When Notre Dame guard [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] went down with a knee injury right before Thanksgiving, Irish fans held their breath. Him being out for the season would have been devastating to a team that was hoping to take another step forward under second-year coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag].
Burton, who won ACC Rookie of the Year a season ago, ended up missing only seven games, which mostly consisted of the entire December schedule. The Mishawaka native finally suited up for the Irish’s home game against North Carolina, which was broadcast for a network TV audience.
Burton didn’t start the game but entered as a substitute with 12:19 left in the first half. If Irish fans had been told in the immediate aftermath of his injury that he would be back this quickly, they gladly would have taken it. Knee injuries in sports are no joke, especially for a player as explosive as Burton.
In six games before the injury, Burton averaged 18.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals. He scored on back-to-back possessions for his first four points against the Tar Heels in the first half.
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