Jordan Burks probably didn’t envision earning rotation minutes in each of his first five games as a Wildcat, certainly not playing in the frontcourt. But when Kentucky found itself down three 7-footers to open the season, a clear role opened up.
It wasn’t glamorous, especially for a guy who led Overtime Elite in scoring at 27.1 points per game as a senior, but it would get him on the floor. He happily accepted, and the early returns are overwhelmingly positive. Burks is averaging a few points and a handful of rebounds in 11 minutes per contest, but his greatest impact extends beyond the box score.