Wichita State transfer Jamarius Burton committed to Texas Tech on Monday, marking Chris Beard’s first transfer addition of the 2020 offseason.
Analyzing Burton’s fit on Texas Tech is challenging because it’s not clear who his teammates will be when he takes the floor. By transferring after just two years at WSU, Burton will probably not get to play immediately like graduate transfers Chris Clarke and T.J. Holyfield did last season; instead he’s likely to sit the 2020-21 season.
That is not a given. The NCAA is still deciding whether to implement a rule that would allow transfers to play immediately, which would permit Burton to debut next season. It should come to a decision on it later this offseason.
While it’s unclear which players he’ll play with, Burton’s game should mesh well with Chris Beard’s scheme. Texas Tech is getting a solid player on both ends, who provides tough defense and has a feathery mid-range jumpshot.
Burton played point guard for Wichita State, and while he isn’t your typical ball-on-a-string floor general, he has a trustworthy handle and will bring the ball up the floor. He turned it over 2.2 times per game last year, not a bad number for someone playing the role he did.
In the halfcourt, Burton is most comfortable operating in the pick and roll and has an answer for any type of coverage.
The 3-point shot is not a strength of his game, but he can knock it down if left open and turned to it when defenders went under screens. He shot 38 percent from 3 last year on 64 total attempts, nearly a 12-point jump from the 26.3 percent he shot as a freshman.
While he doesn’t have the athleticism to consistently blow by opposing defenders, Burton can get to the rim against bigs that switch on to him. He’s good at using his body to create space and gets favorable positioning near the rim, and can finish once he gets there.
Burton’s sweet spot is the mid-range, and he loves to go to it when big men drop in the pick and roll. He has soft touch, and can hit tough looks over contests.
Texas Tech lacked a mid-range presence last year, and it particularly bit them in late shot clock situations. If a Red Raider was unable to get to the rim, the team often settled for a low percentage jumper. Burton’s ability to get to his spots and make shots with a defender present will be a nice option against good defense.
At 6’4”, 200 pounds, the Charlotte, NC native has terrific size for a point guard and uses it to get himself shots. He’s physical on drives to the hoop, bumping opposing guards to create space for himself on forays to the rim or short jumpers. He’s also adept at shot fakes and uses them to get shots or go to the line.
As a passer, he’s unlikely to rack up double digit assists but keeps his head up to find shooters and cutters. Burton averaged 3.4 assists per game in both of his seasons as a Shocker.
Chris Beard hasn’t deployed a true point guard since Keenan Evans graduated. Over the past two seasons, he’s let a couple of players share ball-handling duties: Matt Mooney and Jarrett Culver two years ago, and Kyler Edwards and Chris Clarke last season.
Burton’s skillset should fit that mold well. While he figures to be a nominal point guard, his game allows room for a multiple ball-handler system; he doesn’t need the ball in his hands every possession.
Defensively, he figures to be a snug fit at Texas Tech as well. As a big-bodied point guard, Burton is suited to defend multiple positions: a must in Chris Beard’s switch-happy defense.
Like every player, Burton has his warts. Teams will dare him to make 3-pointers; using his defender in help defense until he proves he can take and make those shots. It’s not always easy to integrate a player that’s not a threat from that range, especially a guard.
Burton can stand to improve off the ball. His lack of outside shooting could cramp spacing and he doesn’t do much as a cutter. Sitting a year could be beneficial for his jumpshot, as many players hammer home improvement on one aspect of their game during redshirt seasons.
He’s not an explosive athlete either, but he does rise up for the occasional dunk. He makes up for a lack of pure burst by playing in control.
Texas Tech fans saw the jaw dropping plays that Terrence Shannon made last season, but also saw the freshman take ill-advised shots and barrel towards the rim out of control. Burton should be the opposite of that.
Burton was recruited heavily after leaving Wichita State, and chose Texas Tech over Seton Hall, Marquette, Ohio State and other schools, citing the team’s previous success with transfers as a reason for his decision, in an interview with Stadium’s Jeff Goodman.
He decided that playing under Chris Beard was the best route for him, and figures to be a comfortable fit in Texas Tech’s system and a two-year contributor in Lubbock.
