Trey Burke may soon join Michigan basketball royalty, as the program is working towards honoring his No. 3 jersey:
The buzz around former Michigan Wolverines basketball star Trey Burke’s jersey retirement resurfaced this week thanks in part to a comment he made during the Kingdom Summer League in Columbus.
Columbus’ Trey Burke was back putting on a show Sunday in the Kingdom Summer League. I talked with him about his career, future plans and a looming Michigan jersey retirement.
“Who would’ve thought a kid from Columbus, Ohio, was going to get his jersey retired at Michigan?”
— Adam Jardy (@AdamJardy) July 28, 2025
According to a University of Michigan basketball spokesperson, Burke’s number won’t be “retired,” but the program is working toward honoring in the rafters of Crisler Center. The only player to have their number retired in Michigan history is Cazzie Russell’s No. 33.
Back in May, the 2013 National Player of the Year in college basketball shared on the Politely RAW podcast he’d been told his jersey will eventually take its place among the Wolverines’ all-time greats.
“I have heard that it will happen. It will happen. Bucket list for me,” Burke said. “That’s some great company to be in. I was super excited to hear that, for sure.”
Other honored numbers include Bill Buntin (22), Phil Hubbard (35), Glen Rice (41) and Rudy Tomjanovich (45). Burke’s number would be the first added to the rafters of Crisler Center since 2006.
“That would mean the world. It would mean the world, honestly,” Burke said in May. “That’s something you dream about as a kid. Growing up, I loved college basketball, I watched college basketball. I was one of those kids that was running around with a little rubber basketball, dreaming of making big shots.”
And he certainly made some.
During his two unforgettable seasons at Michigan, Burke averaged 16.9 points and 5.7 assists per game, helping lead the Wolverines to the 2013 National Championship Game. He earned nearly every national award possible, including the Wooden, Naismith, AP, and Oscar Robertson trophies. He was also a consensus First-Team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year.
His Michigan legacy was cemented during that magical 2012-13 run, with the most iconic moment coming in the Sweet Sixteen. Burke’s game-tying three-pointer against Kansas is a shot that still echoes through March Madness highlight reels today.
On this day in 2013, @TreyBurke helped @umichbball climb back from down 13 to beat Kansas in OT in the Sweet 16! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/opMIOiq0z7
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2024
Burke declared for the NBA Draft shortly after and was selected No. 9 overall by the Utah Jazz . He played in the NBA through 2022, with stops in Utah, Washington, New York, Dallas and Philadelphia. He’s currently playing for the Guangdong Southern Tigers in China’s CBA, but maintains his connection to Ann Arbor — and clearly, Michigan hasn’t forgotten him either.
“I appreciate everything that university … I appreciate them. I appreciate everything they did for me and my family as well, though,” Burke said.