Sometimes you can hide something on the backburner; sometimes someone in the kitchen decides they are hungry.
Ohio State men’s basketball coach Thad Matta, ever the pursuer of top talent, clearly wants to pluck a premier point guard prospect for his 2011 class. However, he also is faced with the dilemma of not losing grip of 6-foot Trey Burke, who preps right in Ohio State’s back yard at Columbus Northland and is just below that elite tier.
Despite his geographical status, several other programs are ready to pounce and lure the talented Burke away. Among the schools gaining ground is Penn State.
Head coach Ed DeChellis fired off an offer to Burke in person a few weeks ago and the notion could be gaining traction in the Burke household.
“We went to their first football game against Akron and after we got back the assistant coach came to an open gym,” Burke’s father and AAU coach, Benji Burke, told Nittany Network. “A week later (DeChellis) came and he offered the following day.
“Trey likes the size of the campus, the facilities are very nice and they have his course of study. The staff is straightforward and talked about how Trey fits in the offense and how his game is very similar to Talor Battle, who starts for them.
“We are high on them and will re-visit in the next month or so.”
By then the Lions will be in a pitched battle for Burke, who continues to climb up the recruiting charts and has a track record of winning that is just about unmatched by his peers.
Not only did he come into his own last season while helping guide the Vikings to the Division I state title, he also is a standout in one of the top AAU programs in the country, All-Ohio Red, and never lost a game in middle school.
“There are other guys out there who might be a little bigger or catch the eyes of the analysts for some reason, but you can’t ignore the fact that Trey knows how to win,” Benji said.
Benji discussed his son’s outlook while Trey was competing in a Columbus showcase – the Nike All-Ohio Slam-N-Jam Hoop Challenge on Oct. 4. At the moment, Trey was going against another well-regarded central Ohio prospect, junior point guard Stevie Taylor of Gahanna Lincoln.
Burke clearly is adding to his game as well as his frame. Still lean but more muscular, he went right at the cat-quick Taylor and used his quickness, guile, a solid pull-up game to push the ball and find scoring avenues.
“He’s way bigger,” Benji said of his son. “If you look you see he’s picked up about 10 pounds of muscle. That’s what he’s working on.”
Burke is among the top Ohioans in his class – Ohio High Magazine rates him fifth on the 2011 list – and several schools are showing steady interest in him.
“He’s got Penn State (already offered) and Purdue is right there getting ready to offer,” he said. “And we think West Virginia is going to offer. So we’re comfortable where we’re at.”
Despite playing alongside well-rated forwards and OSU commitments Jared Sullinger and J.D. Weatherspoon at Northland, Burke has steadily and efficiently became a go-to player in his own right.
Burke proved he had the tenacity and temerity to make plays in tight moments of games, especially in the postseason, and was named honorable mention All-Central District after the season. He then carried his fine play right into the spring and summer as he became a dominating performer for the All-Ohio Red 16-and-under team.
Burke exploded at times in the offseason, popping for 30-plus points in several games including an even 40 in one contest at the Boo Williams Invitational.
Burke and Northland sophomore Jalen Robinson, a 6-7 forward, will head to West Virginia this week for the program’s “Midnight Madness” kickoff to the start of practice on the night of Fri., Oct. 16.
Benji said Trey also wants to visit Baylor and Purdue and is trying to set up short trips with Miami (Ohio) and Cleveland State.
Making a point in enemy territory?
