Trey Burke led the Michigan Wolverines back to NCAA basketball prominence this year. The 20-year-old point guard played a major role in the Wolverines’ March Madness run that ended in defeat in the National Championship game.
Before this season, the Wolverines had faced a long drought from basketball relevance. It had been 20 years since Michigan’s last appearance in the NCAA title game when they were the led there by former Sacramento Kings great Chris Webber.
Burke has never met Webber. But if the two Michigan standouts did meet, the 20-year-old point guard believes they would get along just fine.
“I’ve never talked to him personally,” Burke said when asked if he has any connections to the former Kings forward due to their roots in Ann Arbor. “I know if I was to see him, we would have a great relationship, great conversation.”
Burke and Webber’s paths had an opportunity to cross in April. When Burke’s Wolverines took on the Louisville Cardinal in the title game, Webber attended the championship final.
“I’m here at the Georgia Dome to show my support for the Michigan men’s basketball team in its quest for a National Championship,” Webber said in a statement posted on Twitter two months ago. “I’ve known some of the players on the team since they were kids and I am excited for them and all of the student athletes on the court tonight who are wearing the Michigan uniform. It has been a great season and I wish them all the best.”
Webber and his alma mater have distanced themselves from each other in the last decade due to NCAA sanctions. A federal investigation found that the former Kings great took more than $600,000 from deceased booster Ed Martin during his student-athlete career. The 10-year ban was lifted last month.
Burke is hopeful that at some point, he can touch base with Webber. If he becomes a member of the Kings, he knows that Webber’s status and knowledge of playing in Sacramento would be a valuable asset in his transition to the NBA.
“It was great to see him at the national championship game,” Burke said of Webber. “And I’m sure I’ll see him soon and be able to get some insight on the league and next level.”
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