Just one game after shooting 2 of 12 and suffering an injury scare, Michigan point guard Trey Burke bounced back with an excellent performance in the No. 4 Wolverines' 78-53 rout of the No. 5 VCU Rams.
March Madness 2013: Trey Burke, Glenn Robinson III impressive in Michigan’s rout of VCU
Trey Burke and Glenn Robinson III both had big games as Michigan routed VCU to reach the Sweet 16. Burke solidified his status as a lottery pick with his strong performance, while Robinson may be playing himself into a potential lottery pick.
Facing Shaka Smart's infamous "Havoc" pressure defense, Burke controlled the game, scoring 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting and going 2 of 6 from three. Burke also handed out seven assists and his ability to run the offense against the pressure allowed the Wolverines to shoot an impressive 51.7 percent from the field. Mitch McGary was the beneficiary of many of the good looks created by Burke, and the big man scored a game-high 21 points on 10-of-11 shooting.
Burke did struggle against the pressure on a few occasions, turning it over seven times. But for the majority of the game, the sophomore handled the aggressive defense with plenty of poise.
Burke's strong performance should definitely boost his draft stock, likely solidifying him as a lottery pick if he chooses to come out. DraftExpress currently has Burke as the No.10 prospect overall and the second-best point guard in this year's upcoming draft behind Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart.
Burke was certainly getting plenty of love from people on Twitter:
Can't say I'm too excited about most of these so-called high NBA draft prospects. But Michigan point guard Trey Burke is the real deal.
— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) March 23, 2013
This is why pro teams can't press all game. Pros laugh in the face of a press. Which is what Trey Burke is doing. Pro point guard.
— Jason Goff (@Jason1Goff) March 23, 2013
Still not understanding why Trey Burke isn't a consensus top-10 pick. If we needed a PG, I'd be all over him.
— Conrad Kaczmarek (@ConradKazNBA) March 23, 2013
Burke is a sophomore. He's a point guard in a point guard league. Why can't he be the No. 1 pick?
— Mike Prada (@MikePradaSBN) March 23, 2013
Burke's 7 TOs were the most of the season. VCU's defense tested him. But thought overall he had a terrific game.His stock still rising.
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) March 23, 2013
Michigan's other blue chipper, Glenn Robinson III, also helped his draft stock with an excellent effort. Robinson had 14 points and nine rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting, showing off his athleticism on the wing on numerous occasions. He also did not commit a single turnover, which is an excellent feat against VCU's defense.
This is Robinson’s second straight strong performance in the tournament after he notched 21 points and six rebounds on 8-of-9 shooting in Michigan’s win over South Dakota State in the second round. The freshman is currently No. 20 on DraftExpress’ prospect list, but he could be playing himself into a lottery pick if he decides to bolt for the NBA. Another big game in the Sweet 16 could wind up sealing the deal.
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