Ann Arbor — It didn’t look like a freshman moment. Far from it.
With Michigan and Nebraska tied at 72, Trey McKenney got the ball in the corner, used a pump fake followed by a jab step to get by one defender and then drove baseline before he finished through contact over another Cornhusker.
On the biggest stage yet, McKenney scored the go-ahead bucket with 1:07 to play and came through in the clutch in a top-five showdown.
“That’s what you come here for, to play in those platform games and play against these really good teams in the Big Ten,” McKenney said after Tuesday’s 75-72 comeback win. “This is probably, if not the best, one of the best conferences in America. Coming here, this is what I wanted to do.”
As the intensity of the Big Ten regular-season race ratchets up and enters the back half, McKenney continues to deliver off the bench and come into his own for the Wolverines.
All at the right time, too. Because not only did McKenney’s tough layup hand Nebraska its first loss, it also pulled Michigan into a three-way tie atop the Big Ten standings along with Michigan State, adding to the magnitude of Friday’s rivalry clash in East Lansing.
“I felt excited for the team because we’re up two in a tough game but mostly for him being super confident and ready to impact the game at any time,” guard Nimari Burnett said of McKenney’s decisive basket. “He was great defensively as well, being disruptive, having full-court pressure on the ball. (He was) taking them out of their rhythm and it translated to the offensive side of the ball.”
McKenney finished with 11 points, his 13th double-digit scoring performance of the season. He buried two 3-pointers in the first half that helped Michigan cut an 11-point deficit to two by halftime. Moments before his winning shot, he came away with a critical steal by poking the ball away from Nebraska’s Jamarques Lawrence on a fast break.
Most importantly, the Wolverines outscored the Cornhuskers by 12 in McKenney’s 22 minutes, the best plus-minus rating on the team.
“He comes off the bench doing exactly what he needs to do — giving us energy, scoring, getting stops defensively, always talking,” forward Morez Johnson Jr. said. “I appreciate Trey. He comes out there and makes my job out there easier with how loud he is on the floor.
“He’s definitely matured. He’s not the same player as he was in November. He’s very important for us. … We know what we’re going to get out of Trey every night.”
Coach Dusty May pointed to another play of McKenney’s he thought was just as pivotal as the rest. When Michigan was trailing by seven with under eight minutes to go, McKenney was fouled on a 3-pointer in transition.
He calmly made all three free throws — which May called “the biggest points of the game” — kick-starting a 16-6 run over the final 7:37 that was fueled by foul shots.
“We were down. We were in a funk. We were in a fog,” May said. “He knocks down those three free throws, and you could almost see that sense of belief that now we’re getting stops, our defense is on. Now let’s find a way, because at that point you’re down two possessions versus three.”
What McKenney did against Nebraska are the same types of things he’s been doing all season long — finding a way to make his minutes count.
Given Michigan’s depth and nine-man rotation, there are only so many minutes to go around, and each game calls for something different. While young players might think they need to produce offensively to make a difference, McKenney doesn’t.
McKenney said he tries to be “a connector on the floor” and do whatever the team needs, whether that’s scoring a bucket, grabbing a rebound or getting a stop. Compared to the start of the season, McKenney noted he’s better at being patient, not trying to force things and letting the game come to him.
“I really feel comfortable out there, whether it’s offensively or defensively,” said McKenney, who’s averaging 10 points in 20.4 minutes and shooting 36% on 3-pointers. “I think I can impact the game in a lot of ways.”
May sees the same thing. It’s led to McKenney gaining coaching staff’s trust, earning extended run in the second half and playing in tight games in crunch time.
Against Nebraska, McKenney checked in with 15:42 remaining and played the rest of the way. The prior game against Ohio State, he had 12 points on five shots, posted a plus-12 rating in 12 second-half minutes and was on the floor during an 11-0 run that turned a six-point deficit into a five-point lead in a 74-62 victory.
May explained he doesn’t want the reserves to feel like they must shoot and score to stay in the game. The message is simple: How you play is more important than your stat line.
May cited a first-half offensive rebound against Ohio State as an example. On that possession, McKenney battled forward Devin Royal after a missed shot, which led to the ball landing in a spot where forward Will Tschetter could corral it.
If it wasn’t for McKenney’s effort, Royal would’ve grabbed the rebound and started a fast break. Instead, Michigan got another possession, drew another foul to move closer to the bonus and scored.
“That’s the invisible play, that’s the intangible play that we’ve been preaching. And the more of those you make, the more you’re going to play,” May said on Monday’s “Inside Michigan Basketball” radio show. “Everyone wants to play more, but that’s how you earn more is by playing good ball when you’re in the game.
“(McKenney’s) defense is much further advanced than most freshmen in college. Typically, that’s what keeps guys off the court as a freshman is their defense and intangibles, and he has those things. He brings a lot to our team.”
McKenney, more than anyone on the roster, knows he’s going to need to bring everything he has against Michigan State. The Flint native and McDonald’s All-American grew up a Michigan fan and is well-versed in the rivalry. He was recruited and offered by the Spartans when he starred at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s.
McKenney delivered in two of the most intense games of his career yet — against rival Ohio State and previously unbeaten Nebraska. Come Friday, he’ll look to rise to the occasion once again in a high-stakes battle with Michigan State.
“He’s such a good person,” May said. “You’re just proud of all the things that he does on a daily basis. He works. He’s a great teammate.
“He’s just getting better.”
Michigan at Michigan State
Tipoff: 8 p.m. Friday, Breslin Center, East Lansing
TV/radio: Fox/760, 94.7
Records: No. 3 Michigan 19-1, 9-1 Big Ten; No. 7 Michigan State 19-2, 9-1
Outlook: This is the first of two meetings between the teams, with the rematch set for March 8 in Ann Arbor. This marks the fifth time the rivals have met as top-10 teams in the regular season. The Wolverines have lost four straight in the series and the last seven matchups in East Lansing, with their last win at the Breslin Center coming in 2018.
@jamesbhawkins
