Lemoore College student-athlete's hard work, determination called 'inspirational'

LEMOORE, Calif. (KFSN) -- A small forward on the Lemoore College basketball team is beginning to make a name for himself.

He's high-flying and fast. His fashion choices are bold.

Trey Booker, 20, is gearing up to start his second season at Lemoore College.

"Basketball was just always something that I knew I wanted to do," Booker said.

Booker says no major four-year colleges recruited him out of high school.

A showcase landed him a spot at an NAIA university, but it wasn't a good fit, so he left after a semester and joined the Golden Eagles at Lemoore College instead.

He spent his first season on the bench as a red-shirt freshman, mostly worrying he made the wrong choice.

"I didn't know if I was just going to be a two-year-and-done type of player," he said.

But then last year came his breakout season.

He averaged more than 14 points and six rebounds per game.

He was named First-Team All-Conference, Freshman All-Conference and was invited to a showcase for the top 50 freshmen in the nation.

Since then, more than two dozen Division I schools have been in talks with him, and he's received three formal DI offers.

"I feel good. I feel accomplished because DI is always what I wanted to play," Booker said.

But his strengths extend beyond the court.

He's studying to become an engineer with dreams of one day working in aerospace.

"Work on missiles, work on space shuttles and work on that type of stuff," he said.

Athletic Director Walter Parham says Booker is a model athlete for community colleges.

"You are majoring in something valuable for your future and your family, like engineering, and then on the court, obviously someone exciting, dynamic, transferable," Parham said.

He says Booker's path shows what can be done on and off the court.

"Trey, in one word, is inspirational," Parham said.

Trey is polishing his three-pointer as he gears up for another season.

He says he's looking forward to what his future holds.

"Overall, I feel really, really great and really, really amazing knowing that God has put me in a position to change not only my life, but my family's life as well," Booker said.

If you'd like to see Booker on the court, you can check him out at the home opener on November 11 against Bakersfield College at 5 p.m.

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