Jamarius Burton finds right fit at Pitt
Pitt picked up a commitment on Tuesday evening from Jamarius Burton. Burton is a 6'4" guard that played for Texas Tech this season in 2020-21. As a member of the Red Raiders, he averaged 4.1 points per game and made four starts in 23 games played this year.
Burton is a native of Charlotte. He started his college career at Wichita State for two seasons. After being away from his home area, the appeal of playing closer to home in the ACC was a big factor in his decision.
"I think the fit was what I needed to get back closer to home and play for a coach that played my position at the highest level and ultimately in the ACC," Burton told Panther-Lair.com following his commitment.
The connection with Pitt head coach Jeff Capel was another notable factor in this recruitment. Both Burton and Capel are natives of North Carolina, and they both share the position of point guard.
"They said that I would have the freedom to make plays on and off the ball and the opportunity will be there," Burton said of Pitt's vision for him. "So I feel like that will allow me to go back to using my strengths. With (Jeff) Capel being a point guard himself, he'll be able to put me in positions to be effective - just we'll be able to have a deeper connection, I feel like with him being a previous guard, a guy that played that position."
Burton did not have the season he had hoped for when he transferred to Texas Tech. He was one of the more highly-sought transfers after two years playing for Wichita State. As a sophomore, he averaged 10.3 points per game and 3.4 assists. Burton believes Pitt presented him the best opportunity to regain his form he had with the Shockers.
"For me it took some time," Burton said of his decision to transfer. "I was still trying to figure out what I was doing here at Texas Tech and then ultimately I just sat down with my family and created a list of things that I felt was important for me in my next journey, and Pitt fit that. So I'm just blessed to be able to have this opportunity."
In high school, Burton was graded as a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com. He starred for Independence High School in Charlotte. He led his team to the state championship as senior with a 31-1 record. As a native of Charlotte, he's excited for the opportunity to play in the ACC.
"It's special," Burton said of being able to play in the ACC. "As a kid you dream of playing at the stage and to finally be able to do that is a true blessing, so I just look forward to going out there and competing each and every night knowing that there's high-level guys on the other side."
Burton played for an NCAA Tournament team this past season, and is hoping to bring that kind of winning edge to Pittsburgh with him.
"A hard-worker," Burton said of what Pitt fans can expect from him. "Somebody that's going to play each and every night and give 100%, and I just want them to know that I'm a winner and I'm going to bring that and contribute with winning in my time in Pittsburgh."