The NBA Finals have not even begun but it is already time for most of the league to start preparing for next season. The lottery will be held on May 12th, the final deadline for early entry withdrawal is June 16th, and the draft will take place on June 26th/27th. We will spend the next several weeks interviewing as many members of this year’s draft class as possible. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage by chatting with Wright State G Trey Calvin about being a great scorer and what it would mean to him to get drafted.
You were born/raised in Illinois: what made you choose Wright State? It was my only offer after my junior year: they were the 1st school to believe in me, so I went with them.
You played in 31 games as a freshman and averaged 18.4 MPG: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? At 1st I thought that I would be very good offensively…but the guy ahead of me was better so I just tried to become the best defender I could, which is why my coach would put me into the game.
In the 2022 NCAA tourney you scored 21 PTS in a win over Bryant and 16 PTS in a loss to Arizona: what is your favorite memory from that magical week? Beating Bryant to become the 1st team in school history to win an NCAA tourney game was very special.
In February of 2023 you scored a career-high 44 PTS and played 53 minutes in a 2-PT 3-OT loss at Youngstown State: where does that rank among the wildest games of your career? It is top-3 for sure. It was the most points that I ever scored in my life, and seeing so many game-tying shots to extend the game was amazing (www.youtube.com/watch?v=tecv474VXTE).
You were top-25 in the nation in 2023 with 20.3 PPG and your 2139 career PTS is #2 in school history: what is the secret to being a great scorer? For me it is about getting into the gym, putting in the time, and getting shots up 2-3 times/day, all of which gives me confidence.
Last season you led the conference with 89.6 FT%: what is the key to making FTs? The same thing: living in the gym. When you get up a lot of shots it will translate to the game.
Last March you were named 1st-Team All-Horizon/1st-Team All-NABC (District 12): what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It means a lot. I worked hard during my 1st 3 years but still was not the player I wanted to be, so it was nice to be acknowledged like that as a senior.
Your former coach Scott Nagy was recently hired at Southern Illinois: how do you think that his former assistant Clint Sargent will do as the new Wright State head coach? I think he will do very well, even better than some people think he will. He is a winning person/coach and has been part of a winning program so he will pick it up quickly.
1 of your strengths is your mid-range game, but it seems like the NBA these days is about making shots from behind the arc or at the rim: do you think there is room for your skill set to shine or do you need to change your offensive strategy? It will be easier to get mid-range shots at the pro level so even though I will try to become a better 3-PT shooter the mid-range is my bread-and-butter, so I am not going away from that.
What would it mean to you to get drafted, and what is the plan if you do not get drafted? Getting drafted has always been my dream so it would mean the world to me and my family. If not, then I will play pro basketball for whoever wants me, show them what I can do, and have fun with it.