But the 6-foot-1 Dallas product also didn’t want to take a chance on a place that may never appreciate his unconventional skills — being a disruptive force on defense whose offensive game was still raw.
He played just 21 games and averaged 4.8 points for the 14-17 Cardinals.
“Last year taught me how to play through adversity throughout the season. There’s a lot of ups and downs. I’d be saying to myself, ‘Stay down,’ which means ‘stay through the process,’” he said.
The process is finally paying off at Wright State, which prioritizes defense. Burch’s God-given gifts of creating havoc with his long arms and quick hands are winning over the staff.
He leads the Horizon League with 3.2 steals per game and also is 11th in assists at 3.2 — despite playing an average of just 19 minutes.
He has more than twice as many steals (29) as turnovers (14), while all other Raiders have more turnovers than steals.
According to KenPom.com analytics, he has the highest steal percentage in the nation at 9.38%. That’s the number of an opponent’s possessions that end up in steals while a specific player is on the court.
“He has very good ball instincts and is buying into a niche. We said, ‘Hey, if you can lead us in steals and lead us in assists, you’re going to be a great player.’ And he’s taken that to heart,” coach Clint Sargent said.
Burch is coming off a five-steal effort against Green Bay, which he has accomplished three times this season. At one point, when he batted a ball toward the scorer’s table and then slid across the sideline to chase it, Sargent hurried toward Burch after the whistle to gleefully help him up.
“People have a hard time taking advantage of his size, or lack thereof,” Sargent said of the 160-pounder. “He’s got such great hands and instincts and a big ol’ heart to compete. He is really fearless.”
He’s averaging 6.9 points, though he’s shooting 40.9% from the field and has gone only 1 of 13 on 3’s.
But he’s too much of a pest not to have a major role — just ask his teammates.
“I hate (going against him) in practice, but it’s cool to be on his team when it comes to game night,” freshman point guard Michael Cooper said.
“I feel like he definitely made me better all summer, just because it’s not just on game night. He brings it every day in practice. He’s put that work in. He’s one of the handsy-est guys I know. It’s big time, for sure.”
Burch crowds the opposition so much that it sometimes spills over into confrontations. And he doesn’t back down.
Against Kent State, he was slapped with two technicals and an ejection.
“It was just a heated game. In the moment, my competitive spirit was just going at it,” he said.
“But I like how Coach lets me play through those things. Even though I had two techs, he’s still telling me to keep doing what I’m doing. He has a lot of trust in me, and that’s why I’m able to do what I do.”
Under NCAA rules, Burch was handed a one-game suspension for getting tossed.
To be clear, Sargent loved the spunk, not the lack of self control.
“He was just telling me to be smart. It’s a learning curve. I was going to learn through it,” Burch said.
“That’s the biggest takeaway I got from it. Pick and choose my battles but be myself.”
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