Charles Barkley has frequently called new Miami point guard his favorite player. Barkley stated to Jay Williams during Auburn's game versus USC in December 2023 and again during the NCAA Tournament this season. Tre Donaldson played two seasons for Auburn before transferring to Michigan a year ago.
Barkley said, "two of the most underrated things in basketball are energy and effort. I love that kid, that's why he's my favorite player." Donaldson was the best perimeter player for Michigan in 2024-25, starting all 37 games while averaging 11.3 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists.
Michigan won the Big 10 Tournament and advanced to the South Regional Semifinals in Atlanta where they lost to Auburn. Donaldson was frequently a clutch player for Michigan throughout his only season in Ann Arbor. The most memorable was his length-of-the-court dash and layup to beat Maryland in the Big 10 Tournament semifinals.
Donaldson, who is originally from Tallahassee, is the second player from Florida to return to his home state as a transfer to Miami in the 2025 portal. Miami received a commitment from South Florida native Malik Reneau, who emphasized he was coming home in his social media post announcing his transfer to Miami.
Charles Barkley raves about Auburn’s Tre Donaldson #cbb pic.twitter.com/HcFROwUeX7
— KJ (@PointForwardPro) December 17, 2023
"My favorite player in the tournament is Tre Donaldson, he was at Auburn, I've stayed in contact with him...He was terrific at Auburn, but I stay in contact with him.... he’s done a fabulous job."Charles Barkley via Athlon Sports & On3
At 6'3, Donaldson is an inch below the preferred height that Miami head coach Jai Lucas wants in a point guard. Donaldson is as tall or taller than three guards on the 2024-25 Miami roster. Lucas told Josh Darrow in the Behind the U Podcast that he wants to build a roster around length at every position.
Donaldson is an exceptional athlete who was a quarterback and safety in high school. The 247Sports composite rankings had Donaldson in the top 250 prospects and 25 safeties in the 2021 class. Donaldson and Reneau each have one season of eligiblity remaining.