Film Room: Jordan Burks

We are now one step closer to filling out the 2023-2024 Kentucky Basketball roster. Early Monday morning, the Wildcats added Jordan Burks from Overtime Elite’s Hillcrest Prep. The 6’9″ small forward is a three-star recruit ranked #172 in the Class of 2023 by the On3 Industry Ranking.

Burks, who previously was headed to Ole Miss, requested a release from his National Letter of Intent on March 29th after Coach Chris Beard was hired in Oxford. Mississippi State, Missouri, and Texas Texas were among the other schools involved the first time around. Now he will remain in the Southeastern Conference for a Kentucky team desperately in need of roster depth.

What role Burks ultimately plays this coming season in Lexington remains to be seen, but his ability to put the ball in the basket is undeniable. The 6’9″ small forward led Overtime Elite in scoring this season averaging 27.1 points per game. However, those points came on high volume for a team that did not have very much success. Hillcrest Prep was just 3-14 in their Overtime Elite games this season. Meanwhile, Burks shooting splits of 46.7%, 26.7%, 67.0% weren’t exactly efficient. There is obvious scoring talent though that could help add a punch off of the bench for the ‘Cats sooner rather than later.

As usual, we’ve been hard at work in the KSR Film Room breaking down Kentucky’s latest roster addition. This three-star recruit joins the nation’s top recruiting class filled with five-stars and McDonald’s All-Americans. However, that doesn’t mean that he should be an after thought. In this breakdown we will take a look at Burks’ shot-making ability, how he creates for himself, and his talent in transition. There will also be an honest conversation about his short comings and what could make the transition to a blue-blood difficult. Let’s dive on in and get to know more about Jordan Burks.

Shot-Making and Scoring Ability

You recruit Jordan Burks because of his ability to put the ball in the basket. Admittedly, he is a volume scorer at this point. However, it is better to be a volume scorer than not a scorer at all. Burks never scored fewer than 18 points, had four games of 30+, and a high of 42 on his way to leading OTE in scoring. His height at 6’9″ makes him a tough matchup and will allow him to potentially play the “3” or the “4” in Lexington adding some needed front court versatility. Let’s take a look at his scoring ability and how it might translate to high-major basketball.

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It is always better to evaluate full games than highlight tapes. Luckily, several Overtime Elite games are available online making it easier to really dive into Jordan Burks. His shot selection must be reigned in, but these are the type of shots that could translate to a real Kentucky game. We will talk more about Burks in transition later, but he runs the floor very well at his size. He can initiate the break as a ball handler or run the wings as a potential shooter. That all adds up to allowing the ‘Cats to play faster. Here you see him sprint ahead of the defense and run wide to the corner for a throw ahead three-pointer. Having more guys who can make this type of shot really can open up Kentucky’s offense.

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There is definitely some streakiness to Burks’ shooting ability. He was 12-45 from deep in Overtime Elite games, but that included a three-game stretch of 0-12. It is fair to project that his percentage can improve at the next level when playing as a role player instead of as a primary creator. Again, these are the type of shots that can potentially translate to the college level. Coach Calipari may or may not want him taking this type of shot right away, but it isn’t a bad look for him. The defender starts to go underneath the ballscreen and Burks makes him pay by simply pulling up off of the dribble. Kentucky needs more guys that you can’t go under against defensively.

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Jordan Burks handles the ball well enough to create in late shot clock situations. He gives Kentucky another potential weapon as some who can “get a bucket” when necessary. Here you see him against future Wildcat teammate Rob Dillingham. Burks starts to his right, comes back left, steps back, and fires over the much smaller defender. This is where his size and length at 6’9″ really come into play offensively. As a perimeter-oriented guy he often ends up with a smaller defender matched up on him. He has the offensive game to make opponents pay for a mismatch.

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There is some real potential for Burks to swing to the “4” spot and potentially even develop into a pick-and-pop threat at Kentucky. He has a pretty quick release and a smooth shot path here on a catch-and-shoot attempt. It may not happen right away, but if he is willing to develop, Burks could have a real future as a multi-faceted scorer in Lexington.

Creating Off of the Dribble

In order to really be considered a secondary playmaker, Jordan Burks will have to tighten his handle and get stronger. However, he certainly flashes the potential to create for himself at all three levels off of the dribble. This will probably be the area of development that could most unlock his ceiling as a player in college and beyond.

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The 6’9″ Burks loves to spin at the end of his drives. This is an effective move because his size and length allow him to create space on the spin to finish with a variety of floaters. He isn’t the most explosive guy, but at his height he really doesn’t have to be. While he must get stronger off of the bounce, there are some flashes of legitimate shot-creation chops.

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This is a good example of his ceiling as a ball handler. Burks handles the pressure of a small defender well, uses his patented spin move to get into the paint, and then goes up strong for a two-handed slam. You probably won’t see this much in the Southeastern Conference as a freshman, but the potential is there.

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Again you see Jordan Burks using the spin move on the perimeter to get by his defender. At the end of the drive, his length and size help allow him to finish through the contact. He is good enough off of the dribble that you can allow him to create for himself some, especially in late shot clock situations.

Transition

Overtime Elite was not the most structured basketball environment. That means that Jordan Burks and his Hillcrest Prep team spent a lot of time playing in transition. The 6’9″ small forward is comfortable playing several different roles when running the break. He can rebound the ball and go coast-to-coast, spread the floor as a shooter when sprinting to a corner, or cut along the baseline to finish above the rim. There is some real versatility there that will help allow Kentucky to speed the pace up if they want when Burks is in the game.

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In order to be really good in transition you need multiple guys who can get the ball and go. Jordan Burks has the potential to be one of those guys for Kentucky. Here you see him corral the rebound and then go coast-to-coast for a layup when nobody stops the ball. He is fluid enough end-to-end, and comfortable enough handling the ball, to let him do this from time to time.

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Burks also has the ability to sneak along the baseline as the ball gets moved ahead and play behind the defense to finish at the rim. Admittedly, he is not an explosive athlete. Despite looking the part he is not very gifted vertically. However, he still is long enough at 6’9″ to play above the rim and finish some plays like this.

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When you can play both ends of the fast break, both as the facilitator and as the finisher, it gives you a chance to be a real threat in transition. We also saw Jordan Burks make a throw ahead transition three-pointer earlier in the film breakdown. He will have the opportunity to be a really impactful player in transition if the ‘Cats play a more up-tempo style this coming season.

What Does All This Mean?

Jordan Burks is a talented scorer with the potential to put the ball in the basket from all three levels. At 6’9″ he has excellent size on the perimeter. He was able to use that combination of size and skill to lead Overtime Elite in scoring. Those are things that we know about Kentucky’s newest addition. However, there are certainly some unknowns and question marks surrounding the three-star small forward as well. Can he score efficiently enough to be allowed freedom at the college level? Will he be athletic enough to operate in the Southeastern Conference? Is he going to be comfortable “playing a role” after being “the man” in high school? Those questions all will be answered over time as he gets on campus and begins working with the coaching staff.

Regardless of just how much Burks contributes as a freshman, Kentucky simply needed some bodies to fill out the roster. The Wildcats still only have eight confirmed scholarship players for next season. However, there are irons in the fire that could quickly move that number to 10 or 11 in the next week or so. It may have taken until June 12, but there is finally some light at the end of the offseason tunnel. Welcome to Big Blue Nation, Jordan Burks!