University of Minnesota Athletics
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/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Q&A With Tre' Williams
1/19/2021 6:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Tre' Williams talks about his improvement from his freshman to sophomore year, his Minnesota family connections and the energy he brings on and off the court. This feature originally was produced for the Ohio State game program on Jan. 3, 2021.
Gophersports: Going from your freshman year now to your sophomore year, what have you learned last year on the court.
Tre' Williams: I think the main thing I've learned is that at the end of the day it comes down to the team and that success. You want to be on the big stage, you want all of the lights to be on you and for your team to be in the best position to succeed, and you can't do that if you don't win. I just learned about taking a step back and doing everything you can for the team. It's all about being selfless and if the guys win, you win. Whatever coach needs you to do, just not complaining, having an open mind, knowing there's a different scheme to every game, and with the depth we have this year anyone can step up on any given night, so it's just about being ready, putting in the work, and staying confident.
GS: How much do you try to embrace your role and bring energy off of the bench?
TW: I'm starting to embrace it more and more each game. I have no problem with that role if that's going to help the team win, and I know that the energy and the spark that I bring off the bench helps us a lot of times go on a run or stretch the lead that we already have or help us come back from a couple point deficit we may have, so I'm completely fine with the role. It's been working out for us, and also I'm probably one of the biggest communicators on our team. I stay in a lot of guys' ears keeping them confident and motivated throughout the game, so I'm perfectly fine with my role. It's helping us win games, and at the end of the day that's all that matters.
GS: Talk about your family connections to Minnesota and whether that had an influence on your decision to come play here.
TW: It for sure had an influence. My mom was from Saint Paul and grew up here, came through elementary, middle, and high school right in Saint Paul.
She had an influence of just staying in my ear and letting me know about the area, plus I had been here a handful of times growing up. I have grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins that live here, Jalen [Suggs] lives out here, he goes to Gonzaga at the moment, but we were pretty close growing up. I have a few connections out here that just made it easier, the transition was easy, plus the coaching staff here welcomed me with open arms and was honest. It's just a family vibe here at the University of Minnesota so everything was working out perfectly, and it just happened to be in a place that my mom grew up that put the cherry on top.
GS: How special was it to have all of your friends and family able to come out and watch you play last year?
TW: Last year was a fun experience for sure. When it's just fans it's already great, but when it's family members coming to support you on a daily basis, it just adds a little extra comfort. This year it definitely feels like a weird experience playing in empty gyms, but it's helped the team come closer together and I feel like this is the closest I've ever been with a lot of the guys on this team, just because all of the energy comes from us and it's just us out there by ourselves on the hardwood every night and at practice every day with nobody coming to visit us. It's just the guys. I feel like it's helped us build closer bonds and closer relationships, but at the same time we'd love to be playing in arenas with 20-30,000 fans. I feel like we're getting through it and it's been a one of a kind experience for sure.
GS: What's the first thing you'll want to do when we eventually get back to normal and are through this pandemic?
TW: We can't even go out to eat here in Minnesota downtown, so I'd say the first thing I'd do is take my girl downtown and just be able to relax and be out in public without having to worry about all of the precautions and all of the things that have been set in stone. Just to be able to enjoy life and get back to how it was before the pandemic hit.
GS: Who is your favorite pro athlete?
TW: I have to go with LeBron James. He was kind of my idol growing up, and he still is my idol. I don't care what anyone says, he's for sure the best player in the league by far.
GS: Does that mean the Lakers are your favorite pro team?
TW: I'm more of a player guy. You know LeBron, but I also like Devin Booker a lot, CJ McCollum I like a lot, just guys that maybe everybody doesn't give a lot of credit to, but are still superstars.
GS: Through all of your years of playing basketball, who is the most famous player that you've ever shared court time with?
TW: A lot of EYBL guys are in the league right now, like I've played with Anthony Edwards, I went to a camp with him and he was on my team, I've been teammates with a lot of guys that are in the league right now like Tyrese Maxey, but I can't give you one off the top of my head that's the most famous. It's a lot of guys that are just now getting into the league. I'll probably just say Anthony Edwards though, he was on my camp team and I got to share
the court with him, talk to him a little bit a few years back, and now he's the No. 1 pick so I'll probably give it to him.
GS: If you weren't a basketball player, did you have another sport that you would've picked?
TW: I played football all the way through my freshman year, sophomore year is kind of where I stopped playing and basketball started getting more serious with recruiting. I'd say football for sure, and I still think I could stick with a lot of guys on the football side.
GS: What is the favorite place that you've played so far in your career?
TW: Italy by far. The trip to Italy was a crazy experience last year, we got to play in three different spots and it was a one of a kind experience playing three games in a span of two weeks while also getting to tour and experience everything off the court like foods and sightseeing. Just the experience as a whole was big time.
GS: Who is your inspiration? When you hit the court, who do you play for?
TW: To be honest I can't pinpoint it on just one person. My parents for sure. Just with how much they pour into me and I talk to them every single day. There's not a day that goes past where I don't talk to my mom and dad. It's all love coming from that side. All love and support, no matter how low I am. In any situation they're going to pick me up, stay in my ear, and let me know that them and God are going to get me through any situation. So I'd say just my family members and the people that are closest to me are my main inspiration.
