NEW MADISON – Tri-Village standout Trey Sagester will be putting his skills to work next year at Ferris State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Surrounded by family and friends, Trey signed his letter of intent to continue his education and play basketball at the NCAA Division II school.
Ferris State competes in the very competitive GLIAC, a league made up primarily of Michigan programs: Grand Valley State, Lake Superior State, Purdue Northwest, Davenport, Saginaw Valley, Michigan Tech, Northern Michigan, Roosevelt, Parkside and Wayne State.
Not only will this be Trey’s first year at Ferris State, but it will also be the first year for head coach Brooks Miller.
Miller becomes the 15th coach in program history. He previously led Trine University to the 2024 NCAA Division III National Championship and most recently served as associate head coach at Division I Central Michigan.
Trey had several Division II offers to consider, though many were more than a good day’s drive away. There was also the belief and hope that a Division I offer might eventually come.
Unfortunately, Trey — like many younger athletes graduating today — has had to navigate uncharted waters. The landscape has been reshaped by NIL contracts and a transfer portal now flooded with 22-, 23- and 24-year-old prospects who are older, more physically developed and more experienced, taking spots that traditionally went to incoming high school athletes.
Trey’s dad and Tri-Village boys basketball coach, Josh Sagester, talked about the challenges of being recruited in today’s environment.
“Trey’s had opportunities, but I don’t think he was in love with all of them … but as a high school kid I don’t think he could have done any more than what he has to put himself in a position to get those opportunities,” Josh said.
A 2026 Ohio Mr. Basketball finalist and two-time Division VI Ohio Player of the Year, Trey has been a proven scorer over the course of his career. He averaged 24.3 points per game on 54% shooting from the field, 41% from 3-point range and 86% at the free-throw line this season. He is Tri-Village’s all-time leading scorer with more than 2,000 career points.
“We’ve had discussions and I just kept reiterating to him, it’s a different time, a different landscape and patience is a virtue. You’re going to get your opportunity, good things happen to people who work hard,” Josh said. “We took a couple visits to a few schools and of course we took an official visit to Ferris State.
“We came away with the fact that, number one, the university is committed to winning in all athletics, which is very important. Number two, Coach Miller has had success wherever he’s been, and I felt like his vision for Trey would be no different than what I would have for him at the next level.”
For Trey, those same things stood out.
“When Coach Miller and I got to talking hoops, his philosophy was similar to what I’ve grown up with my dad,” Trey said. “After completing the tour and visit, it just felt like the right fit for me and will be a great opportunity for me to be able to showcase what I can do at the next level.”
While some schools may have passed on Trey in the current recruiting climate, he plans to use that as motivation to keep doing what he’s done most of his life: making shots and winning.
“Trey has got good habits, he understands the process and the grind, and being consistent every day, which is what most people aren’t capable of doing,” Josh said. “So, if he can stack days through the course of his career, when given the opportunity, and when he’s ready for it, I believe he’ll take advantage of it.”
“He certainly has the skill level and moving forward he’s got to continue to do some things physically to get his body in a position to compete at a higher level,” Josh added. “But I think that’s with any freshman coming in as a student-athlete. The thing that he can do, that not everybody can, is make shots, and sometimes that pushes your trajectory quicker.”
Trey is no stranger to hard work. Basketball has been a normal part of his life from the time he was little, and it has made him more than just a gym rat.
“I’ve been blessed with a basketball family, with great parents who have been at every game, been with me every practice,” Trey said. “Obviously, Dad has coached me as a kid and in high school. Looking back, I probably took it for granted, and now I’m not going to be playing for him anymore. He did a lot for me along with my mom, grandma, grandpa — at every game, supporting me — and if I didn’t play well, they were still there, picking me up. That family support has been unbelievable.”
Learning the game by osmosis and then living it every day has become a way of life for Trey, and it’s something he plans to continue at Ferris State.
“I’m used to working hard and as an incoming freshman I plan on learning from the older guys, doing what is expected and then a little more than is expected,” Trey said. “And then obviously doing what I’m good at, and that’s making shots. My mentality is to prove every day to Coach Miller, who didn’t pass on me while others did, through my love and passion for the game and my work ethic, that he made a good choice by giving me this opportunity.”
While Trey will be about five and a half hours away, it will be a little more difficult for his family and supporters to get to games in person than it is now when watching his sister, Rylee, at Wright State. But with streaming, television and occasional away games closer to home, plenty of people back in New Madison will still be able to keep up with Trey at the collegiate level.
For a kid who grew up in a gym and in a basketball family, the move to Ferris State is both a new chapter and a continuation of what he’s always known: work hard, make shots and win.
The faces in the stands might be a little farther away now, but whether they’re watching from the bleachers or a streaming link back home, Trey knows New Madison — and his family — will be right there with him every step of the way.
