‘That’s the Jamarius I know’: How a text from home flipped the switch for WSU’s Burton
A lot of good things have happened for the Wichita State men’s basketball team, now ranked No. 23 in the country, during its 13-1 start.
Among the best has been the development of Jamarius Burton in his sophomore season with the Shockers.
Entering Thursday’s top 25 showdown against No. 21 Memphis at 6 p.m. in Koch Arena, Burton is averaging 10.5 points (up from 6.0 points from last season), shooting 49% from the field (up from 39%) and, most impressively, shooting 50% on three-pointers (up from 26%).
“It’s just a blessing to see the work that you put in start to pay off,” Burton said. “To go from 26% to 50%, that’s a tremendous leap. I’m just trying to stay in the gym, get my reps up and grow even more confident in my abilities.”
What a difference a year makes
Last season defenders sagged off Burton or left him to clog driving lanes or double-team someone else. Defenses would have considered it a victory if Burton took a jump shot or, even better, a three-pointer.
Burton watched the film. He saw how his poor shooting hurt the offense. It motivated him this past summer to stay in Wichita so he could constantly be at Koch Arena with the goal of practicing at least 500 shots every day. He refined his shooting stroke to improve his long-range accuracy.
Now Burton is burning defenses for leaving him alone. After making just 10 threes last season, Burton has 13 in 13 games this year. He’s made a three-pointer in five straight games and has the best accuracy on the team.
“Obviously he worked on his stroke over the summer and he’s taking good shots,” said WSU sophomore Erik Stevenson, who has taken a leap of his own this season. “His patience has gotten a lot better. He doesn’t shoot it every time he touches it. He gets paint touches, some up-fakes, some and-ones. He’s playing bully basketball, but adding a 50% three-point clip to it. That’s tough.”
Patience is a great way to describe Burton’s offensive game and also why he’s so effective.
At 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, Burton uses his size advantage over smaller guards. But he’s also picky about his shots. He rarely forces contested shots. Instead he likes to take his time, leverage his size and get to the spot on the court he wants.
As a result, the shooting percentage on Burton’s mid-range jumpers has also improved, from 30% (14 of 46) last season to 50% (17 of 34).
“This year the game has slowed down a lot for me,” Burton said. “Last year was fast-paced and I was left just trying to make a play out there and get a feel for it. Now, I know our offense a lot better and I know when I get the ball how to get my shots. My teammates are trusting me and I’m getting in great position to knock down shots.”
A reminder from back home
Kimberly Burton is the self-proclaimed “worst critic” of her son, Jamarius.
So it was no surprise to Burton when he saw a text message from his mother following WSU’s 75-69 victory over East Carolina on New Year’s Day. He had scored 15 points, but missed 5 of 10 free throws and saw his shooting percentage at the line dip to 53%.
“What type of player do you want to be?” read the message. “Because your actions are not aligning with what you’re speaking.”
Burton texted back “OK,” a clear sign he wasn’t ready to talk about it. But hours later that same night, he called his mother back with a different message: “You’re absolutely right.”
When Kimberly Burton and a handful of other family members from Charlotte, North Carolina arrived Friday in Wichita, Jamarius Burton brought them to Koch Arena to watch him work out. That conversation with his mother seemed to flip a switch in Burton, who responded Saturday with 16 points against Ole Miss on 6 of 8 shooting and, more importantly, 3 of 3 shooting at the foul line.
“It was great to see him put the work in,” Kimberly Burton said. “Our family motto across the board is, ‘hard work pays off.’ No one is going to give you anything, so you have to work for it. If you work for it, it will come. What you do in practice is what you do in a game.
“Jamarius is one of those kids that already knows, but sometimes he gets complacent. I felt like he needed (a reminder). Things were going well and he stopped working hard like he normally would.”
The family will again be in attendance for the much hyped game against Memphis on Thursday.
Burton’s mother hopes to once again see the son she knows: the playmaker who can knock down jumpers and play top-notch defense leading a team.
“The way he’s playing now is the Jamarius that I know,” she said with a smile.
This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
.jpg)