My Life with Trey

"Where’s Trey going?" It’s the question that I got asked the most over the last 3 years. Not because I graduated from CMU where his dad is the head coach, and not even because I am a basketball analyst for Chippewa Country, CMU rivals site, it’s because I am on staff at Mt. Pleasant High School on the boys varsity basketball team and for the last four years I have had the honor and privilege to coach Trey Zeigler, a 4 star basketball recruit who is a top 30 player in the nation. . Four years ago when I met Trey he was a 6’3 skinny semi shy freshmen in high school, today he is a 6’5 stronger, much more confident and better overall player who is a freshmen in college, and though he has a lot of god given talents, make no mistake about it he is where he is today because he works very hard. I have watched him grow up, content the first few years of high school just playing. He was the best basketball player on our team from the first day he stepped in to the gym but he didn’t always act like it. His freshmen year we had a lot of seniors on the team and he let them do their thing. Even as a sophomore he didn’t totally lead the team. By his junior year however he fully took over. He was going to be the leader both on and off the court; he was going to make sure we had successful seasons. Even though I know he wishes we could have been more successful we still won 4 district titles and got to 4 regional finals during his 4 years here. In two of those years we lost to the eventual state champion in the regional final. His senior year was the best, a 21-4 record and a conference championship and he finished runner-up for Mr. Basketball, the state’s top individual award.

Over the last few years most of the cool people I have meet and the great things I was able to see was because of Trey. I got to sit court side in Ann Arbor at a Michigan-Michigan State game because of Trey, and go in to the locker room afterwards and talk with the coaches and players. I got to sit 3 rows behind MSU’s bench this past year for the Michigan game in East Lansing because of Trey. I have got a chance to meet coaches from Michigan, Michigan State, Duke, UCLA, Notre Dame, Providence, Louisville, LSU, Miami Fl, Oklahoma, ASU, and Arizona to name a few, because of Trey. I got a book autographed by Mike Krzyzewski and had a chance to talk to him because of Trey. For all these great things and many more that I got because of him, I don’t really think I ever gave him anything.

The only down side was being asked all the time about where he was going. Friends from high school who graduated from Michigan or MSU would find me on facebook and ask me, people would call, email, and ask me on message boards assuming I knew. I always told them the same thing; I would give them the school list and tell them I have no idea where he was going to go. Sometimes maybe I would give a guess, Michigan, or maybe UCLA, but I never knew. He never told me. In a way, I am happy he didn’t because then I didn’t have to lie when people asked me where he was going, but the truth is, he didn’t know either. Most people might find this hard to believe but it’s true. Recently I asked him if he kept it from me so I didn’t have to lie or because he didn’t want it getting out “No I really didn’t know until the Sunday before my press conference” Trey said.

When he did pick CMU of course I was very happy, to be honest I was surprised, but very happy. I always knew that the Zeigler’s are a very close family, and a wonderful family at that, and staying close was important for them. But I also think Butler’s run to the title game helped to. Players all over could see it can happen anywhere. Looking back at it now I wondered how was it for him, so I asked him what the best and worst part of the recruiting process is. The worst part I think shouldn’t surprise anyone. “The questions for sure.” As for the best part Trey said this “Talking to all the coaches, and all the fans showing you love and support.” I can attest to the love they show. When we were down at MSU, it was amazing how many people would stop him as he was walking and say “hey it’s got to be state right” or “you would look good in green” everyone knew who he was. I was popular by association just for walking in with him.

I then starting to worry that I was too annoying during the process myself. My love for CMU comes behind only my love for God, my Daughter and my wife, and I make that very well known, but I never want to pressure anyone to go somewhere they don't want to go, and I hope that it didn’t happen with Trey. So I asked him to make sure. “I think the people who were close to the situation did a great job not pressure me.”
Just what I wanted to, because all I tried to do was let Trey know that I care about him, and to be honest, I love him, and would support what ever he chooses to do. I really feel that is why he has become such a great young man, it’s because all the people around him support him and would have gotten behind any choice he made. I’m just really glad he chose to become part of my CMU Basketball Family. Because we have had a coach and player relationship and even a friendship, but now, we are something much more, we are family. It’s a great time to be a Chippewa!