Michigan’s going to need Trey McKenney in March, like it did against Ohio State

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CHICAGO — Entering the scene as a McDonald’s All-American and Michigan’s Mr. Basketball, there were high expectations for freshman guard Trey McKenney’s first season with the Michigan men’s basketball team. Given consistent minutes from the start, McKenney has shown flashes of his potential to be a truly well-balanced and elite guard throughout the season — one that many often deem necessary for any team to make a run in March.

In the Wolverines’ first postseason game this year, with a target placed on their back and facing a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal matchup against their rival No. 8 seed Ohio State, Michigan needed someone to step up amid mistakes and lower-than-usual production on both ends of the floor.

McKenney took on that role — on offense in the first half and defense down the stretch — with poise and confidence during Friday’s quarterfinal matchup.

“He puts in a lot of work every day, I know he’s ready for these moments,” graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg said. “He won a state title in high school, so he’s obviously familiar with these big stages. We’ve always leaned on him when we’ve needed something, and today he definitely delivered, offensively and defensively.”

Pulling on his prior experiences and displaying the growth he’s made all season, McKenney proved how important he’s going to be for the Wolverines’ success in the postseason.

With LJ Cason going down with a season-ending ACL injury against then-No. 10 Illinois in the third-to-last game of the regular season, many wondered how Michigan would adjust the rotation — especially in the backcourt.

McKenney has seen added minutes and more opportunities with the ball on both ends of the floor, dictating the offense and guarding Ohio State’s primary ball handler.

“Just being on the ball more and having more opportunities to show coaches what I can do on the ball,” McKenney said of what the Cason injury has done to his role. “I think it’s been good for me to showcase my game. … We’ve been doing a really good job with communicating, whether it’s on ball, off ball and just our details and our switching. I think we’ve done a really good job, and I think that’s ultimately got me better at playing defense.”

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