PITTSBURGH – Pitt guard Jamarius Burton will compete in the 69th Annual Portsmouth Invitational Tournament April 12-15. Burton is coming off a First Team All-ACC season in which he averaged 15.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, while leading the Panthers to a 24-12 record overall, including a pair of NCAA Tournament wins.
Burton, just the fourth player at Pitt to average better than 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game in a season, scored in double-figures 30 times, including 12 games with 15 or more points scored in league play. He also ranked among the ACC leaders in scoring (16th), field goal percentage (10th), free throw percentage (.836 – 8th), and assists (9th).
The Charlotte, N.C., native elevated his play in ACC action averaging 16.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. He scored a career-high 31 points on 14-of-17 shooting from the field in a home win over No. 25 North Carolina earning NCAA March Madness/Andy Katz National Player of the Week and ACC Co-Player of the Week accolades.
Burton garnered a reputation as Pitt’s closer with several winning moments late in big games. He hit a mid-range jumper in the closing seconds to give Pitt a 60-59 lead in an NCAA Tournament First Four win over Mississippi State, clinched a road win over North Carolina with a pair of free throws with 3.6 seconds remaining, and came away with two steals in the final 35 seconds of play to seal a come-from-behind victory over No. 20 Miami.
In two seasons at Pitt, Burton averaged 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game with 53 double-figure scoring games. He scored 891 of his 1,521 career points as a Panther after playing two seasons at Wichita State and one year at Texas Tech.
The Portsmouth Invitational, one of the top scouting events in the country, has over 400 alumni playing professional basketball around the world. More than 65 PIT alumni played in the NBA last season and former NBA All-Stars Jimmy Butler, Tim Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and John Stockton each played in the event.
Additional information including schedules, results, live streams, and ticket information for the 2023 Portsmouth Invitational is available HERE.
Source: Matt Plizga/Pitt Athletics
Image: Vince Butts/UMT
