Playing his basketball way up in northern California, 6-foot-3, 170 College of the Redwoods sophomore guard Trey Neff may have missed out on some recruiting radars but he's busy controlling what he can, that being his effort, effectiveness, production on the court and "doing what's best for the team."
The returning Golden Valley Conference Most Valuable and all state honoree currently averages 20.0 points per game on 42% shooting from three-point range early in the new season. He's at 47% overall shooting, 88% at the foul line while averaging 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists a contest. Neff is coming off a remarkable freshman season in which he averaged 20.6 points, shooting 47%, 45% and 85% overall, alongside 111 assists and 64 steals.
His play, and that of his twin brother and sophomore Redwoods teammate Ty, caught the eye of the Chadron State coaching staff. Full ride offers were extended, recently accepted and both Neffs will be heading to Nebraska next season. Chadron State is a member of the D2 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
Asked what he does best, Neff offered "shooting at a high rate from anywhere on the court but especially at three-point range." He also noted "my basketball IQ" which he attributed to "playing for a long time and really learning the game." Likely to play as a two guard at the next level, he believes he also has the possibility of being positioned periodically at the point if his next college coaches wishes to deploy him as such.
Neff explained "I didn't receive a lot of interest coming out of high school (in Medford, OR), mainly some D3 schools in Oregon. I felt College of the Redwoods and Coach Ryan Bisio were the best fit to help me improve my game." As for a next stop after this season, "I'll go anywhere."
Regarding leadership, Neff explained "I typically lead through
example but I'm a second-year guy and I need to get out of my
shell."
He sports a 3.9 grade point average (all As except for one) and
is looking to major in business but isn't sure what direction on
that spectrum to dive into after earning his four-year degree.
Topping Neff's accolades are these lavish words of praise from his coach Ryan Bisio: "Trey is a basketball savant. He is a professional junior college player, in terms of his polish and IQ. His instincts and calculations are always a step or two ahead. He was born to play basketball and coaching him has been one of the luckiest occurrences in my career. They simply are not made like Trey Neff very often – and he’s one of my favorite people and players on the planet."
Keeping It In The Family
Besides crediting his parents for "getting us into sports at a
young age," Neff also acknowledged his brother Ty as his biggest basketball influence. "We push each
other and he makes me compete." Both participated in all sports
but hoops won out. "I liked the fast pace and that one second
you're playing defense and the next you're shooting a three," Neff
said.
His best basketball moment occurred "in our playoff game against Cosumnes River College at home last season. The atmosphere is our home gym was electric and it was fun to be part of. We were down in the second half in round two of the playoffs but we won 77-66." Neff provided 14 points, six rebounds and six assists in the victory.
He is a fan of Lamelo Ball, a heralded point who became the third pick in the 2020 draft and now plays for Charlotte. "I take things from him."
Coming off 26-4 overall, 9-1 in the Golden Valley Conference records, Redwoods lost 58-49 in the NorCal Regional Final to College of the Sequoias. Neff and Company are looking to put together another strong season before he and his brother move on to four-year ball in the Midwest.
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