Elijah Burns begins pro career in Bulgaria

LOUDONVILLE, NY » Siena standout Elijah Burns will continue his basketball career at the professional level in Bulgaria. The local product from nearby Troy, New York has signed with BC Rilski Sportist in Samokov, Bulgaria, which competes in Bulgaria’s highest professional basketball league, the National Basketball League.

“I’m really thankful for the opportunity to start my pro career in Bulgaria, and I think that it will be a tremendous experience for me,” said Burns. “I’m looking forward to learning the culture and growing my game. My time at Siena was a great experience for me. I had a strong season where I was able to improve my game, and I’m excited to showcase it overseas. I’m super thankful for all the love and support that my parents have given me, as well as all of the opportunities that I have received.”

Burns made the most of his lone season suiting up for the Saints this past winter, as the graduate transfer from Notre Dame was named the recipient of the 2020 Riley Wallace Award, which is presented annually by

CollegeInsider.com to the nation’s top Division I midmajor transfer. A two-time MAAC Player of the Week, Burns was heralded as a

Second Team All-MAAC and MAAC All-Tournament Team selection.

Burns led the MAAC in field goal percentage connecting at a stellar 62.2% clip, while also ranking third in the conference in free throw percentage (.859), eighth in scoring (14.4), ninth in rebounding (5.8), and 10th in offensive rebounding (1.8). The Siena co-captain posted three double-doubles and scored 19 points or more 10 times, highlighted by a season-high 28-point performance on 10-13 shooting in just 24 minutes in a victory over Bucknell on Dec. 21.

Burns helped lead the Saints to the program’s most successful season in a decade. Siena won the program’s eighth MAAC Regular Season Championship, and was awarded its sixth MAAC Tournament Championship while also being the conference’s NCAA automatic qualifier. The Saints posted a 20-10 overall record including a 15-5 ledger in the MAAC, and finished the season with 10 consecutive wins to mark the nation’s seventh longest active winning streak.

Located in Samokov, Bulgaria in the southwestern part of the country approximately 30 miles south of the capital Sofia, BC Rilski Sportist also competes in the annual FIBA Europe Cup and the Balkan International Basketball League. BC Rilski Sportist won the Bulgarian Cup in both 2016 and 2018, and captured the BIBL