Brighton's Trevor Viau named Livingston County boys basketball Player of the Year
BRIGHTON — In an era in which high school seems to have its own transfer portal, it still means something for most kids to finish with whom they started.
Brighton senior Trevor Viau played basketball with some of his teammates since they were third-graders, making their final home game Feb. 16 against Canton even more poignant.
“It was a very emotional senior night, one of the most emotional nights I’ve ever had,” Viau said. “Just seeing us grow up together was a great thing. We knew we wouldn’t get to play together again. Being in practice every day and seeing them every day was something special.”
Viau will realize his dreams by playing basketball in college at Concordia University in Ann Arbor.
But being raised in Brighton, his earliest dreams were to play on the Bulldogs’ varsity team. He was able to do so at a high level the past two seasons, earning Livingston County boys basketball Player of the Year as a senior.
“Just growing up as a kid through Brighton Area Schools, you look up to the older players,” Viau said. “You want to be one of them one day. When you finally get there, it was crazy. People are looking up to me now. We’re basically helping the community grow in a basketball aspect.”
Even after he made the varsity, Viau looked up to older teammates for guidance on how to navigate his junior season and to become a leader as a senior.
He played alongside the winner of the last two Player of the Year awards, Ashton Tomassi, and other strong seniors like Eddie Millington, Ben Anderson and Mason Millhouse.
Viau averaged 9.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals as the only junior starter on an 18-6 team.
“I learned you can’t really get comfortable,” he said. “When you get comfortable with your successes, then you won’t get any higher than that. Once you get comfortable, the accomplishments won’t keep growing.
“I definitely learned just by watching them in practice every day. Kids like Ashton, Mason, Eddie, Ben, they showed me how to be a team captain and take over that role. It was more showing, not telling.”
Viau was the leader of a Brighton team that got off to a shaky start, winning only four of its first 13 games before a double-overtime victory over Plymouth triggered a six-game winning streak.
After losing 53-51 at Hartland on a 3-point play in the final seconds by Parker Sundman, Brighton went 4-0 the rest of the season against its two Livingston County rivals. The Bulldogs swept Howell and eliminated Hartland in the first round of districts.
“Definitely beating Howell two times,” Viau said when asked for a season highlight. “My junior year, we didn’t beat them; I also didn’t play one of the games. Beating them on our court and their court is something special. I’m glad I got to do it with this senior class.”
Viau averaged 14.2 points, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals, reaching double figures in 16 of 24 games. He hit 77 percent of his free throws.
“It was a lot different,” Viau said, comparing his roles as a junior and senior. “No. 1, you’ve got a lot of people watching you. I didn’t feel that pressure last year. Also, the shots are definitely different. Last year, I felt like the shots came to me. This year, I had to get my own shots. People were double-teaming me, face-guarding me. Being on top of the scouting report played a factor.”
For all his individual success, Viau takes the most pride from turning around what looked to be a lost season.
“I’d like to give credit to our seniors,” he said. “We knew most of us were never playing again. We didn’t really have a chance to give up. Our backs were against the wall and we came together as a team. We had a couple player meetings saying, ‘We’re not going down like this.’”
Contact Bill Khan at wkhan@gannett.com. Follow him on X @BillKhan
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Brighton's Trevor Viau top basketball player in Livingston County
