Notre Dame dips into its backyard to snag PG Markus Burton for first 2023 commitment
The first Notre Dame men’s basketball 2023 commitment is the latest star from the program’s backyard. Mishawaka (Ind.) Penn point guard Markus Burton committed to the Irish Friday, he announced during a ceremony at his school.
Burton added an offer from Notre Dame on Tuesday following a visit to campus. Two days later, he teased a Friday commitment announcement. It all came after an impressive June and July showing that grabbed the Notre Dame staff’s attention. He scored 35 points in a mid-June tournament game against Class 4A state champion Indianapolis Cathedral, which has five-star forward and top Irish target Xavier Booker on its roster.
Notre Dame was on hand to see Booker that day. It couldn’t help but notice Burton, though. The Irish made a point to watch him in July on the EYBL circuit with his AAU team, Mac Irvin Fire. Head coach Mike Brey saw him during both July live periods.
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Three days after Burton’s final AAU game, Notre Dame hosted him for a visit and offered him before he left. It was his 11th Division I offer but first high-major chance.
All of those offers have come since a breakout junior season at Penn, where he averaged 27.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game. His season raised his recruiting profile from barely known to clear Division I prospect. He was named to the Indiana Junior All-Star team and was the MVP of the Northern Indiana Conference.
Burton averaged 19.5 points, 3.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds in the EYBL’s Kansas City session July 7-10. He averaged 12.3 points and 3.3 assists in six games at Peach Jam.
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Purdue Fort Wayne gave the 5-foot-10 Burton his first offer in March. Western Michigan, Ball State, Illinois-Chicago, Missouri State, Drake, SIU-Edwardsville, Southern Indiana, Appalachian State and Miami (Ohio) followed later in the spring and summer.
Burton is the third South Bend area player to choose Notre Dame since 2021. Guard Blake Wesley came to Notre Dame from South Bend’s Riley High School in 2021, led the Irish in scoring in 2021-22 and became the program’s first one-and-done. The San Antonio Spurs chose him with the No. 25 pick in June’s draft. Notre Dame also signed wing JR Konieczny from South Bend St. Joseph High School in 2021.
Notre Dame’s 2013 class also included two Mishawaka products: Guard Demetrius Jackson (Marian) and forward Austin Torres (Penn).
Burton does not have an On3 Consensus or On3 Top 150 ranking. As it stands, his commitment leaves Notre Dame with four more spots to fill on its 2023-24 roster.