Gophersports: Going from your freshman year now to your sophomore year, what have you learned last year on the court.
Tre' Williams: I think the main thing I've learned is that at the end of the day it comes down to the team and that success. You want to be on the big stage, you want all of the lights to be on you and for your team to be in the best position to succeed, and you can't do that if you don't win. I just learned about taking a step back and doing everything you can for the team. It's all about being selfless and if the guys win, you win. Whatever coach needs you to do, just not complaining, having an open mind, knowing there's a different scheme to every game, and with the depth we have this year anyone can step up on any given night, so it's just about being ready, putting in the work, and staying confident.
GS: How much do you try to embrace your role and bring energy off of the bench?
TW: I'm starting to embrace it more and more each game. I have no problem with that role if that's going to help the team win, and I know that the energy and the spark that I bring off the bench helps us a lot of times go on a run or stretch the lead that we already have or help us come back from a couple point deficit we may have, so I'm completely fine with the role. It's been working out for us, and also I'm probably one of the biggest communicators on our team. I stay in a lot of guys' ears keeping them confident and motivated throughout the game, so I'm perfectly fine with my role. It's helping us win games, and at the end of the day that's all that matters.
GS: Talk about your family connections to Minnesota and whether that had an influence on your decision to come play here.
TW: It for sure had an influence. My mom was from Saint Paul and grew up here, came through elementary, middle, and high school right in Saint Paul.
She had an influence of just staying in my ear and letting me know about the area, plus I had been here a handful of times growing up. I have grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins that live here, Jalen [Suggs] lives out here, he goes to Gonzaga at the moment, but we were pretty close growing up. I have a few connections out here that just made it easier, the transition was easy, plus the coaching staff here welcomed me with open arms and was honest. It's just a family vibe here at the University of Minnesota so everything was working out perfectly, and it just happened to be in a place that my mom grew up that put the cherry on top.
GS: How special was it to have all of your friends and family able to come out and watch you play last year?
TW: Last year was a fun experience for sure. When it's just fans it's already great, but when it's family members coming to support you on a daily basis, it just adds a little extra comfort. This year it definitely feels like a weird experience playing in empty gyms, but it's helped the team come closer together and I feel like this is the closest I've ever been with a lot of the guys on this team, just because all of the energy comes from us and it's just us out there by ourselves on the hardwood every night and at practice every day with nobody coming to visit us. It's just the guys. I feel like it's helped us build closer bonds and closer relationships, but at the same time we'd love to be playing in arenas with 20-30,000 fans. I feel like we're getting through it and it's been a one of a kind experience for sure.
GS: What's the first thing you'll want to do when we eventually get back to normal and are through this pandemic?
TW: We can't even go out to eat here in Minnesota downtown, so I'd say the first thing I'd do is take my girl downtown and just be able to relax and be out in public without having to worry about all of the precautions and all of the things that have been set in stone. Just to be able to enjoy life and get back to how it was before the pandemic hit.
GS: Who is your favorite pro athlete?
TW: I have to go with LeBron James. He was kind of my idol growing up, and he still is my idol. I don't care what anyone says, he's for sure the best player in the league by far.
GS: Does that mean the Lakers are your favorite pro team?
TW: I'm more of a player guy. You know LeBron, but I also like Devin Booker a lot, CJ McCollum I like a lot, just guys that maybe everybody doesn't give a lot of credit to, but are still superstars.
GS: Through all of your years of playing basketball, who is the most famous player that you've ever shared court time with?
TW: A lot of EYBL guys are in the league right now, like I've played with Anthony Edwards, I went to a camp with him and he was on my team, I've been teammates with a lot of guys that are in the league right now like Tyrese Maxey, but I can't give you one off the top of my head that's the most famous. It's a lot of guys that are just now getting into the league. I'll probably just say Anthony Edwards though, he was on my camp team and I got to share
the court with him, talk to him a little bit a few years back, and now he's the No. 1 pick so I'll probably give it to him.
GS: If you weren't a basketball player, did you have another sport that you would've picked?
TW: I played football all the way through my freshman year, sophomore year is kind of where I stopped playing and basketball started getting more serious with recruiting. I'd say football for sure, and I still think I could stick with a lot of guys on the football side.
GS: What is the favorite place that you've played so far in your career?
TW: Italy by far. The trip to Italy was a crazy experience last year, we got to play in three different spots and it was a one of a kind experience playing three games in a span of two weeks while also getting to tour and experience everything off the court like foods and sightseeing. Just the experience as a whole was big time.
GS: Who is your inspiration? When you hit the court, who do you play for?
TW: To be honest I can't pinpoint it on just one person. My parents for sure. Just with how much they pour into me and I talk to them every single day. There's not a day that goes past where I don't talk to my mom and dad. It's all love coming from that side. All love and support, no matter how low I am. In any situation they're going to pick me up, stay in my ear, and let me know that them and God are going to get me through any situation. So I'd say just my family members and the people that are closest to me are my main inspiration.
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