Burton has this ACC honor on lockdown of late
SOUTH BEND — The local guy did it again.
By this time, when a new week arrives for the Notre Dame men’s basketball team, it should be no surprise who earns top Atlantic Coast Conference rookie honors for their work the previous seven days.
For the second straight week, and the third time in the last four, the league’s top rookie is Notre Dame guard Markus Burton. The Mishawaka native averaged 26.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.5 steals in 34.5 minutes as Notre Dame won its final two home games of the regular season.
Burton was one of four players up for this week’s rookie honor, voted on by league media. He also was one of four under consideration for league player of the week.
An Irish freshman has earned league player of the week four times in the last eight weeks. Burton’s backcourt mate, Braeden Shrewsberry, was recognized after a career-high 25 points in early January.
No ACC player has earned more rookie of the week recognition than Burton, tied with Pittsburgh guard Carlton “Bub” Carrington with four honors. Carrington, one of the four finalists this week, has not earned rookie of the week since January 8.
In the 70-65 home win over Wake Forest, Burton scored a career-high 31 points with three rebounds, three assists and four steals in 35 minutes.
“We had a really hard time guarding Markus Burton,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said afterward. “He’s a really good player.”
In Saturday’s 69-62 win over Clemson, Burton had 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and a steal in 34 minutes.
“Markus Burton is an elite player,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said afterward.
Burton has scored double figures in 22 consecutive contests and has scored at least 16 in each of the last nine games. He’s a lock to earn all-rookie team honors and could become the first player in Notre Dame history to earn ACC rookie of the year. Troy Murphy (1999) and Chris Thomas (2002) were Big East rookies of the year.
Burton ranks seventh in the league in scoring (17.3 ppg.), fifth in assists (4.28), fourth in steals (2.0) and sixth in minutes (33.5). All are team highs. His 502 points are fifth in program history for a freshman. Burton is 18 points shy of breaking Murphy’s freshman single season scoring record (519).
Winners of two straight and five of six, Notre Dame (12-17; 7-11) closes the regular season with games at North Carolina (Tuesday) and Virginia Tech (Saturday).