Trei Steward says he officially started playing organized basketball at the YMCA when he was in second grade, but if you ask him he’ll tell you he cannot even remember a time when he didn’t play.

“I think I was probably born with a ball in my hands,” said Steward, the 6-foot-7-inch, 245-pound NMSU men’s basketball forward.

Steward, who is a senior majoring in community health at NMSU, was born in Casper, Wyo., and played for Natrona County High School, where he was a two-time class 4A All-State and three-time All-North Conference selection.

Steward played for the University of Northern Colorado his freshman and sophomore years and was red-shirted for the 2005-06 season, his first season after transferring to NMSU.

“I was attracted to NMSU’s athletics and basketball programs and the quality of education offered to student-athletes,” Steward said.

During the 2006-07 season Steward played all 21 games, averaging six minutes and 1.7 points per game, shooting 51.6 percent from the field.

Steward represented NMSU at the 2007 NCAA Leadership Conference in May in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The conference provides NCAA students a forum to openly discuss issues that may affect them on their campuses and in their communities, while also providing them with the opportunity to enhance their leadership, communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills.

“Trei was a very deserving recipient of this honor and I can’t imagine a better choice to represent NMSU at the conference,” said former head men’s basketball coach Reggie Theus. “Trei is one of the team leaders and he is one of those people that leads in whatever he does.”

Steward said he is always excited to learn more about leadership and improve his leadership style.

“It’s great to learn about athletic and academic problems in other schools to help NMSU build their program,” Steward said.