On Monday, 12-year-old Trey Couch became the youngest player ever to sign a National Letter of Intent at Xavier University.
As a general rule, Xavier has no business recruiting basketball players currently in middle school, but young Trey isn't your typical prospect. In 2010, he was diagnosed with cerebellar degeneration, a rare neurodegenerative disease that slowly weakens one's sense of coordination and balance. The disease has no known cure.
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Trey signed with Xavier as part of an effort by Team Impact, a nonprofit that pairs children facing life-threatening illnesses with college athletic teams.
In addition to the signing, Trey was the highlight of a press conference in which Xavier Basketball players, pretending to be members of the media, peppered him with questions.
"You were a highly-touted player coming out of middle school -- what made you decide on Xavier?" Justin Martin asked, claiming to represent ESPN magazine.
"It's a good basketball program ... with one heck of a head coach," Trey responded, with help from his new coach.
But Trey may yet need more media coaching: Asked who his favorite team was, Trey answered, to laughs, "Kentucky."
“This is a great opportunity for our team,” Xavier University men’s basketball head coach Chris Mack said in a media release. “Sometimes we look at our everyday challenges and think we have it tough. We try to teach our student-athletes that there are a lot stiffer challenges that other people have to face.”
WATCH the "press conference," below:
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