Matt Trannon

11/14/01: "Michigan State got a two-for-one deal last week when Flint Northern High (Mich.) two-sport star Matt Trannon verbally committed to the Spartans. Trannon will officially sign a football letter of intent, but the 6-foot-7, 215-pound senior plans on playing both football and basketball at Michigan State. Were he to sign a basketball letter, he would be ineligible to play football his freshman season. Trannon was highly recruited in both sports. On the gridiron, he is one of the best wide receivers and defensive backs in the state, with 4.5 speed in the 40-yard dash. At receiver, which is where he will likely play for the Spartans, he tallied almost 600 yards this season. But Trannon’s basketball skills may be an even greater asset to the Michigan State athletic program. The athletic combo forward averaged 18.7 points and 10.2 rebounds per game as a junior and is rated the nation’s No. 46 overall hoop prospect in the Class of 2002 by SchoolSports.com. He chose Michigan State over Michigan, although Florida, Georgia and USC were also in the picture. “Really, it felt like I left Flint and was going to another Flint,” Trannon told the Detroit Free Press of his visit to Michigan State. “They showed me the same kind of love my parents showed me. I felt at home.” Trannon will continue a recent trend of Flint basketball stars playing at Michigan State. Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson, Charlie Bell and current MSU freshman guard Kelvin Torbert all hailed from Flint, Mich. - School Sports

11/04/01: "The Flint connection continues at Michigan State. On Friday, two-sport star Matt Trannon who attends Flint's Northern H.S. verbally committed to the Spartans. Trannon, who will sign a letter of intent to play football, but also plans to play basketball, is the fourth recruit for Tom Izzo's program. All Star Report has confirmed that Matt Trannon, a 6-7, 205 lbs. W/PF from Flint, MI, will attend Michigan State. The official announcement came yesterday at a press conference held at Northern High School. Trannon's other finalist was Michigan." - All Star Report

10/22/01: "The Wolverine spoke on Monday with Michigan football and basketball recruiting target Matt Trannon of Flint (Mich.) Northern. A wide receiver on the gridiron and a 6-7 forward on the court, Trannon is regarded as a top prospect in both sports. He said that only four schools remain under consideration: Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, and Florida. Most analysis of Trannon's recruitment has focused on the two in-state schools, but he said that all four are running pretty even, and denied any preference between staying in-state or going away to school." - The Wolverine

8/30/01: "I'm looking at Michigan, Michigan State, Florida, Miami, and Missouri for football," wide receiver Matt Trannon said. "It's a little different for basketball. For basketball I'm looking at Michigan, Michigan State, Missouri, and Florida. I want to play both sports in college. None of the schools have just come out and said I have a scholarship. They really haven't talked that much about it. I don't have a favorite." - Bill Kurelic

8/8: "we expect 6'7 Matt Trannon from Flint (Northern) MI to sign this winter with the University of Michigan this winter to play football." - HoopScoop

7/19: Trannon mentioned 10+ schools to Rivals Hoops, but did not include Cincinnati. (4 to 1)

7/13: "Trannon is the best athlete in the class. Period. But that’s not enough, as the football/hoop star needs to work on his ballhandling and shooting." - School Sports

7/12: "Flint (MI) Northern star Matt Trannon said that he's still planning to play both football and basketball in college; per NCAA rules, he'll have to sign a football grant in February. In addition to his skills on the hardwood, the 6-7 WF doubles as a super-sized wide receiver on the gridiron. He said that he's wide open and especially interested in the Big Ten, ACC and SEC." - PrepStars

7/11: "Matt Trannon wins the best athlete of the camp award. Look for the Flint Northern High (Mich.) senior small forward to make his mark on the gridiron, though. He’s got a couple inches on Randy Moss and will be one of the top wide receivers in the nation this year." - School Sports.com

