Deonte Burton - future Charles Barkley?

[NersEllenson]

Okay, a very over the top statement - but I can't recall which color guy threw this out there about Burton - but he made the comparison of Burton to a young Charles Barkley.

When you look at that coast to coast finish yesterday...and dunk...that was vintage Charles Barkley from his young years.  Burton is built similarly (slightly better than Chuck), but also has that rare explosiveness in a man of his size, as did Charles.

Long way to go for Deonte - but man - what a piece of clay to work with and develop.  Think he's got a great attitude and passion for the game to go along with it - and should serve him and MU well going forward.  Can't wait to see him as a Junior and Senior (assuming he's around for senior year).

[MU82]

Sir Deonte?

Obviously, this is way premature ... but if we have to compare him to somebody, there certainly is some resemblance to Barkley. If only the development can continue along those lines (minus the fat)!

[NavinRJohnson]

If you're talking about yesterday, O'Neill compred him to Zach Randolph, which isn't bad. I don't need, Barkley. I'll sign up for Zach Randolph right now.

[tower912]

Many comparisons have been tossed out there.   Barkley, short Zach Randolph.   I see Roosevelt Chapman, Kerry Trotter, Mark Aguirre.... undersized 3-4 scorers.  

[MU82]

Many comparisons have been tossed out there.   Barkley, short Zach Randolph.   I see Roosevelt Chapman, Kerry Trotter, Mark Aguirre.... undersized 3-4 scorers.  

VERY short Zach Randolph!

Mark Aguirre was already a super stud as a frosh, but that would be a good one.

[Nukem2]

VERY short Zach Randolph!

Mark Aguirre was already a super stud as a frosh, but that would be a good one.

Aguirre was always rather pudgy whereas Deonte is chiseled.  Don't see that comparison.  Also, Aguirre was an excellent outside shooter.  Deonte is really one of a kind, especially being so very left-handed.

[Goose]

Not sure on who he compares best with, but think he has very ceiling at the college level. By the time he is junior he has a chance to be a major force.

[NersEllenson]

If you're talking about yesterday, O'Neill compred him to Zach Randolph, which isn't bad. I don't need, Barkley. I'll sign up for Zach Randolph right now.

Yes, heard KO throw out the Zach Randolph comment - think the lefty component and big man with soft touch applies in comparison to Zach R.  But there was a color guy, maybe even a studio guy earlier this year that threw out the Charles Barkley comparison - which I thought was good - albeit a HUGE comparison to live up to - but just see very few men as put together as Deonte, who are also that explosive - like Barkley was back in the day.

[tower912]

I'm not sure that Deonte gets to the league.   At his size and with his skill set, he is eventually going to have to develop his right hand.  If you keep attacking the rim against significantly larger defenders, you have to be able to score with either hand.   (that's what SHE said)

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Many comparisons have been tossed out there.   Barkley, short Zach Randolph.   I see Roosevelt Chapman, Kerry Trotter, Mark Aguirre.... undersized 3-4 scorers.  

Aguirre was an All American and led his team to the Final Four as a freshman! I am sure he averaged more than 20 points per game. I still say he was the best college player I've ever seen.

I do like Burton, but come on!

[Goose]

PRN

MA was unreal college player from day one. The biggest recruit lost in MU history. He was a special player for many, many years.

[tower912]

I mean as an undersized stretch 4.   Agguire could play inside or out, was very gifted offensively and very lazy defensively.  He was 6'5, which let to me thinking of him.   I acknowledge it is a reach.  I am trying to recall college players who were undersized and yet were power forwards at heart.  

[Galway Eagle]

I mean as an undersized stretch 4.   Agguire could play inside or out, was very gifted offensively and very lazy defensively.  He was 6'5, which let to me thinking of him.   I acknowledge it is a reach.  I am trying to recall college players who were undersized and yet were power forwards at heart.  

Lazar Hayward

[jeffreyweee]

My favorite part about Burton is he is undersized for his game right now. Which means either he's going to be a monster here for 4 years because the NBA won't touch him with his size, or he develops an outstanding pull up and 3-point game and becomes a phenomenal all-around player most NBA coaches would salivate at.

[Nukem2]

I mean as an undersized stretch 4.   Agguire could play inside or out, was very gifted offensively and very lazy defensively.  He was 6'5, which let to me thinking of him.   I acknowledge it is a reach.  I am trying to recall college players who were undersized and yet were power forwards at heart.  

Aguirre was a full 6'6".  He had a couple inches on Deonte.  I stood next to Aguirre in Salt Lake City back in the 1977 Final 4 and he was definitely taller ( in my fuzzy memory   ) than Deonte, whom I have walked by a couple times.  Deonte is definitely undersized.  He had a lot of trouble with the length of  Kevon Looney last season in HS.  

[brandx]

Aguirre was an All American and led his team to the Final Four as a freshman! I am sure he averaged more than 20 points per game. I still say he was the best college player I've ever seen.

I do like Burton, but come on!

These guys are a 'little' over the top Aguirre averaged 24 point a game as a freshman. He was an all-American and a player of the year. Deonte is gonna be a very nice player - probably a 1st team all-BE in a couple years, but he is no Mark Aguirre.

And the Zac Randolph comparison - where does that come from? Zac makes Davante Gardner look like David Thompson. Deonte is a leaper.

[4everwarriors]

1977 Final Four was held at the Omni in Atlanta. You may be thinkin' of '79, a'ina?

[Nukem2]

1977 Final Four was held at the Omni in Atlanta. You may be thinkin' of '79, a'ina?

Yep, I was at both...just a typo here...

[Stretchdeltsig]

Deonte is a talent.  The more minutes he plays the more he will contribute.  Aguire played a lot as a freshman because there wasn't a ton of talent on his team.   

[Lennys Tap]

Deonte is a talent.  The more minutes he plays the more he will contribute.  Aguire played a lot as a freshman because there wasn't a ton of talent on his team.   

Didn't they go to the Final Four?

[Galway Eagle]

Deonte is a talent.  The more minutes he plays the more he will contribute.  Aguire played a lot as a freshman because there wasn't a ton of talent on his team.   

played with Terry Cummings I think there was some decent talent on there. 

[warriorchick]

The dunk is now on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eghnMMSZz1s

[Dawson Rental]

The dunk is now on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eghnMMSZz1s

Also includes a JJJ dunk.  Too bad they didn't include JJJ's bobbled dunk that he then turned into a nice reverse layup.  O'Neill loved that play.

Nicest thing about Deonte's dunk was the hesitation he used to get past his defender on the perimeter.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Deonte is a talent.  The more minutes he plays the more he will contribute.  Aguire played a lot as a freshman because there wasn't a ton of talent on his team.   

Are you out of your mind? He played because he was the third best player in the country, behind Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. There is zero comparison. It's like comparing JaJuan to Clyde Drexler...although Aguirre was better than Drexler in college. Look at it this way, as a freshman, Aguirre was much more dominant than Jabari Parker.

Btw, whoever mentioned Cummings, he was not on the 79 FF team. He came the next year.

[tower912]

Let's see.  IIRC, that team had Clyde Bradshaw and Skip Dillard.   It seems to me that Ray only played about 6 players and I can't recall who the bigs were.