Growing up in South Florida, where his father helped the Miami Heat win the 2006 NBA championship, Trey Mourning shouldered the weight that comes with a famous last name with exceptional poise, according to his high school basketball coach.
Claude Grubair said in a telephone interview Saturday he has no doubt the 17-year-old Mourning will do the same at Georgetown, where the still-growing 6-foot-9 power forward plans to enroll this fall to play for John Thompson III, son of the Hall of Fame coach who prepared Alonzo Mourning for his seven-time NBA all-star career.
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The younger Mourning won’t sign his letter-of-intent until May 16. But after a carefully considered recruiting process that focused on Georgetown, Duke and Florida, he shared his decision to enroll on the Hilltop with Grubair, close friends and his college counselor last week.
“There is a lot of pressure that goes with carrying that name here, but Trey has handled it with incredible dignity and grace,” said Grubair, the basketball coach and athletic director at Ransom Everglades, a private high school in Coral Gables. “That is how he does everything.”
What sets Mourning apart on the court, Grubair says, is rare shooting skill for a player his size and keen basketball smarts — qualities more commonly associated with European players.
“He has emerged as one of the best shooters of his size anywhere in the country,” said Grubair, who has known Trey Mourning since the forward was in seventh grade. “That’s not what you see in AAU basketball, where kids really showcase their athleticism. What he showcases is incredible shooting skill and a high IQ, so he will be a very good fit for Georgetown.”
Alonzo Mourning III, who goes by Trey, averaged 29 points and 10 rebounds per game last season while leading Ransom to Florida’s Class 4A regional semifinals. He set his school’s single-game scoring record in December, contributing 52 points, 22 rebounds and 12 blocks in a 94-65 victory over LaSalle. He was named a first-team all-state selection as well as player of the year for Florida’s Dade and Broward counties.
As word of Mourning’s decision spread via social media, another Georgetown legacy, Patrick Ewing Jr., tweeted congratulations to the latest second-generation Hoya recruit: “The tradition continues!!!”
Georgetown is coming off a 17-14 season in which two big men, who had been counted on to play key roles following the early exit of Otto Porter Jr., fell short of expectations. Greg Whittington was dismissed from the team before fully recovering from knee surgery, and Josh Smith was ruled academically ineligible for the second semester.