Tre-Vaughn Minott, a senior at Portland State University, has become an important player for the Vikings men’s basketball team. Standing at 6’10”, Minott began his basketball journey in Montreal before attending the NBA Academy in Mexico City during his final year of high school. He received attention from several universities but ultimately joined South Carolina after the academy closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
At South Carolina, Minott averaged 1.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game and recorded 12 blocked shots. His time there was marked by personal challenges, including a coaching change and the loss of his mother to lung cancer. “It was a difficult year overall so I knew I needed a change in scenery to elevate my basketball career,” Minott recalled.
Minott entered the transfer portal and was quickly contacted by Matt Dunn, now Associate Head Coach at Portland State, who had previously recruited him out of high school. “I was really intrigued by his potential back then. Even though I knew he’d likely end up at a higher level, we continued to talk,” said Dunn.
After visiting Portland State and speaking with Head Coach Jase Coburn, Minott decided to join the Vikings. “When I saw everybody in that gym improving their game and trying to get better, that’s when I knew this was the place for me,” he said.
Minott’s first season with the Vikings mirrored his experience at South Carolina in terms of statistics and playing time, leading to frustration. Dunn described how newcomers often face a gap between expectations and reality: “This can often go different ways… sulk, point fingers or buy-in and put in the work.”
A pivotal conversation with Dunn during a winter road trip led Minott to change his approach. “Coach Dunn and I sat down and he told me I was either going to continue the same way and not play or I could build a new work ethic and we’d see what happens,” Minott said.
From January onward, Minott adopted an intensive training routine that included early morning workouts most days of the week. According to Dunn, “He started working out at 6 a.m. five or six days a week… He continued those workouts all spring and summer, adding conditioning, lost significant weight and got himself into tremendous shape…and with that came confidence.”
The results became clear last season as Minott earned more playing time, eventually becoming a starter for Portland State. He was named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Year while leading his team in rebounding and blocked shots.
This season has seen further achievements for Minott; he was named Big Sky Player of the Week after scoring 23 points with 20 rebounds and four blocks against Sacramento State—a rebounding feat unmatched by any Viking player in three decades of conference play. He is currently averaging 10.8 points on .651 shooting, along with 8.8 rebounds per game.
Dunn attributed these improvements directly to Minott’s commitment: “The increase in scoring is a direct result of his dedication and daily habits… It’s tedious. It’s boring and it’s not glamorous, but it works.”
Minott credits much of his progress to family support as well as guidance from coaches like Dunn: “My family has always been supportive… My father watches every game and he loves to give me a full rundown.” His athletic background includes parents who played sports competitively; his mother played netball in Jamaica while his father played basketball and volleyball in Haiti.
In addition to basketball, Minott is active musically—he plays seven instruments including keyboard and bass guitar—and runs an independent record label called VISIONARYSOUNDS where he produces music for himself and others: “I personally don’t necessarily write my own music, but I do help artists as a producer in putting the song together which makes me a songwriter.”
He also collaborates with teammate Sebastian Tidor on creative projects outside basketball: Tidor is described as “basically the entertainer.”
Academically, Minott holds an undergraduate degree in Communications and Advertising; he is currently studying music theory and production through PSU’s postbaccalaureate program.
Looking ahead, Minott hopes for opportunities beyond college basketball: “After this year, I would definitely want to pursue a professional basketball career… I would also love to keep building my brand ‘Tellavision’ as the producer.”
His experiences suggest that both determination on court—and creativity off it—will shape what comes next.
