NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pros and cons of Nimari Burnett’s finalists

Alabama Crimson Tide

Pros

Although it was a tough loss to open the season to Penn at home, head coach Nate Oats showed overall that his guard-friendly offense hasn’t changed from Buffalo to Alabama. Star guard Kira Lewis went for 30 points, and ironically enough his game compares favorably to Burnett’s. Same with former MAC Player of the Year C.J. Massinburg, who filled up the stat sheets on a nightly basis.

Assuming Lewis is gone after this season, Burnett can come in right away and play alongside Villanova transfer Jahvon Quinerly without issue. The potential star emergence of Jaden Shackelford could crowd the backcourt a little bit but it shouldn’t hurt Burnett’s status.

Cons

The early loss doesn’t concern me because Penn is a legit mid-major. But it’s not a guarantee that the Crimson Tide will be successful under Nate Oats. The roster itself seems to likely go under more changes, so who knows what kind of situation Burnett could find himself in. And with Quinerly on board, Burnett would have to play a lot off the ball, which might not be his ideal fit once he goes another level. Fit is a real thing and he may not be the “right” guard for Oats’ system.

Michigan Wolverines

Pros

After swinging and missing on a few top-tier targets, new head coach Juwan Howard finally landed one in five-star forward Isaiah Todd. He joins top-60 shooting guard Zeb Jackson in the 2020 class and the Wolverines are looking to add another star. With Zavier Simpson graduating after this season, Burnett can be the lead guard without question for Michigan.

Cons

The biggest question for Michigan will be how good is Coach Howard in NCAA Basketball? It’s clear that he’ll be an outstanding recruiter who’ll land prospects but will he be able to develop them and turn them into future pros? With this decision coming in the Fall and not the Spring, Burnett would be putting a ton of trust in the Wolverine coaching staff if he commits around this time.