Burton down to....

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

One of the dangers of recruiting local kids is that they will always have people around them who may not be the best influences. We all have that friend from high school, who we knew could talk us into doing things that weren't in our best interest, but we do it anyway. We all have that relative who thinks they know what's best for us and we listen even if they don't know what they are talking about. We all have that person who helped us out a while ago and now we feel like we owe them.

When you go far away for college, you get away from those people. You get a chance to reinvent yourself. An college athlete's team essentially becomes his friends and family because his real friends and family are far away. When you stay close to home, those people are still around and are still whispering in your ear. I remember that Buzz and co were hesitant to recruit Dwight Buycks because of this issue and it was only after having some very direct conversations during his recruiting that they decided to give him the offer. I got to experience some of first hand here at TAMU when J'Mychal Reese was on the team.

Sometimes having family close to home can be a great thing for college athletes. Sometimes it can mean the wrong influential people in their lives will have to much to say about their college experience.

[connie]

Burton was not playing hard. He had 6 defensive rebounds on the year. Let me repeat...SIX defensive rebounds this year. I don't think anyone is too concerned with his leaving. Play hard or get out.

Grow up.  The kid is gone.  Show some class, wish him well, and move on.

[Class71]

Burton is being told he needs to be a 2 guard.

No surprise on him being told to be a 2. Question is can he make the transition while focusing on team vs. individual effort. If he can, he will eventually be NBA bound. I hope he makes the right decisions, has the commitment and makes the necessary changes.

[Johnny B]

go be a bruin Deonte. Its a hell of an area in LA

[Lennys Tap]

The same guy who told McKay he shouldn't redshirt, by chance?

There are advantages and disadvantages to recruiting locally. One disadvantage is a player's family or friends can be constantly in his ear reminding him how great he is

[BallBoy]

lol did you not see what JJJ and Duane were able to do in 1 game? Able to get to the rack at will. Deonte would have thrived with more size on the court.

I think the point was whether Burton was going to see the floor as much to take advantage of that.  Without Luke, it stretched people to positions outside of their norm that opened up minutes.  With Luke back, those minutes/positions contracted.  For example, Steve will need to move from the 5 to the 4 in order to get max minutes. 

Assuming that:

Duane: 30 Minutes
Carlino: 30 Minutes
Wilson: 20 Minutes

PG and SG are locked with no minutes available.  I don't see Deonte taking Derrick's minutes as it is more likely that Carlino and Duane would get closer to 34minutes each

Fischer: 30 Minutes
Steve: 10 Minutes

The five is also locked up.

Assuming the JJJ and Juan get 30 minutes each.  That leave a total of 20 minutes to split between Sandy, Burton, and sprinkle on Steve.  So Deonte was going to get no more than what he was currently getting if not less.  If you look at most 8 man rosters the 7 and 8 guys typically get < 16 minutes.  If you assume Sandy would have been 9th guy then Deonte would have been 7 or 8 and not get much.

[Tugg Speedman]

go be a bruin Deonte. Its a hell of an area in LA

If he's leaving because he is not getting enough playing time, how does going to UCLA fix that?  If he wants playing time and be in LA, go to USC, or maybe Long Beach State.

Also, if I can say this delicately, he was eighth in minutes on a team that was 4 and 4. (When he left).  Why would a top-five team loaded with one and two and dones want him?  Yes he had a great reputation and recruiting ranking coming in high school, but he hadn't backed it up in 1.5 years at MU.

[Groin_pull]

A good point was raised earlier. Perhaps it's a case of Burton wanting UCLA more than UCLA wanting Burton.

I've been to Westwood. Can't blame him for that.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I think the point was whether Burton was going to see the floor as much to take advantage of that.  Without Luke, it stretched people to positions outside of their norm that opened up minutes.  With Luke back, those minutes/positions contracted.  For example, Steve will need to move from the 5 to the 4 in order to get max minutes. 

Assuming that:

Duane: 30 Minutes
Carlino: 30 Minutes
Wilson: 20 Minutes

PG and SG are locked with no minutes available.  I don't see Deonte taking Derrick's minutes as it is more likely that Carlino and Duane would get closer to 34minutes each

Fischer: 30 Minutes
Steve: 10 Minutes

The five is also locked up.

Assuming the JJJ and Juan get 30 minutes each.  That leave a total of 20 minutes to split between Sandy, Burton, and sprinkle on Steve.  So Deonte was going to get no more than what he was currently getting if not less.  If you look at most 8 man rosters the 7 and 8 guys typically get < 16 minutes.  If you assume Sandy would have been 9th guy then Deonte would have been 7 or 8 and not get much.

I don't disagree, but this also assumes Deonte didn't start playing better.

My guess is that JJJ and Deonte would have likely had ups and downs throughout the season, and could have shared minutes @ the 3, with Deonte getting some at the #4 as well.

If Deonte was playing well, he'd have found enough minutes, imho.

[Silkk the Shaka]

There are advantages and disadvantages to recruiting locally. One disadvantage is a player's family or friends can be constantly in his ear reminding him how great he is

Wait... I thought we were only supposed to recruit Wisconsin kids and maybe some neighboring states? We were all told repeatedly by a high-volume poster that those guys from Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina would want to transfer out and didn't have any connection to MU

[wadesworld]

I don't know if people have paid attention to college basketball recently, but over the past 5 seasons Iowa State has been much more competitive/successful than UCLA has been, including this season.  If people think UCLA is out of the question for Burton because he's not good enough to play there, then so is ISU.

[Lennys Tap]

Wait... I thought we were only supposed to recruit Wisconsin kids and maybe some neighboring states? We were all told repeatedly by a high-volume poster that those guys from Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and North Carolina would want to transfer out and didn't have any connection to MU

Yeah, Chris, Jimmy, Jae, Sheesh and DJO stayed and did OK. Maymon, Scott C., Deonte and McKay (Wisconsin), Smith and Blankson (Illinois) and Mbakwe and Amoroso (Minnesota), not so much.

[Lennys Tap]

I don't know if people have paid attention to college basketball recently, but over the past 5 seasons Iowa State has been much more competitive/successful than UCLA has been, including this season.  If people think UCLA is out of the question for Burton because he's not good enough to play there, then so is ISU.

Truth

[Tugg Speedman]

Truth

+1

Same argument applies for Iowa State

In fact, look at the transfers over the last many years, how many of them went to a team that was ranked higher, or perceived to be better team than MU at that time?  I would argue none.  Right now ISU and UCLA are better than MU.

(To be clear, the day J-May transferred, MU was perceived and ranked better than Tenn.  Yes, over the ensuing years he played that changed, but not the day he transferred.)

[wadesworld]

+1

Same argument applies for Iowa State

In fact, look at the transfers over the last many years, how many of them went to a team that was ranked higher, or perceived to be better team than MU at that time?  I would argue none.  Right now ISU and UCLA are better than MU.

(To be clear, the day J-May transferred, MU was perceived and ranked better than Tenn.  Yes, over the ensuing years he played that changed, but not the day he transferred.)

?  It changed over the ensuing years he played?  The only year Tennessee has been better than us in the recent past is last year, so yes they had a better year but not his first two seasons or redshirt (injury, not transfer) year.

[MUSF]

go be a bruin Deonte. Its a hell of an area in LA

I would be very surprised if he ends up at UCLA.

[brewcity77]

The same guy who told McKay he shouldn't redshirt, by chance?

They do have some acquaintances in common...