Former five-star recruit Trey McKenney is expected to make an instant impact in Ann Arbor, but just how big of an impact will he make as a true freshman?
Heading into his freshman campaign, there are lofty expectations for former five-star recruit Trey McKenney . He is expected to make an instant impact with the Michigan Wolverines , but it’s always difficult to project how much freshmen will play.
To have an educated guess as to what McKenney’s potential role will be, let’s examine how Michigan has utilized freshmen in recent years.
Under former head coach Juwan Howard, the Wolverines certainly weren’t shy about relying on talented first-year players. During their freshman season in 2023, Michigan leaned heavily on Jett Howard and Dug McDaniel. Both guys were highly-touted high school prospects and immediately became integral parts of the team.
Howard started every game he appeared in and was third on the team in minutes, averaging 14.2 points per game. Meanwhile, McDaniel logged the fourth-most minutes per game and started 26 of the 34 games that he played in that year.
In 2022, Caleb Houstan started all 34 games and was the fourth-leading scorer (10.1 points per game) and made the most three-pointers (60) on the team that season. Meanwhile, Moussa Diabate was fifth on the team in scoring with nine points per game and was second in rebounds and blocks, only behind Hunter Dickinson.
Speaking of Dickinson, he had one hell of a collegiate debut for the Wolverines in 2021 as well. Dickinson led the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game while also leading the team in rebounds, blocks and double-doubles.
Michigan had plenty of success in May’s first season at the helm, but the freshmen didn’t play a big role in the rotation. L.J. Cason and Justin Pippen showed glimpses of intriguing potential, but they saw limited action off the bench.
With that said, Cason and Pippen did not enter college with the same pedigree as McKenney. May was cautious with those guys last year, but McKenney’s skillset and physical readiness put him in a different category.
IYCMI: Incoming freshman Trey McKenney scored 22 points off the bench to help Team USA post a 124-114 victory over the World Team at the @nikehoopsummit
Trey’s Line
PT: 22
FG: 7-for-9
3FG: 3-for-3
FT: 4-for-5
REB: 4
AST: 1
MIN: 20Box: https://t.co/6O6iYgjFoO #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/b0xpb5dczp
— Michigan Men’s Basketball (@umichbball) April 13, 2025
McKenney is a 6-foot-4, 225-pound guard that possesses a natural scoring ability and the physical toughness to match. His blend of athleticism, shot creating and versatility make him a strong candidate to play significant minutes as a freshman.
Assuming McKenney adjusts to the elevated physicality and speed of the college game throughout preseason practices, it’s reasonable to expect him to be among the first guys off the bench and play 20 minutes or so per game as a first-year player.
The most likely scenario for McKenney seems to be similar to what we saw from Howard and Houstan in their first year. Howard and Houstan were highly-rated recruits with elite scoring upside, which could be a parallel for McKenney’s potential.
If McKenney can find a way to replicate the production of Howard and Houstan from their freshman seasons, he will make an instant impact and could be a legitimate candidate for Big Ten Freshman of the Year.