Since it was not easy to follow all the action in the Duke-Michigan game from the upper-level nosebleed pressbox seats, HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel figured he would make better use of his time and sneak in a quick halftime interview with John McKenney Jr., whose son Trey is a freshman for the Wolverines.
As a junior at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, your son Trey had 32 PTS/10 REB in a win over North Farmington High School in the state championship game: what did it mean to him to win a title, and where does that rank among the best birthday gifts of your life?! It was the greatest birthday gift ever: it meant everything to me.
In 2024 he won a gold meal with Team USA at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup (along with Morez Johnson Jr.), and in 2025 he scored 22 PTS off the bench for Team USA in an OT win at the Nike Hoop Summit: what did it mean to him to represent his country? It meant the world to all of us when he went to Argentina and won a gold medal.
Last year he was named Mr. Basketball for the state of Michigan and a McDonald’s All-American: how proud were you of all his amazing accolades? I was very proud, but he is even better as a person than as an athlete.
He received more than 40 D-1 scholarship offers before becoming the 1st Flint native since Glen Rice to pick Michigan over Michigan State: why have more players from Flint not ended up in Ann Arbor during the past 4 decades? The scandals in the 1990s hurt them in recruiting. Michigan is diverse and has high academic standards, but Dusty is turning it around.
I read that he lost 18 pounds last offseason while gaining some muscle/increasing his athleticism: how hard did he have to work to make that happen? He had o sugar for 5 months, and his body fat went from 13% to 6%.
Your family is from Flint, which is about 50 miles north of Ann Arbor: how many of his home games have you been able to attend this season? Every single 1: it is just a 60-minute drive.
He stands 6’4″ but has a 6’9″ wingspan: how much of an advantage is his length on the court? A lot!
Michigan has already had an incredible season: what is your favorite memory so far (Trey’s 21-PT effort in his debut win over Oakland/his 17-PT game in the 40-PT win over Gonzaga at the Players Era Festival/other)? His game-winning basket against Nebraska (www.instagram.com/reels/DUCYQKmkdap/)
His aunt Linnell Jones McKenney was the 1st female pro basketball player in Flint history: who is the best athlete in the family? He is.
Any predictions for tonight’s game vs. Duke in DC? Michigan will win!
