How Trey McKenney could have a Trey Burke career trajectory

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.

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.

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.