Recruiting Report: Robert Burries Jr.
On January 19, 2016, the starting freshman point guard for the Globe Tigers, Robert “B.J.” Burries, walked into the team locker room just like any other game. He tied his shoes, put on his jersey, nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. This game turned out to be way more than anyone in the gym was expecting.
With the game finishing after the second overtime period, Globe edged Florence 105-103. Burries had 68 of his team’s 105.
“That game was amazing, I didn’t focus on it at the start. I just wanted to win because it was a region game… I was in the zone the whole game, when I heard I scored 68 I didn’t really care for it at first because I was tired and wanted to go home.” Burries commented about his high scoring night. “The next day is when it finally hit me, I was still in shock.”
After this game, Burries name began to fly around the opposing schools as well as the northern Arizona region and as far as the Navajo reservation; being that Burries himself is half Native American.
He backed up his big night with another showing during his sophomore season. A 51-point game and a win over a Safford team that had beaten the Tigers earlier in the season. “I was locked in and ready to go, I did not want to lose to them again.” Burries said.
Being young does not stop Burries from being the leader of his team, in his sophomore season he averaged 26.3 ppg, 4.2 apg, 5.1 rpg, and 4.6 spg.
Burries knows how to get the ball in the rim, he has collected 1,484 points so far in his high school career and even said that he wants to beat Mike Bibby’s Arizona record for points at 3,002.
With two full seasons left to play the Globe sophomore has already received letters from a pair of DI schools: Weber St. and Nebraska. Other colleges such as San Jose State, New Mexico State, and Fresno State have all shown interest in the young point guard.
“I would like to go anywhere in the Pac12.” Burries said when asked what schools he would like to go to. He even has high hopes for a possible Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina and some of the other elite DI schools that we see today.
Burries compares his style of play to the likes of the starting PG of the Boston Celtics, Isiah Thomas. The similarities that he found between the two of them are that they are both left handed players, they both can get to the rack when needed, and that they both show how much they love the game by how hard they play. It just so happens that they both are the same height at 5’10”.
When the high school season is over Burries plays AAU ball for the I-10 Celtics. He expects his team to “Win, win, win.”
This young ball handler is on the rise and has a promising future.