7/11: "Trannon, who looks like Memphis Grizzlies guard Michael Dickerson and is CNNSI.com analyst Brick Oettinger's No. 23 rising senior, is a wiry 6-7 with explosive athleticism. On the court, his perimeter skills are still developing, but in a worst-case scenario Trannon could end up much like UCLA senior Matt Barnes (who, coincidentally, was also a high school football star). If he continues to hone his shooting and ballhandling, Trannon could be an NBA-level player. On the field, Trannon exploits his height, reach and leaping ability to dominate secondaries. He will go to school on a football scholarship, which means some lucky basketball team will get a nice bonus. Though Trannon realizes he may need a redshirt year in one of his sports to get acclimated to his class load, he definitely wants to go for the double. "They're both a lot of fun," Trannon said. "You just play your heart out and try to win the game." Flint, of course, has become a pipeline in recent years to the Michigan State basketball team. However, Northern teammate Jaquan Hart broke tradition by signing with Michigan, where he will be a freshman this fall. A report a few days ago suggested that Trannon would follow suit, but he insists he is completely wide open. He says he will narrow down his choices within a few weeks and plans to make a decision by the end of August. "I know all those guys," Trannon said of the Flintstones. "They all try to influence me to go to Michigan State. But they're not forcing me. They tell me to make the best decision for me, because it's the biggest decision of my life." - CNN SI

7/10: "Best Athlete Here: Matt Trannon. The two-sport star from Michigan is just an athlete's athlete. He tried two alley-oops Monday afternoon that drew oohs and aahs. He missed them, of course, but major kudos for mere effort of that sort." - Blue Chip Hoops

7/2: "(Michigan Editor Steve) Bell thinks the University of Michigan could get one of the top power forward prospects in the nation and they may not even have to tie up a scholarship to do it. He's talking about 6'7 Matt Trannon from Flint (Northern) MI, who is ranked as the #5 power forward prospect nationally in our Pre-Summer Ranking of the Class of 2002 by Position. The catch is that Trannon will sign to play football, but, like so many of the great athletes in this day and age, he also wants to play basketball. And this might work well, especially during his freshman year, because he'll likely sit out as a redshirt in football." - HoopScoop

6/26: "Matt Trannon, a 6-7 forward from Flint Northern High in Michigan, also a national top 50 recruit, may also make an unofficial visit (to UConn) before the start of the evaluation period." - Hartford Courant


6/19: "Trannon is all about hustle and athleticism. He’s is a tremendous athlete who has few peers in that category. Trannon really excels in transition as he runs the floor swiftly and finishes with big-time jams. The 6-6 Trannon was also among the leaders in rebounding, which is a tribute to his energy on the court. Where he needs to improve is with his shooting from the perimeter. However, someone is going to steal him because he’ll sign a football grant." - BlueChip Hoops

6/18: Trannon started all 5 of his teams games in Colorado and shot 46% from the floor and made 2-14 from the 3pt line. He avg'd 14.6 ppg and 9.6 rpg. He had 7 asssts, 7 blocks, 6 steals and 14 turnovers.

6/15: "Matt Trannon, a two-sport standout and combo forward, recorded a double-double as the North ripped right through the South’s troops and scored an 103-84 win. Trannon grabbed a team-high 11 boards and simply had more energy than anyone else on the court. He was a scintillating 12-18 from the field; mostly athletic layups and buckets in transition." - BlueChip Hoops

6/15: Trannon scored a team high 25 pts, had 11 reb's, 4 assists and 2 blocks in first day action at the USA Basketball event in Colorado. He played for 25 mins ( ! ) He played o the same team as Sean Dockery and LeBron James. - Mike Ryan

6/12: "In the past few years, Flint, Mich., has received much acclaim for its basketball prowess. Guys like Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and Kelvin Torbert, to name a few, call it home. Flint Northern is Matt Trannon’s high school and he’s about to add his name to that prestigious list of athletes. Trannon is a big-time football recruit and he’s not too shabby a basketball player either. Last year, he scored 13 touchdowns and finished with 900 yards receiving in just seven games. A sickness limited his action and held him out of a few contests. He also played safety. A 6-6 safety? Sure, but he’s only going to play receiver in college. Once basketball season rolled around, Trannon was healthy again. He averaged 19 points and 12 rebounds playing a combo forward position. He’ll probably have his pick of colleges when it comes time to sign the football letter, but he’s not close to making a decision. “I really couldn’t tell you [what my list is] because I am trying to play both sports,” Trannon said. He added that Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Missouri are presently recruiting him for both sports. “My parents and my coaches are telling me to wait, make a good decision and take the visits.” Trannon is going to try and balance his summer basketball activities with football and you know that makes for an extremely busy summer. “As soon as I get back from Colorado Springs, I’m going to football camp at either Michigan or Michigan State.” - Blue Chip Hoops

6/6: Consensus #23 player in the USA in his class. - UNCBasketball.com

6/4: listed as the 27th best player in the class of 2002. - Clint Jackson, High Major Hoops

