At the end of the week, college basketball practice gets started in the state.
That’s right, college basketball.
And while we’re focused on the NFL and college football, and to a lesser extent the upcoming NBA and recently started NHL seasons, there’s reason to take notice of what’s happening on the area college scene. Colorado and Denver will have sneaky-good teams. Colorado State is rapidly improving.
But the best reason not to completely wait until January to pay attention to college basketball in the state resides in Boulder.
His name: Alec Burks.
The sophomore has NBA buzz. Lots of it. We’re getting ahead of ourselves a bit, but if he plays well and decides to leave the university after this season, the guard would be a lock to be taken in the first round and has a chance to play himself into the lottery. Really.
Burks’ story has been quite the revelation. His rise in the eyes of NBA scouts has been lightning fast. Few even knew who he was when he arrived on campus last year, but by the end of the season Burks was the Big 12 freshman of the year. And in new coach Tad Boyle’s up-tempo system, Burks should have few problems topping his 17.1 points per game average as a freshman.
What’s attracting professional eyes? Beyond the fact that he’s a prolific scorer — because a lot of players can score — start with his size.
He’s a pretty legit 6-foot-6 shooting guard, the kind of size that gets teams to sit up and take notice. He has shown an ability to rebound and has good length, which helps defensively. He led Colorado in rebounding (150) and was tied for second in steals (35).
He effortlessly runs the court and can finish at the rim, even in traffic. He can do the catch-and-shoot off screens or pull up off the dribble. His height makes it easier to shoot over defenders, and he has the ability to hit shots with hands in his face. Burks made 53.8 percent of his shots as a freshman.
Colorado hasn’t had a ton of players with a real shot at the NBA in recent seasons. Richard Roby had the “it” factor as a freshman but has mostly just flirted with the league. Before Roby, you would have to go back to David Harrison and then Chauncey Billups for athletes who had a legitimate chance at the NBA.
Where this goes from here is up to Burks. He has already gotten the full attention of college basketball reporters and observers, popping up on a bevy of players-to-watch lists.
Over the years, the number of players projected to be NBA caliber is large. But getting from buzz to actually being on the court is the biggest, toughest step Burks will make in his athletic career.
