News

By Alex Freeman, MCC Communications Coordinator

Trevor Zamarron was determined to make the most of his senior year at Greenville High School. 

He played wide receiver for the football team, his first time going out for the team in a handful of years. As winter approached, his plate was full with preseason basketball practices on top of football practices and games. But the fun start to his senior year soon took a dark, drastic turn. 

On Oct. 1, 2023, Zamarron played a preseason scrimmage basketball game against Rockford. Zamarron hurt his knee during the game; it wasn’t a typical run-of-the-mill injury. He’d rolled his ankles before and had some minor knicks and bruises, but this was much more serious. 

“I felt a pop right away,” Zamarron said. “I knew what happened.” 

Zamarron was diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) — a knee injury that usually requires a minimum of six months to properly heal and return to sport. In the blink of an eye, Zamarron’s senior basketball season was over. 

The next step, an unfortunate one, was for Zamarron to do his due diligence by informing college coaches who had made him offers to join their basketball teams of his injury. Unfortunately, not every offer stayed on the table. Zamarron’s longstanding dream of playing college basketball hung in the balance. With more limited options, Zamarron committed to Spring Arbor University to continue his basketball career in late 2023. 

In April 2024, Zamarron was cleared for straight-line running amid his rehab process. This allowed him to practice with his Spring Arbor teammates. However, during a drill shortly after being cleared, tragedy struck again. 

“There’s this one drill that was just passing the ball back and forth, straight-line running,” he recalled. “So I joined in for the drill. There were three people in a line running down the court, and you just passed it back and forth. That’s all it was. The person in the middle passed it out in front of me a little bit ahead, so I had to extend for it a little bit. I went and got it, planted, and my knee went right away.” 

Immediately, Zamarron flashed back to that fateful October game in which he tore his ACL for the first time. The immediate pop and discomfort were all too familiar. 

“I knew what happened, it was so unfortunate,” he said. “I really wanted to play so bad and then it just happened again.” 

In addition to a re-tear of the ACL, Zamarron was also diagnosed with a torn meniscus. 

A dark time ensued for Zamarron. He did his best to keep his spirits up while rehabbing, yet again, but it was extremely difficult. Without basketball, Zamarron struggled to figure out who he was, and he dealt with a great amount of sadness. 

“This is what I grew up doing, I played this game since I was four years old,” he said. “That being taken away from me, I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t have another side of me, all I did was focus on basketball. That’s where my name came from, that’s who I was, that’s what made me. That being taken away, I didn’t know what to do with myself.  

“I couldn’t play basketball, I couldn’t exercise like I used to, my competitive spirit went away,” he added. “I was in a dark place for a long time, especially the second time it happened. Being close to having that and it being taken away again, I didn’t know what to do with myself.” 

About two months after the injury, Zamarron decided to decommit from Spring Arbor University, ultimately making the decision that it wasn’t in his best interest to stay. 

“During the spring, going down to practices, I was just kind of like, ‘I don’t know if this is my vibe anymore, I don’t know if this is where I want to be,’” Zamarron recalled. “I made the switch around summertime. It’s nothing against them, their basketball program and their school is really good, it just wasn’t for me.” 

Two days after decommitting, he called MCC head basketball coach Zach Ingles. While he was in high school, Zamarron trained with Ingles at Lakeside Basketball, just west of Greenville. 

“I told him about everything,” Zamarron said. “Zach told me, ‘You’re more than welcome to come join the team. You’ll play a big role for us when you get back to playing.’ I believed in what he said.” 

In a low moment where Zamarron had little to no direction, he was welcomed by Ingles and the MCC basketball team. For Ingles, knowing the human Zamarron is, it was an easy decision. 

“I knew that he had obviously torn his ACL twice. I also knew that if he wanted to rehab it and do it correctly, he probably wanted to be closer to home,” Ingles said. “Trev is a good player, he’s a good kid and he comes from a good family, so there wasn't much hesitation from us. We were building, we knew he wasn’t going to play and we knew his ‘zero year’ was going to lead to progress for him.” 

“It made me feel wanted,” Zamarron added. “MCC felt like a place where I’d be welcomed with open arms, it felt great.” 

It was around that time when Zamarron felt much different, both mentally and physically. Having a sense of direction and something to work toward was refreshing. In addition, he noticed his rehabilitation the second time was off to a much smoother start, giving credit to his surgeon in Detroit. 

“The second time around when I had the surgery, two or three months out of it, it felt a lot different,” Zamarron said. “It felt stronger, it felt like I could do a lot more and it was a lot more professional how they took care of me and how they treated me. All the plans they gave me for what to do and how long to do it for, I didn’t get that the first time.” 

Last season, as MCC re-launched its men’s basketball program after a 40-year hiatus, Zamarron watched from the sidelines, gaining a new perspective and slowly regaining confidence. He was officially cleared to return in May 2025 and has been practicing with the team throughout the summer. Now 18 months removed from his second major knee injury, Zamarron estimates he’s at 85% and rising. 

“I know I’m not all the way back yet, but I feel strong,” he said. “I’m just taking it one step at a time.” 

Ingles appreciates Zamarron’s chemistry with his teammates and is looking forward to his return energizing the team. He added that there’s no expectation of Zamarron to perform immediately, as he’ll primarily be a spark plug off the bench. 

“He shows flashes, it’s going to take some time,” Ingles added. “He’s stressed out about some things on the court but I just reassured him that he hasn’t played in two years. He’s playing with men, guys who have been here for three years who are older and who have played consistently. It’s going to take him a minute to get his legs back and once he does, he’ll be fine. We might not see the best version of Trev until January or February, and that’s OK. 

“We don’t need to put pressure on somebody who’s been off for two years,” Ingles added. “We want him to find his rhythm, fall in love with playing again and get used to playing every day. That’s our big goal for him.” 

Season-ending injuries can sometimes turn into career-ending injuries, but Zamarron has stayed persistent and committed to his return to basketball. He's preparing for the start of regular-season action on Nov. 1 at home against Washtenaw Community College. In reflecting on the last two years, Zamarron’s resilience was tested, but he’s come out on the other side with a stronger appreciation of many things, including his support system. 

“There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “It’s a long journey, but as long as you have family, friends and people supporting you, you’ll make it.”