Burns guides seasoned Raiders
FAYETTEVILLE — The last time Colgate played an SEC team in the NCAA Tournament, the Raiders — Jordan Burns in particular — threw a major scare into Tennessee.
The No. 2 seed Vols survived 32 points from Burns and held on to beat No. 15 seed Colgate 77-70 in a first-round game two years ago in Columbus, Ohio.
Burns, a 6-0 guard, hit 12 of 20 shots, including 8 of 13 3-pointers. His jump shot with 2:02 left pulled the Raiders within 67-64.
“I told him he was terrific,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said of Burns. “I’d like to have him on our team tomorrow.”
No doubt Burns would have been a hot commodity in the transfer portal after lighting up the Vols, but he decided to stay at Colgate.
Burns, a 6-0 senior guard from San Antonio, will lead the No. 14 seed Raiders (14-1) against the No. 3 seed University of Arkansas Razorbacks (22-6) in a first-round NCAA Tournament game at 11:45 a.m. Friday in Indianapolis.
Colgate won the Patriot League Tournament by beating Loyola-Maryland 85-72 on Sunday to earn an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
“We’re playing to win,” Burns said. “We’re not coming into this game thinking we’re going to lose.
“Obviously, I’m a competitor. I believe the work that we’ve put in will result in a W. I’ve never believed we’re going into a game to lose. I believe that we’re ready to go.”
Colgate is 0-3 in NCAA Tournament games. The Raiders also lost to Kansas 82-68 in 1995 and Connecticut 68-59 in 1996 as a No. 16 seed in both games.
At least Colgate doesn’t have to play a No. 1 seed again.
“For us, we’re going to have a good chance to go out there and compete with a very good team and possibly get an upset,” Burns said of taking on Arkansas.
Burns, averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 assists and 4.4 rebounds, is the Patriot League player of the year. He has career totals of 1,654 points and 499 assists — a school record.
Colgate was one of two scholarship offers Burns said he received along with Midwestern State, an NCAA Division II school in Wichita Falls, Texas.
“Jordan was recruited where he was because he’s not the tallest guy, he’s not the most athletic guy,” Raiders coach Matt Langel said. “But he’s a terrific basketball player.
“He’s been able to score points in all different ways. He involves his teammates. He’s got some intangibles that you just don’t find in young people all the time.
“I think the guys rally around his confidence. Certainly he has a great work ethic. He’s improved immeasurably over his career.”
Burns is Colgate’s unquestioned leader, but he’s averaging a teamhigh 29.2 minutes as Langel has gone with a 10-man rotation.
“Over the last decade, I traditionally have not played 10 players,” Langel said. “More like six or seven. Maybe an eighth guy gets a couple of minutes. But we’ve got a lot of deserving guys.”
Colgate senior guard Jack Ferguson, who scored seven points against Tennessee two years ago, is averaging 12.6 points off the bench. Junior guard Tucker Richardson, who scored 10 points against the Vols, is averaging 11.7 points. Junior guard Nelly Cummings is averaging 12.3 points, and 6-10 sophomore Keegan Records is averaging 9.3 points and 6.9 rebounds.
Jeff Woodard, a 6-11 freshman, is averaging 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds off the bench.
“A number of these guys had a chance to play against a phenomenal Tennessee team a couple of years ago, and did really well,” Langel said. “That game went right down to the wire.
“I think they’re excited to continue to learn about Arkansas and to prepare like we have for the other opponents on our schedule this season.”
Langel said how competitively the Raiders played Tennessee helped them last season when Colgate was 25-9, including a 67-66 victory at Cincinnati.
“The guys have an understanding and a confidence and a connective-ness that when they play together, they’re capable of playing with anybody that there is,” Langel said. “Every game’s different, though. Every game takes on its own personality, and they’re also aware of that.
“So I think it’ll be critical to find the rhythm of Friday’s game and try and get adjusted as quickly as possible.”
Langel said the Raiders are lucky Burns decided to play his entire career at Colgate.
“In today’s game,” Langel said, “I think a lot of guys like him would have said, ‘You know what, a lot of people missed out on me. I’m going to take my game and go somewhere else.’”
Burns said he never considered transferring to a school in a bigger conference.
“I think it’s good for the guys that do get a chance to go and show how good they are, guys in my situation that didn’t get recruited at a high level,” Burns said “But I feel like at Colgate, I had a job that I wanted to get done. I feel like transferring up for me wasn’t going to show people how much better I was as a player.”
