Markus Burton Focused on Leading Notre Dame in Year Two
Notre Dame basketball had its fair share of ups and downs in year one of the Micah Shrewsberry era.
The Fighting Irish weren’t a threat to win the ACC, but Notre Dame wasn’t a team any program wanted to play, even with Shrewsberry being forced to play a significant number of young players.
Point guard Markus Burton was the start of the show as the Mishawaka (Ind.) native averaged 17.5 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 4.3 apg as a true freshman, which earned him ACC Rookie of the Year.
It was a tough spot for Burton to be in as a true freshman shouldn’t be the heart and soul of any program, but that’s where the 5-foot-11, 166-pounder found himself. Fast forward to this summer and Burton’s excited to have more talent around him, which means the team can do more while also taking some responsibilities off his plate.
“We definitely have a lot more talent,” stated Burton. “The talent level is way higher than it was last year. The competition level is very high, so it’s fun every day at practice. It’s all a level up from year.”
Burton is a ball-dominant guard, but Notre Dame has more depth in who can handle the ball, which could allow Shrewsberry to get his star into better situations and some off-the-ball sets. Shot selection and fewer turnovers will be natural improvements from gaining experience, but more talent will also lead to better shots.
“The talent level around is going to help me become a better player,” Burton said. “I’m also going to help my teammates become better players. With the talent level, there will be a lot more things we can do.”
As a freshman, Burton averaged 33.8 minutes per game and played in 33 games. Burton admits it took about a month to recover from the season, which meant stepping away from the court to refresh.
When Burton returned to the gym, it was all work, and that included some late nights that Shrewsberry noticed.
“I know I’m not supposed to be here late at night in the summer, but I don’t have any hobbies,” explained Shrewsberry. “A lot of times when I was leaving, he was in here. He spent a lot of time in this gym and you see it in how he’s playing. You see it. It’s standing out even more with the guys he’s playing with and how much more space he has to play, which I think is going to open up a lot of stuff.”
The other piece of Burton’s offseason was declaring for the NBA Draft to get feedback on his game and what scouts want to see from his game.
Burton didn’t release specifics, but based on the feedback he received, leadership is one area he wants to improve and it’s come naturally this summer.
“It’s easier,” said Burton. “I’ve been here already. I know what Coach Shrews expects from all of us. now that I know and have been in the system, I can help the younger guys and the older guys. I’m more comfortable talking to other people. I can be myself and be more vocal.”
As the face of the Notre Dame program, Burton understands the pressures and has embraced it. Yet, he’s not focused on personal accolades as he simply wants to win games and believes the Irish can get the job done this season after showing flashes last winter.
“I know we’re capable,” stated Burton. “I know we’re good enough to compete. We showed it in stretches that we can compete with anybody. Now, we have an even better team. I’m expecting even more from me and my teammates.”
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