by the end of next season by any means, but the talent is there. McKenney has proved to be a reliable shot-creator who is unafraid of the big moments, while also being a selfless guard that Dusty May and his staff can trust in any type of situation.
Michigan has been searching for its next great guard for over a decade. Whether McKenney becomes that player is still an open question, but right now, he looks more like the answer than anyone has in a long time.
