Wichita State Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 16: The Wichita State Shockers mascot gestures in the second half against the Marshall Thundering Herd during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 16, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 17: Wichita State Shockers cheerleaders perform. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

CG Jamarius Burton – Charlotte, NC

Playmaking guards with size seemingly always make for tantalizing prospects. With Jamarius Burton, a 6-foot-5 combo guard from North Carolina, that trend continues. Although not a highly ranked recruit (No. 301 in the class), Burton was sought after by a few other powerful programs, including Penn State and Butler. Eventually, though, Burton committed to Wichita State and he should play an immediate role at least as a reserve at both guard positions.

In terms of playing style, Burton fits the mold as a two-way guard. Defensively, he uses above-average quickness to keep up with most guards and also has enough size to play up and cover some small forwards. His former AAU coach also hit on this when he stated (The Charlotte Observer):

"“He’s a leader and a winner. On the court, he’s a floor general. Whatever school ends up getting him, they’re getting a pit bull. He’s a natural lead guard who can run a team, score the ball, and loves to play defense. He’ll do whatever it takes to win. Anytime we ever played a team that had a kid that was ranked, that’s who Jamarius wanted to guard. He can guard four different positions. I had him guarding the four man in some lineups. If our four man was having problems, we’d put Jamarius on him. It didn’t matter if he was 6’9″. He knows he can guard anybody.”"

This defensive versatility makes him a capable rotation player regardless of offensive play. However, he is no slouch on that end of the floor either.

Mostly a playmaker on offense, Burton sees the floor tremendously well and can consistently make passes over shorter defenders. In addition, he uses a quick first step to the get the basket and is not often phased by contact around the rim. A strong ball handler who is careful with the rock, it is hard to create turnovers when Burton is leading the offense. Although not known as a shooter, he did capitalize on 37.5% of his 3-point shots this past season (40 total 3PA).

As a senior this past season, Burton averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.