Markus Burton withdraws from NBA Draft, will return to Notre Dame
Notre Dame men’s basketball guard Markus Burton has withdrawn from the 2024 NBA Draft and will return to South Bend, Blue & Gold confirmed Friday evening. CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein was first to report the news.
This was always the likely — if not guaranteed — outcome of Burton’s offseason. He all but confirmed that when he declared April 11.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve looked for ways to better my game for my sophomore season,” Burton said in a graphic that he posted to his Instagram page. “While maintaining my eligibility at Notre Dame, I will be entering my name into the NBA Draft. The valuable feedback I will receive from this experience will pay dividends on and off the court.”
After receiving the feedback he wanted, Burton withdrew from the draft 12 days before the May 29 deadline. This was not an uncommon thing to do; dozens of top-tier college basketball players go through the same process and arrive at the same result every year.
Burton was not invited to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, nor was he invited to the G League Elite Camp. In total, 122 players were.
A native of nearby Mishawaka, Burton became an instant star in his first season with the Irish. He won Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year over Duke stalwart Jared McCain and ranked second nationally among freshmen with 17.5 points per game.
Burton also finished fifth in the ACC (second among freshmen) with 4.3 assists per game, and he came in fifth in the league (first among freshmen) with 1.9 steals per game as well.
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Two things likely prevented Burton from being drafted — for now. The first is his high volume of turnovers, in which the freshman led the ACC with 3.7 per game. His sky-high usage rate, which ranked 10th in the nation and led all high-major players at 33.9, did contribute to that number.
The second is his height. Burton is listed at 5-foot-11, but most agree that he’s likely shorter than that in reality. Burton would be one of the smaller players in the NBA, although he didn’t let that stop him from scoring with the Irish.
The last Notre Dame player to be selected in the NBA Draft was Blake Wesley, whom the San Antonio Spurs selected No. 22 overall in 2022. According to Real GM, Wesley is the only men’s basketball player ever to be drafted after his freshman year with the Irish, and he did so after going through the pre-draft process with his eligibility intact.
Upon his return, Burton will regain his status as Notre Dame’s best player and, as opposing coaches frequently argued, one of the better guards in the ACC.
