Hoop Radar '25: Michigan State target Trey McKenney enjoys big weekend for Orchard Lake St. Mary's

Auburn Hills, Mich. – Michigan State basketball continues to recruit Trey McKenney hard, and the junior muscle guard from Orchard Lake St. Mary’s continues to solidify himself as one of the top prospects in the country for the class of 2025.

The 6-foot-5 McKenney led St. Mary’s, the No. 1-ranked team in Michigan in Division 1, to a pair of victories over Top 10 opponents last week.

Michigan State assistant coaches Thomas Kelley and Mark Montgomery watched McKenney score 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, and grab 14 rebounds, in a 59-41 victory over No. 9 Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice on Friday at the O’rena on the campus of Oakland University.

One day later, McKenney scored 28 points and had 11 rebounds in a 56-37 victory over No. 3 East Lansing on Saturday at the 2k24 Showcase at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids.

McKenney, a native of Flint, Mich., is listed as the No. 13 player in the country for the class of 2025 in the On3 Industry Rankings, and No. 28 by On3.

“Sometimes it’s give him the ball and get out of the way,” said Orchard Lake St. Mary’s head coach Todd Covert. “Sometimes I sit back and I just take it in because I’ll probably never see anything like it again.”

He’s a triple-threat performer with the ball, a defensive and rebounding menace, and a credit to the Eaglets program off the court. 

“He is such a good person, and humble, and kind, and class vice president, on the honor council, and reads books across the street to the grade school at Our Lady of Refuge where he has gone and helped the students at various grade levels,” Covert said. “I mean he’s different. He’s just different. He’s such a good kid. Talent that’s generational.”

McKenney is averaging 24.1 points and 10.3 rebounds for St. Mary’s (14-1). 

Recruiting is not at the forefront of McKenney’s attention right now, although he took official visits to TCU and Rutgers in the fall. 

“That’s it for now but I’m planning on going to some other places,” he said. “I’m thinking of going to USC in September, so that would be good. But I haven’t planned it out yet since we’re still in the season.”

Michigan State has been showing him consistent interest. He has the strength and rebounding tenacity that Spartan head coach Tom Izzo covets, and it comes in a skillful, explosive package.

“I hear from them every week,” McKenney said of the Michigan State coaches. “I’ve been talking to them for a long time. It’s been building up since my freshman year. You know it’s a pipeline from Flint to East Lansing. It’s great, the amount of players they produce.”

What do the Michigan State coaches tell McKenney that they like about him?

“Basically, my three level scoring and my toughness,” he said. “They like that I show some grit.”

THREE PLAYS THAT STOOD OUT

SpartanMag observed McKenney during the victory over Brother Rice on Friday night. Three plays from McKenney that are emblematic of his status as a top recruiting prospect:

1. His rebound-and-go fastbreak push which resulted in a left-handed lay-up in traffic, giving St. Mary’s a 17-12 lead late in the first quarter.

That play illustrated a lot of what Michigan State likes about him, with his physical box-out, owning of his air space on the boards, the push, the read, the decision to go hard and finish the lay-up with his off hand.

2. After a strong defensive rebound, he brought the ball up as a point guard. After a hesitation, he delivered a quick, strong right-to-left crossover, got a half step on his defender, and then went straight up with a pretty pull-up 10-footer. Very mature play, covering the entire court. That one gave St. Mary’s a 31-18 lead.

3. McKenney’s 3-pointer which gave St. Mary’s a 36-21 lead. On this one, McKenney’s defender went behind the screen during a hand-off. McKenney capitalized on the brief open window and sank the 3-pointer over 6-foot-7 blue chip sophomore Elijah Williams as Williams tried to rotate as a help defender.

HM. After snagging a defensive rebound, McKenney brought it up the court, executed a crossover, then a spin dribble in the lane, splitting three defenders and scoring with his left hand off the glass, giving St. Mary’s a 17-12 lead. 

HM 2. A baseline fall-away jumper in the first half which was preceded by a series of crossovers and fake crossovers. 

“He can really see the court and he has so much balance to his game and change of speed,” Covert said. “I think he has really started to study how to play against different situations so when somebody is face guarding him or kind of holding him, how is he going to get open? Is he leaning down to create some space? Those little intricacies. And then when he does get doubled, how to bounce it back out and find a guy.”

As for Izzo’s credo as to whether a player likes the game, loves the game or lives the game, it sounds like McKenney lives it.

“He’ll be in the gym tomorrow morning at 7 a.m.,” Covert said after Friday night’s win. “He’ll find a place to go shoot. I’ve never seen anybody work like him – Kalin (Lucas), Allen Robinson, nobody.”

McKenney is focused on team goals, heading toward March.

“Getting a state championship, that’s the only thing that’s been on my mind this year,” he said. “We just have to listen to our coach and continue to dominate in every game, and don’t take practice for granted, just keeping coming in with a 110 mindset.”

Trey McKinney of Orchard Lake St. Mary’s scored 21 points in a victory over Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice in Auburn Hills on Friday. (Photo by Jim Comparoni for SpartanMag.com).