Michigan has all the answers in Sweet 16 vs Alabama in March Madness
Michigan basketball used a dominant second half to shrug off Alabama in the Sweet 16 in Chicago in the NCAA Tournament, March 27, 2026.
CHICAGO − Michigan basketball has its first building block for next season.
Trey McKenney, a Flint native who has enjoyed a standout freshman season for the Wolverines, plans to return to Ann Arbor for his sophomore season, he told the Detroit Free Press.
His name has been floated in NBA draft circles and the transfer portal is always a threat to every team, every offseason, but McKenney says he’s absolutely committed to Michigan.
“Definitely planning on coming back next year,” he said. “We’re going to have a really talented team next year, I came in with a role this year and I think my role would definitely expand next year, so I’m definitely looking forward to coming back.”
McKenney has played in all 37 games for Michigan this year, averaging 9.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. He shoots 46.2% from the floor and 38.5% from 3 on more than four attempts per game. The former McDonald’s All-American and 2025 Michigan Mr. Basketball at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s has had a number of strong performances in his first collegiate campaign, perhaps the biggest of which came in U-M’s last game.
McKenney scored 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting in a 90-77 Sweet 16 victory over Alabama, which included three 3-pointers. He’s made the most 3s (62) of any U-M player this season, despite coming off the bench and playing under 22 minutes per game.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound guard came into college already built for the Big Ten, but after a year of seasoning, there’s a belief he could go from his All-Freshman Big Ten status to something much larger in 2026-27.
“I don’t want to put any, I guess, expectations … but I think he’s going to be one of the best guards in the Big Ten and if you’re one of the best guards in the Big Ten then you’re going to be one of the best guards in the country next year,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “We’re excited, first and foremost because of how hard he’s going to work and how much time he puts into it.
“To see him do this late in the season, when a lot of freshmen have hit a wall … he’s just continued to improve.”
An NBA draft analyst told the Free Press that if McKenney decided to declare for the draft, he likely would’ve been a second round pick, but given there’s not a big body of work (he didn’t run the point, came off the bench is slightly undersized for a true shooting guard in the NBA), a return to college makes sense to improve his draft stock.
Roddy Gayle Jr., who McKenney called “one of his best friends” thinks the sky is the limit for McKenney. Gayle called McKenney “a sponge” and thinks that with a summer of the right work, he can become “a really good playmaker.”
“That’s the next step,” Gayle said. “He knows he has room to grow, but it’s the maturity level from him – you don’t really look at him like a teenager, but that’s what he is.
“Over the course of the season, he’s been able to grow in my eyes and I kind of look at him as a veteran, but he’s still a little kid.”
Michigan is exceedingly confident he will take the next step this summer and there’s no reason to doubt U-M will have the NIL compensation to match what a player of his caliber garners in the current market.
“He’s all about the film, the shooting, the wights, taking care of his body,” May said. “He’s a professional with how he works every day.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
