Texas Tech lands Wichita State transfer guard Jamarius Burton
The Red Raiders have once again made an addition to their roster. Two days after the commitment of Clarendon College big man Esahia Nyiwe, Texas Tech has landed the commitment of Wichita State transfer guard Jamarius Burton.
Burton had previously narrowed down his options to a top four of Marquette, Xavier, Seton Hall and Texas Tech, and will now spend the rest of his college career in Lubbock.
As a regular transfer, Burton will have to sit out the 2020/21 season. The NCAA is currently looking at passing a one-time transfer rule, but as of now the expectation is for Burton to sit out while he gets acclimated to his new home, new teammates and new coaches.
In years past the grad transfer additions of Tariq Owens, Matt Mooney, Chris Clarke and T.J. Holyfield came with a lot of well-deserved fanfare, but Texas Tech and head coach Chris Beard have had plenty of success with the sit-out transfer as well.
Center Tommy Hamilton sat out the 2016-17 season after coming over from DePaul, and was a big part in the Red Raiders' run to the Elite Eight the following season. Wing Brandone Francis sat out a season after coming over from Florida, and played key roles in his two seasons in Lubbock. Just last season, Joel Ntambwe sat out after transferring in from UNLV and being denied eligibility multiple times.
Burton is a unique player; listed at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds by Wichita State, he projects as a point guard prospect at the NBA level with his size and passing ability. In college, though, he is capable of playing all three guard spots, where his versatile game allows him to play both on and off-ball. As a sophomore, Burton averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for the Shockers.
Another area Burton will help the Red Raiders is with his 3-point shooting. Burton didn't put up many 3's at just over two attempts per game, but shot a solid .381% from deep.
Burton has had success playing against the Big 12 Conference as well. This season he played 20, 26 and 30 minutes in games against West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, respectively, and led Wichita State to a 2-1 record in those contests. Against the Cowboys, Burton's star shined especially bright, as he filled a complete box score with seven points, eight rebounds, 11 assists, and three steals.
In 2018-19, Burton was named two time AAC Freshman of the Week and set the Wichita State record for assists by a freshman with 126.
After a sit out season, Burton will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Red Raiders.