NCAA Basketball: Top 10 players to wear jersey No. 3 in 2023-24 season
By Joey Loose
10. Markus Burton (Notre Dame)
In this day and age, building a roster with established veterans seems to be the play, especially for top-level programs in the country. Taking on inexperienced freshmen may be less common, though Notre Dame certainly benefited from a great start to Burton’s collegiate career. He was far from perfect in a rebuilding season for the Fighting Irish, but there were many times where he looked far better than a freshman.
The Indiana native trusted new head coach Micah Shrewsberry and really performed for him, averaging 17.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on the year. Burton is developing into a great offensive player, albeit his long-range game is still coming together, while also finishing among the ACC’s leaders in steals and assists. His great first season also garnered him the nod as ACC Rookie of the Year, even in a 13-20 season for Notre Dame.
Dropping 29 points on opening night against Niagara was a sign of great things to come for Burton, even if the results didn’t match against their conference foes later in the year. He latter topped that career-high with 31 points in a nice win over Wake Forest and was playing relatively consistent ball by season’s end. For Burton, this season not only represented a great step forward for his future, but showcased his talents as one of the nation’s best freshmen.