Burns, a sociology major, said he also wanted to earn a degree from Colgate, which is located in Hamilton, N.Y.
“I believe this education that I’m able to get with this degree means a lot more than a lot of people’s degrees in the country,” Burns said. “I don’t think a lot of people think about that aspect of it, but I did. So I really didn’t believe I wanted to leave.
“I feel like we’ve got a great coach, I feel like we’ve got a great team, and this surrounding area, I love being at Colgate.”
The St. Louis Cardinals have gotten in the habit the past couple years of plugging their biggest holes by trading for big-name bats that just happen to have had a whole lot of success against them.
Two years ago, they swung a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. This past offseason, it was a three-team trade for Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolen Arenado.
Now, those two sluggers are set to anchor a much more dangerous lineup and support a strong cast of starters and one of the best bullpens in baseball as the Cardinals seek take aim at the Chicago Cubs and the rest of the NL Central.
“I told him, ‘Great to see you on our side,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said of Arenado, who hit .310 with 11 homers and 33 RBIs in 40 games against St. Louis. “To see him take the field as a Cardinal is something hopefully he doesn't forget.”
Arenado, with his eight consecutive Gold Gloves, joins one of the best defensive lineups in the game. The big question heading into spring was whether inflammation in the AC joint of his shoulder has abated after Arenado played through pain most of last season, resulting in a career-worst .253 average with eight homers and 26 RBIs in 48 games.
“Feels great. Letting it rip,” Arenado said midway through spring training. “I feel nothing. Thank God, so far it's been great. Obviously the trainers are still taking care of it, but no complaints."
No complaints from Goldschmidt, either. He bounced back from a pedestrian debut with St. Louis in 2019 with a solid COVID-19-shorted season a year ago, and could be poised for even better returns this season. Arenado should provide him some protection in the lineup.
“Nolan is one of the best in the game. He's definitely going to help us make great plays,” Goldschmidt said. "We all expect a lot out of ourselves, and Nolan is no different.”
ROTATION WOES
Already without Dakota Hudson as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, the rotation took another hit when Miles Mikolas developed soreness in his right shoulder that has ruled him out for at least one turn on the mound.
Then, let-hander Kwang Hyun Kim developed back stiffness that kept him from throwing for about five days this spring.
Jack Flaherty, Adam Wainwright and Carlos Martinez are locks for the starting rotation, but the Cardinals could need two fill-ins should Kim and Mikolas have additional setbacks once the season begins.
SPEAKING OF PITCHING
John Gant arrived in Florida trying to show the Cardinals that he could be a starting pitcher again, even though the right-hander has been indispensable out of the bullpen. He won an astounding 11 games in relief two years ago, and while he was 0-3 last season, Gant had a sterling 2.40 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning.
“It definitely allows me to establish things at your own pace instead of, 'Hey, you need to have it established this instant coming in as a reliever,'” Gant said of his desire to start. ”You can make a whole lot happen in that timespan.”
REST OF THE BULLPEN
The Cardinals relief corps, which returns largely intact, will get a big boost from the return of Jordan Hicks from Tommy John surgery. He joins a group led by Andrew Miller and Giovanny Gallegos with flame-throwing Alex Reyes on the back end.
“I have no issue with Alex throwing the ninth,” Shildt. “Here's a guy that clearly has the stuff and the fortitude to do it.”
WELCOME BACK
Yadier Molina toyed with retirement after last season but ultimately decided to return to St. Louis for his 18th season behind the plate. And why not? The 38-year-old Molina still hit .262 with four homers and 16 RBIs in 42 games last season.
The nine-time All-Star could get a few more days off than usual, though.
Elite prospect Andrew Knizner has proven this spring that he's ready for the big leagues, and Tyler Heineman has been a pleasant surprise if they start him in the minors.
PATROLLING THE OUTFIELD
The Cardinals cleared the way for top prospect Dylan Carlson to play every day when they traded veteran Dexter Fowler to the Angels. The 22-year-old Carlson will join 25-year-olds Tyler O'Neill and Lane Thomas and 26-year-old Harrison Bader in a young group of outfielders that should be top-shelf defensively but leaves question marks at the plate.
“It will be a similar message with a lot of guys, including most of the outfielders – just go play, go be you, trust your ability and enjoy yourself," Shildt said. "Just go play the game with passion and a competitive spirit.