Michigan State University Athletics
Travis Trice: A Senior's Journey
2/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Hanna Sprague, MSU Athletic Communications
Coming home from a basketball tournament in the summer before his senior year of high school, 17-year-old Travis Trice found his way to the couch and laid there in exhaustion. As he closed his eyes for the night, he couldn't have dreamed what the next morning, let alone the next four years, would bring him.
"My dad came in and woke me up the next morning and said, `Hey, Michigan State's Coach Izzo wants to talk to you' and I'm thinking he's joking," said Trice. "You dream about going to a big school, but to actually get that call, that's when I knew it was real. I'm just appreciative of it."
Born and raised in Springfield, Ohio, it didn't take much convincing to get the 6'0, 170-pound point-guard on the court at the Breslin Center.
Trice, who grew up playing for his father, quickly learned that the game doesn't stop when you step off the court. The two would spend hours discussing the game anywhere from the car ride home to the dinner table.
"Having my dad helped me out a lot, especially as far as learning the game," said Trice. "I think it really helped form our relationship. Now, we're like best friends because of how much time we spent together. I really respect what he has to say."
The father-son bond has only grown stronger, yet the Trice duo can look back and laugh at one particular game during their time at Wayne High School.
"Against our rivals one year, the other student section was screaming out `Daddy's boy' any time I got the ball," said Trice. "I thought that was so funny. We used to laugh about it."
A deeply rooted family-first mindset has helped Trice stay grounded and humble as an athlete. The oldest of five siblings, Trice values being a role model to his two brothers and two sisters.
"I really enjoyed watching them play growing up," said Trice. "That was my favorite thing to do on Saturdays and Sundays. In the spring, I'll try to go to a couple of their tournaments, because I don't get to see them during the year."
MSU associate head coach Dwayne Stephens is quick to joke with Trice about his younger brother surpassing his talent on the court, but Trice plays along, proud that this could very well be the case.
"I feel that as a big brother, that's you doing your job," said Trice. "Your job is to make your younger siblings better than you. I just want to set an example that they can be proud of."
Although the oldest Trice sibling is averaging over 33 minutes per game in his senior season, it's the youngest of the five who keeps the family on their toes.
"Ace (Acelynne Marie Trice - age 6) runs the house," said Trice. "We're like best friends. If you have a bad game, or after a loss, it's so good to see her. It really helps."
A high school standout who never missed a game, Trice shied away from his family before his sophomore season at MSU when an infection in his brain had him questioning his game, his future, and even his life.
"At one point, I didn't even know if I was going to live," said Trice. "Before, I used to take things for granted. I had never been hurt. I had never missed a game. Being in East Lansing and knowing how close I am with my family, I didn't want them worrying about it constantly."
To this day, doctors struggle to make sense of the infection that brought life-threatening changes to the life of the Division I basketball player. The infection remains a mystery, but his faith remains strong.
"I've definitely been through a lot, but honestly, it's only brought me closer to God," said Trice. "Having to deal with that was kind of rough, but it's made me appreciate basketball and, really, life that much more."
Now, in the peak of his senior season, Trice looks at his phone to see text messages filled with support, guidance and critique from former Michigan State greats such as Mateen Cleaves and Draymond Green.
"You'll hear from those guys multiple times a week, whether they're calling you or texting you, letting you know what they think you're doing well or what they think you're doing wrong," said Trice. "That just shows that not only do they care about us, but they care about this program."
Surrounded by Spartans who have made their legacies long before his time, Trice is able to learn from the past in order to lead his team toward the future.
"To be honest with you, this team has made it really easy to lead because of how much we get along and how genuinely these guys enjoy being with each other," said the co-captain. "It's easy when everyone has the same goals. Knowing it's my and BJ's senior year adds that much motivation for everyone else."
Looking back on nearly four years, Trice describes Coach Izzo as a coach unlike any other. With their bond growing as time has passed, Trice knows that his coach always has his best interests at heart.
"One of the things that people don't understand about Izzo is that a lot of other coaches out there, college coaches, really don't talk to their players that much outside of the game," said Trice. "Coach Izzo is the guy. Last night, he was texting me at midnight, talking about practice, talking about games that were on TV."
It's been an incredible journey for Trice during his four seasons in the Green and White. From playing his first collegiate game on an aircraft carrier to playing in Germany, being on a team ranked No. 1 in the country and to capturing Big Ten Championships, he's had his share of memory-making experiences.
And just as you would hope for a senior, he's playing the best basketball of his career. He's among the conference leaders in assists and ranks among the very best in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio. He's averaging a career high in scoring and has four games this season with 25 points or more. If he continues to play well, and the Spartans play well in the postseason, he could reach 1,000 career points.
Not bad for a young man who didn't initially believe that Coach Izzo was taking the time to call him.
