Written by Tanya Terry, with photo courtesy of Explore Flint & Genesee
After being part of the winning team for 2026 NCAA National Championship, University of Michigan shooting guard Trey McKenney was honored at a Trey Day event in Flint. The event celebrated his contributions to sports in the community.
“Being around my coach and him just telling me how much I been meant to his life and just the people around me, I feel like that meant a lot for me,” McKenney said. “I think it was just really, really cool overall to have a day for myself and be able to look back and look at some of the accomplishments that I’ve done. And I think it’s just really amazing.”
McKenney emphasized the importance of consistency and hard work, noting that the late nights and early morning workouts made winning the national championship feel even sweeter.
The Wolverine discussed his thoughts on representing Michigan over what has been historically called the “little brother team,” Michigan State University.
“We didn’t really think of it as a competition in the NCAA tournament,” McKenney shared. “We just wanted to win a national championship. I mean, we beat them two times in the regular season. So, we didn’t really think of it too much in the NCAA tournament. We just wanted to play for what we felt like we earned.”
McKenney discussed the thoughts he had when great teams, such as Duke, that often make it to the Final Four got knocked out.
“I mean, when you make it that far, it’s just a matter of who’s playing the hardest. We didn’t have the best game in the national championship offensively, but nobody’s going to remember that because we had a really good defensive game. So, I think just playing and just realizing that the Final Four is just basketball and going out there and trying your best is what helped.”
McKenney explained that his team took a one-game-at-a-time approach throughout the tournament, which helped build momentum. He identified the in-season tournament in Vegas as the moment when he realized his team was special.
“I think just keying in on scouting reports and taking it one game at a time and not looking too much further ahead, it just helped our focus a lot.”
The Flint native whose grandfather was Woodrow Stanley, former mayor of Flint, expressed gratitude for his family’s support, crediting them with pushing him to work harder every day.
At the Trey Day event held at the Riverfront Conference Center, Mayor Sheldon Neeley awarded McKenney with a key to the city. Speakers included Mateen Cleaves, a former Michigan State University and pro basketball player, now working for the Phoenix Suns and assistant coach Mike Boynton, as well as Todd Covert (who coached McKenney at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s) and UM-Flint Chancellor Laurence Alexander.
McKenny was named Mr. Basketball in Michigan in 2025 and was also named to the McDonald’s All-American team. He is a five-star recruit who committed to the University of Michigan, ranked as the 19th best basketball player in the class of 2025. He played high school basketball at Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s in West Bloomfield.
Additionally, Cleaves compared McKenney’s work ethic to players like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, who he has been around.
McKenny shared that he hopes what’s next for him includes making the Final Four in Detroit in 2027 and to build a lasting legacy at Michigan.
“I’m happy to give hope to the kids in Flint and give them something to look at. And I think there’s a lot of people that have built a legacy and some amazing things out of Flint. And I think they just have a lot of guys and a lot of girls to be able to look at that have built themselves up in their journeys. I started in Flint. So, I see myself in every one of those little kids that are looking up to me.”