6/1: "USA Basketball's 2001 Men's Youth Development Festival North team’s head coach Steve Lansing from Union Mills (IN) South Central and assistant Durand Walker of The Family AAU from Detroit, Michigan will recognize several familiar faces. The 4th annual Youth Development Festival will be held June 14-18 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. 6-2 point guard Anthony Roberson from Saginaw (MI) High and 6-7 small forward Matt Trannon of Flint (MI) Northern will play on the North squad. - Chris Monter

5/30: "Football is his best sport, but 6'7 Jr Matt Trannon from Flint (Northern) MI says Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Connecticut, and Missouri are all recruiting him for basketball." - HoopScoop

5/30: "Few prospects in the Class of 2002 are more athletic than this 6-7 WF/BF from Flint (MI) Northern. But the football wide receiver is more a superior athlete than he is a superior basketball talent. His rebounds are "athlete" rebounds. Then again, what the heck is wrong with that? Rebounds, after all, are rebounds. Wiry strong. Works hard in the post and hustles for boards and loose balls. Elevates for nasty jams in transition and off the offensive glass." - PrepStars

5/29: "The Hurricanes' Matt Trannon hasn't even begun to put together a defined school list, he said, but he'll probably sign a football letter of intent and try to play both sports in college." - PrepStars.com

5/28: "There aren’t five better athletes in the class than Trannon. His work on the boards and use of his “live body” was huge in Michigan’s run to the title. He’s a super athlete with a short jumper who excels on the glass and skies for showtime dunks. This was vintage Trannon doing what he does best." - BlueChip Hoops

5/28: "We loved this guy last year and he's gotten even better. He looks more comfortable handling the ball and making things happen off the dribble than he did last year. And as always, Trannon brings the intensity of a monster on the court. He rebounds (exceptional offensive rebounder) and plays defense like the old school boys. A transition terror." - ACC Today

5/26: "what makes the Michigan Hurricanes such a good team are 6'7 Jr Matt Trannon from Flint (Northern) MI, who is a terror inside..." - HoopScoop

5/22: "Matt Trannon, a 6-7 WF/BF from Flint (MI) Northern, has seen his stock slip a bit of late." - PrepStars

5/18: "Matt Trannon is a 6-7 WF from Flint, Michigan. He's an excellent athlete, who I believe also plays football. He's currently interested in Michigan, Michigan State, CINCINNATI, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ohio State, UCONN, and Syracuse, among others. He'll play with the Michigan Hurricanes program during the spring and summer. I think he's a Top 75 prospect nationally." - J Tiers, AllStar Report

5/18: "Matt Trannon is also a wide receiver/safety on the football team and is being recruited by a host of major colleges for his pass-catching abilities. But Trannon wants to play both sports at the next level, which rules out UConn and Kansas. Oklahoma, Tennessee and Vanderbilt have expressed interest solely in his football skills. However, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Missouri and Cincinnati have all told him they would allow him to play both sports." - School Sports

5/17: "Trannon said that although he does not currently have a definite list of schools, Michigan, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Ohio State, North Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma, UCLA, Wisconsin, Syracuse, and Connecticut have been giving him the most attention. U-M and MSU are the only two of those schools that he has visited. Like many schools, U-M is recruiting Trannon for both basketball and football. He acknowledged that it is his desire to play both in college. Trannon said that no school leads; he hopes to make a decision in the fall. Trannon is ranked No. 17 nationally by School Sports, No. 24 by Prep Stars Recruiter's Handbook, No. 24 by Hoop Scoop, No. 25 by Prep Spotlight magazine, and No. 36 by The Sporting News." - The Wolverine

5/10: PrepStars has Cincinnati first, for Matt Trannon. (per UCKevin) (2 - 4)

5/10/01: 17th best junior in the USA. - School Sports.com

5/9: #36 Junior. "Easily one of the top athletes in the class. However, Trannon will have a decision to make next year: basketball or football?" - Sporting News

4/29: Was listed as one of the best Juniors in the MidWest. - Midwest Hoops

13. Chris Hunter 6'10 Gary, IN
15. Matt Trannon 6'6 Flint, MI
17. Alex Carmona 6'4 Troy, OH
22. Robert Hite 6'1 Cincinnati, OH


