coach says. “Offensively, Tre can get
you 40 if you need ’em, but if you put the
right pieces around him, he can also have
20 and 10, or 30 and 15 just as easily.
The way he passes the ball, the way he
handles the ball, I think it’s going to really
bode well at the next level.”
He showed plenty of all that during his
prep career at The Villages, where Mc-
Dowell says he shot 40 percent or better
from three-point range all four years, and
better than 50 percent from the floor.
This spring, he led the Buffalo to a 23-8
record and the state semifinals, where
they finally bowed out to the defending
state champs from University School.
Mann led the way, averaging 24 ppg on
the season.
His high school coach has had the
chance to watch Mann’s evolution up
close, and McDowell is as impressed as
anyone. “He was always very talented,
but it’s been very cool to watch who
he’s become, because he’s done it by
grinding, putting in the work in the gym,”
McDowell says. “God blessed him with
some incredible athleticism, and some
features—being 6-4, being long, being
able to really jump—but Tre worked for a
lot of stuff. When he was in ninth grade,
he was a good player, but not to the level
he is now, and every bit of what he’s got,
he’s earned. It’s very well deserved.”
Among the things Mann has earned: a
scholarship to Florida, where the Gaines-
ville native (who played his high school
ball about an hour south of his soon-to-be
college home) was hailed as a “Home-
town Hero” when he signed. Growing up,
he says, “I was always a Florida fan. But
once other people started offering me, I
couldn’t be a Florida fan—I had to look at
everywhere.” He says that changed once
he signed on with UF coach Mike White
and the Gators. “Once I committed, they
gave me the ‘Hometown Hero’ name,”
Mann says. “The coaches were telling me
that the whole time, that I could be the
hometown hero.”
It’s a fitting destination for a dude
who can tell you about seeing an actual
alligator not far from where he lives. As
one of the key pieces of what’s shaping
up to be a top-10 recruiting class at UF,
Mann says he’s focused on producing
a memorable—and crowd-pleasing—
freshman season. “What can people
expect next year?” he asks. “Just a lot
of excitement. I’m gonna try to have a
lot of highlight plays, and hopefully get
a lot of wins.” He’ll get some help from
fellow McDonald’s All-American, Scottie
Lewis, a top-15 wing, and top-50 big man
Omar Payne, both of whom will join him
in Gainesville next year.
He’ll get his chance soon enough to
boost a program that won 20 games and
made the second round of the NCAA
Tournament this spring. For now, he’s got
the summer to prep for the challenges ofSEC play. His high school coach still sees
room for Mann to improve, but he makes
clear there are no gaping holes in his
point guard’s game. “Tre doesn’t lead as
much vocally as I would like at times, but
he does it when things get hard,” McDow-
ell says. “Most people get quiet in those
situations, when things aren’t going well,
but he’ll step up and talk. And he always
leads by example.”
Mann describes his focused on-court
demeanor succinctly: “I just hate losing.”
Off the court, though, he says, “I’m
pretty funny, I joke around a lot, I like to
dance. I just like being with my family, my
teammates, my friends. I’m just a people
person.”
For his part, McDowell is just excited
to watch the best player he’s ever
coached shine on a bigger stage.
“He loves the game, and he loves
competing. And I think when you see him,
that’s just how he plays—all out, doesn’t
really know any other way, like he’s got
something to prove. He’s gonna compete,
fight, scrap, claw, keep going at you.
That’s just how he plays,” McDowell says.
“I’ve said for a long time, Tre just chose
to play basketball. If he played football,
if he played baseball, if he was in the
band, whatever he decides to do, he’d be
really good at it. If he stays humble and
stays hungry and lets the results take
care of themselves, he’ll be where he
wants to be.” SSLAMONLINE.COM 59