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was calling to inform him that Trey had just received two D-I offers. "Right then I knew Trey was going to have a chance to have some options," says his father.
But when Penn State, his first Big Ten suitor, came calling in his sophomore year, Burke had not yet solidified his unwavering per- sonality. He concedes that he allowed himself to be swept off his feet by the blood-pumping thrill of recruitment – the knowledge that his basketball skills were a sought-after asset.
"When I had first gotten my offer I was really excited," says Burke. "Coaches showed me love and I went down to some football games. I kinda got the feel of Penn State. But I chose a college too quick. I was only a sophomore. So I backed out. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life to make."
After decommitting from the Nittany Lions, it looked like the Cin- cinnati Bearcats would reel in the standout Ohio point guard. But then a new player came to the table.
"Coach [John] Beilein came to me," recalls Trey. "He was like, 'We're serious. And if you're not serious then just let us know right now and we won't waste our time on you.' So I gave him a shot. I gave Michigan a shot. And I loved it."
And there's no doubt that Michigan will love him and his win- ning pedigree. In four years of high school basketball, Burke only ended up on the wrong side of the final scoreboard five times. He also captured the AAU national title in 2009. This, according to the sharp-shooting point guard, is what separates him from the pack.
"The best part of my game is winning," says Burke. "I love to win,
I can't stand to lose. That competitiveness in me is something I've had since I was a kid."
That's why Burke doesn't shy away when the game is on the line.
"I'm gonna demand the ball (at the end of the game)," he continues. "I'm gonna try and create as much space as possible, and if some- body comes up, I'm kicking it to the open man. At the end of the game I love having the ball in my hands. The last-second shot, I'm not scared to take it. I feel like it's already going in."
As for next year, Burke's looking forward to finally facing off against his best friend after years of sharing the same uniform.
"Once we play (Ohio State), we're not gonna be friends on the court," says Burke. "The few times me and Jared played each other, we was trying to win and going at each other's throats. I'll prob- ably guard him for a couple seconds and give him a cheap shot or something. A low blow or something so the ref won't see it."
Sullinger is not surprised.
"That's Trey. I mean, when we would play in summer league games he would do that, so that's just friendly love."
Although the Michigan-Ohio State game is circled on Burke's cal- endar, his plans exceed the collegiate level.
"Of course I wouldn't be playing the game if I wasn't trying to be a pro, a professional at it." Maybe one day we might just see him live that dream.
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