4/5: "Despite finishing his junior campaign in splendid fashion, 6-7 wing forward Matt Trannon is not prepared to devote himself entirely to the recruiting process just yet. “I’m just looking forward to passing the test (ACT),” declared the standout prospect while on lunch-break earlier this afternoon. Accordingly, Matt was reluctant to release a so called school list, choosing instead to discuss his recruitment in terms of the programs expressing interest in him. To date, he has heard from quite a few schools most notably Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State. Matt also mentioned Duke and North Carolina." - ACC Recruiting Update

3/31: Listed as the 25th best player in the country, Class 2002. - MidWest Hoops

3/27: "Michigan State, Cincinnati, Michigan, Seton Hall and U Conn are all in the mix." - MidWest Hoops

2/16: "is playing on a great team and he is doing his job to help them win. If he had more touches he would have better stats but northern needs him to dominate inside and thats what he is doing. Now, I haven't seen him play Football but several people at Northern say he is the truth in Football and could be a Pro oneday in that spot. He is an average student that should make the grades and the test score if he keeps working hard. Right now it looks likre he will make it no problem." - Vince Baldwin, MIdWest Hoops

Picture:
http://www.basketballphenoms.com/trannon.htm

2/15: "The last time I saw Matt Trannon shoot a basketball, he was playing in the semifinals of the adidas Big Time Tournament. His Michigan Mustangs were down by two points with time running down. Trannon took the game-winning 3-pointer, only to rim out the shot.
Other than that, Trannon showed that he has the talent to be one of the elite players in the country next year. The 6-6, 205-pound wing forward from Flint (MI) Northern is one of those players who hustles for every loose ball and does all of the little things that helps teams win. At Northern, he has teamed up with future Michigan Wolverine JaQuan "Ice" Hart to form one of the deadliest combinations in the state. In one of the most talented cities in the country, Trannon earned second team All-Valley honors as a sophomore and was named preseason all-state this year. He currently averages 14 points and nine rebounds per game. Even though he stands at only 6-6, his athletic ability allows him to bang inside with much taller players and come out with tough rebounds. This past summer, despite playing with the star-studded Mustangs, who also included Kelvin Torbert (Michigan State), Robert Whaley (Missouri), Ricky Morgan (Iowa) and juniors Tony Roberson and Paul Davis (Michigan State), Trannon emerged as one of the key players on the team. His missed three-pointer was one of the only bad decisions he made at the Big Time, even though - in his defense - time was running out and Roberson was covered tightly. Five main schools have been associated with Trannon to date: Michigan State, Michigan, Cincinnati, and Georgia but Northern head coach Garner Pleasant says that Trannon is still looking at all options." - FastBreak

2/1: "Trannon is one of the top 25 Juniors in the country and is being recruited by Michigan State, Michigan, UConn, and Cincinnati."

2/1: "He is an Izzo type of player who is a more athletic version of Andre Hutson. He likes MSU a lot but Cincinnati, Michigan, & UConn are in there too. This spring will have a major impact on his decision. If Ellerbe & T-Green are let go, scratch Michigan from that list." - MidWest Hoops

1/3/01: Listed as the 9th best SF in the USA, in the 2002 class. - Ohio Preps

12/15: "is a smooth athletic player who came into high school with great potential. He was 6'5 and was an impact player on a very good Flint Northern team as a freshmen. Now Matt is one of the most feared players in the state of Michigan and Northern is ranked #1 in Michigan heading into next weeks battle with Kelvin Torbert and Flint Northwestern. Matt has only grown an inch (now 6'6) since he arrived at Northern and his game is having to change because of it. Once projected as a Power Forward, Matt now looks to be moving his game out to the wing. He is a major athlete who can rise and dunk with the best but he must continue to improve his ball handling skills and his jumper if he is to fill his vast potential. I spoke with Matt last week and he had this to say about his college plans. " I really like three or four schools a lot right now but you can say I'm still wide open. I like Cincinnati a lot, Michigan State is up there too, and now that JaQuan is going to Michigan I have to move them up the list too." During the conversation he also added in No. Carolina, Duke, and USC. Matt then went on to add a very interesting side note: "You know I'm starting to think about playing football too. I'm getting all these letters from big schools to play football now. That could change a few things." Matt played football for the first time this season and was fantastic as a Wide Receiver. At 6'6 and with a 4.5 forty time he has drawn comparisons to Detroit Lion Herman Moore and former MSU wideout Plaxico Burress. One football scout said it like this. "Matt could be a bigtime Wide Receiver if he really worked at it. You could tell he was a natural from the first game on. If you throw it up, he will go get it. He could be special if he even dedicated himself to the sport." - MidWest Hoops