Trey McKenney earns Ohio State offer after strong camp performances
Trey McKenney had an idea of what to expect at Ohio State’s team camp.
As he prepared to make the trip to Columbus with his Orchard Lake (Michigan) St. Mary’s team, McKenney started to accumulate followers on his Twitter page. One by one, members of the Ohio State coaching staff had begun to follow the member of the class of 2025.
Clearly, there was some growing interest. And by the time McKenney had wrapped up playing back-to-back games on the main floor at Value City Arena, Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann and assistant Jack Owens were ready to extend a scholarship offer.
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“I hadn’t really talked to them before I went to camp, but most of their coaches were already following me on Twitter so I already kind of knew they were going to be watching me when I got there,” McKenney said. “Most of their coaching staff was there when I played every game at the camp. After that back-to-back, Jack Owens and Chris Holtmann wanted me to come with my coach and my dad. They had a pretty quick talk with me and offered me.”
Ohio State wasn't the first Big Ten team with an interest in the 6-4, 205-pound guard. His recruitment kicked off prior to his freshman season, he said, resulting in offers from Illinois and Michigan within the span of a week or two last December. McKenney likes watching Big Ten basketball because, as he explained, “They have big wings, big guards and they let ‘em play and they get up and down the floor with structure. That’s what I like about it.”
Alabama, Texas, TCU and others have also offered.
“It’s been kind of crazy with recruiting, the amount of attention I’m getting from coaches at different schools,” McKenney said. “I’m being recruited as (a combo guard) that can play the 2 and the 1. That sounds good to me because I feel like I’m that right now.”
As a freshman, McKenney played alongside six seniors. Now, as a sophomore, he’ll be stepping into an even bigger leadership role for the Eaglets. This summer, McKenney said his goal is to tighten his ball handling in smaller spaces on the floor.
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He has been described as having an “old-school” game, something McKenney didn’t dispute, but also said doesn’t reflect the full picture.
“I can see it a little bit because the way I play – mid-range and a lot of post move fadeaways,” he said. “I think I’m more like a three-level scorer that plays both ends and who can facilitate.”
McKenney plans to return to Ohio State before long.
“The campus was beautiful,” he said. “I didn’t know the campus would be that big. It was beautiful. Just going to the camp and having the coaches watch us on the main floor and in different gyms, it was crazy. They want me to come back after August 1.”
Owens and associate coach Jake Diebler have been his primary recruiters so far.
“I think it’ll be a great relationship with Ohio State because I like the coaches a lot,” he said. “They really seem like they wanted me to get back on campus, so I feel like that would be a great relationship there at Ohio State. I really like the program.”
He also liked something Holtmann told him that made him laugh.
“Coach Holtmann, he referred to Michigan as ‘the state up north,’ ” McKenney said. “That was pretty funny to me.”
McKenney is currently unranked in the 247Sports.com composite database.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Trey McKenney reflects on Ohio State offer, camp experience
