Jordan Burks commits to Kentucky; comments from John Calipari

UPDATE

As it turns out, Jordan Burks has already moved in to the Kentucky Basketball dorms and is now officially on the 2023-24 roster.

“I’ve always been big on Kentucky because of the atmosphere and the culture,” Burks said of his commitment to Kentucky. “I’ve been watching since I was a kid, and seeing all of the players develop and progress into pros and compete for titles every year made this a place I wanted to play at.

“I wanted to play with the top players in the country at the top basketball school in the country and develop my game under Coach Calipari, while working every day to win the national championship. I want to help this team win a national championship and create a bond with my teammates on and off the court. I want to prepare myself to be in the best shape and be the most productive I can be for this team.”

In addition, here is what head coach John Calipari had to say about Burks.

“Jordan has good size and has the ability to be a prolific scorer,” Calipari said. “His length allows him to play multiple positions, be dynamic in the open court, rebound at both ends and he can put it on the floor and score in a variety of ways. Jordan has challenged himself against the best of the best and wanted to continue to be pushed at the next level. I really love his toughness and his upside is tremendous, and that his dream since he was young was to play at Kentucky! I’m looking forward to getting in the gym and helping him take his game to new levels.”

It is June 12th, and after more than two months since the start of the college basketball offseason, the Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball program has scored its first addition to the 2023-24 roster.

Announced on Monday, the Wildcats received a commitment from four-star forward Jordan Burks.

Burks, a 6-foot-9 forward in the 2023 recruiting class, was originally committed to Ole Miss, but he reopened his recruitment in late March following the firing of Kermit Davis. Following the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline last Wednesday, Kentucky moved in quickly, getting Burks on Campus earlier this week and, ultimately, his commitment.

Rankings-wise, here’s how Burks finished in the 2023 class:

• A four-star prospect ranked 101st overall, 23rd among small forwards, and 10th from the state of Florida at On3.
• A three-star prospect ranked 36th among small forwards and 25th in the state of Florida at 247 Sports.
• A four-star prospect ranked 19th among small forwards and third in the state of Florida at ESPN.
• A three-star prospect at Rivals.

Burks’ ranking may not be very impressive on paper, but many believe he is much better than his ranking suggests.

Despite his ranking, Burks has created a reputation as one of the best offensive talents in the class. As proof, he just led Overtime Elite in scoring this past season, averaging 27.1 points per game on 46.7% shooting.

In doing so, he averaged more than fellow Kentucky freshman, Rob Dillingham, and projected 2023 top-10 picks, Amen and Ausar Thompson. To add, Burks even ranked top 10 in rebounding, averaging 7.5 per game.

With that said, Burks does have some weaknesses. Most notably, he shot less than 30% from three this past season (26.7% 3P). Also, can make some poor reads/decisions, averaging 2.5 per contest.

Here is what On3’s Jamie Shaw had to say about Burks.

Jordan Burks has a basketball player’s frame; long arms, broad shoulders, he has a projectable frame that will take well to a college strength program. Burka has a smooth jump shot. He needs to clean up the mechanics and his balance points, but the release is consistent and he is confident off the bounce and the catch.

Burks is a fluid athlete with some pop. He needs to tighten the handle and learn his reads. Finding his spots on the floor and working toward those would help grow his game. There is so much natural talent here with tools and upside.

The addition of Burks is certainly a positive, if for anything, just to be a body in practice and help the team. However, with his frame and natural talent, Burks could be a player who develops into a contributor for the Wildcats.

Now, check out some highlights of the newest Wildcat in action!

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