POSTED BY: Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Trey Calvin
Trey Calvin who lists Jaden Ivey and Bennedict Mathurin as his toughest foes in the NCAA was born on June 29th, 2001 in Chicago, Illinois. He began his basketball career at St.Viator and led his school to a perfect record in his junior season in the East Suburban Catholic Conference while averaging 16/5/3 for the season. He already showed a knack for hitting the three pointer as a kid winning the 4H IHSA three point shootout. He then commenced an illustrious 5 year career at Wright State (NCAA) in 2019 playing a total of 153 games. He went from his freshman year averaging 4,7ppg in 18 minutes to 9,7ppg in 31 minutes per game in his second season. In his third season he averaged 14.6ppg, 3.3rpg, 3.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 38.5%, FT: 85.1% and helped lead his team to win the Horizon Conference title in a thrilling 72-71 win over NKU where he supplied 21 points. After disposing of Bryant in the NCAA tournament, they lost a difficult 87-70 contest to Arizona where he contributed 16 points. ‘It was a tough loss. We were down 3 points with 10 minutes to play. I still feel like we had them and could of won the game. But they were #1 in the country. We put up a big fight and never hung our heads’, remembered Trey Calvin. He had his best statistical season in 2022-2023 averaging 20.2ppg, 2.9rpg, 3.7apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 53.0%, 3PT: 39.6%, FT: 88.2%. He improved his three point shooting again from 38% to 39%. He had 2 memorable games that season hitting Louisville with a buzzer beater to win 73-72 adding 17 points and then exploding against Youngstown with 44 points, but losing a heartbreaker in triple overtime 91-89. ‘The Louisville game is top 3 in best games in my career. It was my first buzzer beater. The loss against Youngstown was tougher than the loss to Arizona the year before. We were all gassed at the end. We had so many chances to win the game, but blew it missing easy lay ups. I had made game tying shots. I was totally gassed’, stressed Trey Calvin. When one rewatches his buzzer beater, his shot fake and calmness is always present. ‘The shot fake just popped up as the play continued The help came from the left, so I had to fake. I was lucky, because I got it off with 0,2 seconds on the clock’, stated Trey Calvin. He continued his consistency in his fifth season averaging 19.6ppg, 2.4rpg, 4.2apg, 1.5spg, FGP: 52.6%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 89.6%. In his last 2 seasons he scored in double figures in 58 of 63 games and scored 30 points or more 6 times. One person who was very instrumental in his basketball development there was head coach Scott Nagy who helped in so many ways not only on the court. ‘With him it was less about basketball, but more grooming me to become a man and helping me prepare me for life after the game’, stressed Trey Calvin who doesn’t remember having so many 1-1 battles in practice with 2 time first team Horizon teammate Tanner Holden, but would pick himself every time. After 5 years he left Wright State with the most games played there, scoring the second most points with 2,139 while he was first in minutes played and field goals attempted and second all-time in field goals made and three point shots made and attempted. He also was named twice to the Horizon league first team and is 8th all-time in Horizon league in scoring and reached the 2000 points plateau.
The sniper who lists Louden Love, Grant Basile, Tanner Holden, Alex Huibregste and Cole Gentry as his 5 best teammates of all-time will begin his professional career in Germany with easyCredit BBL team Frankfurt Skyliners. I reach him on a Wednesday evening in Germany as he is back home in Chicago and had just completed a work out in preparation for his rookie season. ‘I’m really excited about starting my pro career in Frankfurt. I’m also a little nervous, because I will be leaving my family behind, but my excitement definitely outweighs my nervousness’, commented Trey Calvin. Not only Dashaun Wood played in Germany, but also some other guys that strapped on the Wright State uniform like ex Skyliner Seth Doliboa or ex Oldenburg guard Vaughn Duggins or ex Leverkusen player Grant Benzinger. The American got the best advice from new Wright State coach Clint Sargent. ‘I heard only good things from him. He played in Germany and really liked his time there’, said Trey Calvin. Sargent played only 2 years as a professional, but did that in Heidelberg back when they were playing in the Pro A. Coming to Frankfurt really was a no brainer for him simply because he and the Skyliners have one thing in common. ‘Coach Wucherer told me that the Skyliners are a type of underdog team. That is exactly how I feel as well. I also have that underdog mentality. I think because of that I fit in perfectly. I’m very hungry and want to prove that I’m not an underdog and play at a high level’, warned trey Calvin. Not only does he fit in great with the club, but also has the right coach for his rookie season. ‘I heard that coach Wucherer is a good coach. He pushes you hard, but in a good way. I really need that’, stressed Trey Calvin.
So what kind of player will basketball fans in Germany see in the Chicago native who lists Jordan, Lebron, Iverson, Kobe and Steph Curry on his personal NBA Mount Rushmore and has Jordan as his GOAT? When one lays eyes on the 183cm point guard, one sees a Chris Paul type of player that has a great mid range game and just enjoys and knows how to play at his own speed. ‘I just love to shoot the midrange and get my teammates involved’, said Trey Calvin. Even if he is an incredible outside shooter, it is his mid range that is his bread and butter. It is simply the shot he goes to the most. He also has a bit of Chase Griffin in him, a player that played many years in the German Pro A and belonged to the illustrious 90/50/40 club a few times. ‘The 90/50/40 club is definitely a goal of mine. I was a few % points short the last 2 seasons. I’m always in the gym trying to get better. I know I can reach it’, warned trey Calvin. But his offense isn’t the only thing that will sparkle this season, but he is extremely motivated to be a force just as much on the defensive end. ‘I’m a very hungry defender. A lot of pro teams passed on me, because of my size. I proved in college that I could defend bigger players. I’m a pest on defense and want to become one of the best’, stressed Trey Calvin. He wants to make an impact right away as a rookie with his offensive game and is focusing most on 2 aspects this off season. ‘I want to continue to keep my mid range sharp as well as working on my 3. In college, I primarily took the catch and shoot. Now I’m working more on getting off the screen and creating my own shoot. I want to be able to have many different types of shots in my bag’, added trey Calvin. And an interesting aspect is that he wants to add to the great team mentality of the Skyliners and showcase something he didn’t exhibit as much in the NCAA. ‘I have really been empathizing my pass game this off season. In college I was known as a scorer, but now want to be that pass first point guard’, warned trey Calvin. It will be interesting how Trey Calvin‘s rookie season pans out as the Frankfurt Skyliners look to make waves again in the easyCredit BBL. His scoring will always be on display, but if he can also become a big time passer, then that should only strengthen the team. The kid has talent and like with Carleton last season, things can only go well with an ex Wright State player.
