Burks: Late - Lottery Pick
Colorado shooting guard Alec Burks just solidified his stock as a late-lottery pick in this June's NBA Draft with a 29-point, 15-rebound, 6-assists, 3-steal breakthrough against Iowa State in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament. Burks has been our top rated shooting guard in the potential draft class (Burks is just a sophomore). At 6'6", this lanky wing is a tremendous scorer and is excellent off the dribble. He's not as much of a 3-point threat (28.6 percent on the year) as he is a slasher. But there's no doubt in NBA front offices that this kid can score. He's got a tremendous first step to get by you and pull-up for a mid-range jumper or take the ball to the rim and finish at the basket.
In the first half of Wednesday's action against Iowa State, Burks actually had more turnovers (five) than points (four) and Colorado founds their grasps of the "bubble" slipping away. Behind a 25-point, zero-turnover second half effort, Burks and the Buffs charged back. Not only did the shooting guard explode on the national scene in front of plenty of scouts, but he'll get a chance for an encore tomorrow with Colorado's comeback win.
By President Corey Ruff - 3-8-11
