1 on 1 with Jessie Burton

Remember the song? I know you do. Sing it with me…"You wanna go where people know, people are all the same, you wanna go where everybody knows your name. "

No this isn’t a story about Cheers, it’s one about a point guard from South High School in Minneapolis. Around here people know who Jessie Burton is. "He just has a personality that attracts everyone," says South Coach Joe Hyser. "Everybody knows Jessie and everyone from teachers to students…they all like him."

Outside of Minnesota however, it’s a different story. Many people continue to believe that the land of 10,000 lakes is hockey crazy. And they are. So, what about the hoopers? Slowly but surely Burton’s local peers, such as Kris Humphries, Lawrence McKenzie and Kammron Taylor, have become visible on the national scene. Meanwhile Jessie is still flying below the radar screen.

Not for long though according to Burton. "You here about all of these other guys…well I want to show people who Jessie Burton is."

The rising senior averaged nearly 16 points, 8 assists, and 3 steals per game this past winter, running the show at South, and boy did he look good doing it. "He’s the most powerful person in our program," said Coach Joe Hyser. "He’s a giver first. He has insights that are amazing, and he would be the perfect recruiter because his peers want to play with him. They just know that Jessie will get them the basketball….I just give him the keys to the team and let him run the show."

"When my teammates score that makes me happier than when I score," said Burton. "I won’t shy away from competition and when I need to make a big play, I’m always going to get the job done. When the stage is set, I’ll be ready to perform."

The latest knockout punch was delivered this past weekend at the Nike Memorial Day Classic. Burton and Pulley White were matched up with the NY Gauchos, a team that features sophomore phenom Sebastian Telfair. Burton saw the stage and as per usual stepped up to the challenge. In fact, he reportedly more than held his own against Telfair, and was the difference in his team’s 71-70 victory.

Burton recorded a double double against the Gauchos, with over 20 points and 10 assists. He also played tremendous defense on Telfair, constantly making him change direction and more than once using his quick hands to steal the basketball.

So let’s review for a moment. Powerful person. Giver. Peers want to play with him. Happier when his teammates score. Always ready to perform. Sounds like the makings of big-time recruit. Doesn’t it?

Despite all of these qualities there are still obstacles to overcome. Jessie is 5-10 and weighs 145 pounds, which in today’s world of the Division I point guard is considered small. Don’t think for a second though that Jessie will be deterred. "It motivates me a lot when people say I’m too small and need to go JUCO first," said Burton at a recent shoot-around.

At the present time, Burton has yet to receive a Division I scholarship offer. Oregon, UCONN, DePaul, UNC-Wilmington, Furman, and Boston College have all expressed interest in Jessie, who maintains roughly a 3.0 GPA in the classroom. Still, each school is playing a wait-and-see game right now.

That’s just fine with Jessie. He will continue to produce, and eventually somebody will realize they’ve found a gem in the city of Minneapolis.

"I’m just going to work that much harder every day in the gym," said Burton. "People will know who I am."

Coaches are you listening?

It sounds like the word is spreading already.

Jeremy Tiers, a contributing editor to GopherHole.com, is a national college basketball recruiting analyst for Bob Gibbons All Star Sports Publications (www.bobgibbons.net). He also coaches at the high school level in Minnesota. Jeremy can be reached at allstarreport@hotmail.com.

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