Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: Each team’s best acquisition out of 2023 transfer portal

By Jerran Anderson

Jan 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jayden Epps (3) calls out a play during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2023; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jayden Epps (3) calls out a play during the first half against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Kohl Center. Mandatory Credit: Kayla Wolf-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Tyler Burton – 6’7 Forward – Villanova Wildcats

Tyler Burton joins the Villanova Wildcats after testing the NBA Draft waters and returning to school this offseason. He joins the Wildcats after spending the past four seasons in the Atlantic 10 with the Richmond Spiders.

Burton should bolster their frontcourt attack given his pedigree for rebounding the ball and battling for position in the painted area as a mobile forward that can handle the ball in space. He’s tremendous at creating off-the-bounce and finding buckets in traffic.

In 2022-23, he averaged 19.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.5 apg and 1.5 spg on 44.9 percent shooting from the field. He finished fifth in the A10 in rebounds (243) and eighth in steals (49) while finishing as a second-team All-Atlantic 10 performer.

Burton set his career-high of 38 points on 13-of-20 shooting from the field, 4-for-8 from deep and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line back on Nov. 14 on the road against Charleston. His career-high of 15 rebounds came a week later on Nov. 21 against Syracuse in the 2K Empire Classic.

He’s got some NCAA Tournament experience under his belt as well. During the 2021-22 season, he posted a double-double (19 points, 11 rebounds) in their upset victory over No. 12 Iowa in the second round. Though he was just 4-of-11 from the floor, he went 9-of-10 from the free-throw line in that one.

Burton keeps things simple around the painted area and has nice touch around the rim. He does well to create contact as well in traffic and plays a physical brand of basketball. He finished second in the conference this past season in free throws made (156) and racked up 22 double-doubles as a member of the Spiders.

It’s been a busy offseason as head coach Kyle Neptune approaches Year 2. The Wildcats added Burton alongside TJ Bamba (Washington State), Hakim Hart (Maryland) and Lance Ware (Kentucky) out of the transfer portal this past cycle as they look to turn around from last year’s 17-17 effort.

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