Markus Burton puts pressure on Indiana basketball opponents, but has a level to clear

BLOOMINGTON — Indiana basketball guard Markus Burton finished off a 90-66 win over Tennessee Tech with a flurry of dazzling plays. 

He nailed a fadeaway mid-range jumper in traffic, set up multiple open 3-pointers in the corner on drives through the lane and dropped a dime at the rim to Samet Yigitoglu around a defender’s back. 

The success erased all the frustration he felt earlier in the night.

Through the first 30 minutes, Burton’s aggressiveness on defense again got the better of him and he spent long stretches on the bench. It’s been a recurring issue for the talented Notre Dame transfer going back to IU’s exhibition slate.

Burton looked disappointed as he walked back to the bench after getting called for his third foul minutes into the second half.

“He just wants to be aggressive, he wants to go,” Indiana coach Darian DeVries said. “Then defensively sometimes, when they start to drive, he'll get a little aggressive with his bumps or grabs or holds, and he's too important for that.”

DeVries didn’t let the moment pass without delivering a variation of that same message to Burton. The point guard responded by helping Indiana pull away when he checked back in with 13:29 left to play.

Burton had 12 points and seven assists to only two turnovers, with much of that production (10 points and five assists) coming during his final extended stint on the floor.

“I thought he took over too,” DeVries said. “He distributed. He scored. He put a lot of pressure on the defense. He's really bought into what we're trying to ask, and then he's trying to go execute it. I like what he's doing there.”

The goal for Burton now will be for the lesson he learned against the Golden Eagles to take hold. He came out of Thursday night’s game averaging 3.8 fouls per game and 5.7 fouls per 40 minutes.

“It's been several preseason games and things where I'm having to take him out a minute, two minutes into the game,” DeVries said. “On top of having to pull him out, it's just hard sometimes to get back into a flow when you're only out there for a minute, then you've got to sit for three, four, five minutes.”

Burton experienced that earlier this season when he fouled out against Bellarmine for only the second time in his career. Indiana needs him to stay on the floor with the way he puts pressure on opposing teams by simply having the ball in his hands. 

“It's something he's got to continue to work on and just have maybe a little more discipline with not fouling in those situations,” DeVries said. “It's not a lack of effort. It's just got to be a little more disciplined with his physicality.”

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Markus Burton puts pressure on Indiana basketball opponents, but has a level to clear