Notre Dame guard Markus Burton withdrawing from 2024 NBA Draft, will return to school
The Notre Dame basketball program received some excellent news on Friday as guard Markus Burton is set to return to school, according to Jon Rothstein.
Burton was one of the top freshmen in the country last season, averaging 17.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
He announced in April that he was declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft. However, he won’t be staying in the draft and will instead play for the Irish again in 2024-25.
Markus Burton signed with Notre Dame as a three-star recruit in the class of 2023, per the On3 Industry rankings.
The Mishawaka, Indiana native led all ACC freshmen and was No. 3 nationally among Division I freshmen in scoring last year.
Markus Burton was named the ACC Freshman of the Year for 2023-24 and also earned third-team All-ACC honors. He was the only freshman in the country to average at least 17 points, 4 assists and 1.9 steals per game.
Burton was particularly impressive in the NCAA Tournament. With Notre Dame’s season on the line, he scored 42 points across two games. The former Indiana Mr. Basketball will be a key piece for Notre Dame head coach Micah Shrewsberry to build around next season.
Monmouth transfer forward Nikita Konstantynovskyi commits to Notre Dame
Speaking of pieces to build around next year, Monmouth transfer forward Nikita Konstantynovskyi committed to the Irish last week.
The 6-foot-10 senior from Ukraine averaged 9.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in only 23.5 minutes per game this past season, shooting 52.6% from the field.
Konstantynovskyi becomes the Fighting Irish’s second commitment out of the transfer portal this offseason, joining Matt Allocco from Princeton. Allocco, a 6-foot-4 senior guard, averaged 12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game this season.
Konstantynovskyi and Allocco will join three incoming freshmen in South Bend — four-star wing Sir Mohammed (No. 72 nationally), four-star guard Cole Certa (No. 112), and three-star forward Garrett Sundra (No. 157).
Notre Dame currently has the No. 37th overall recruiting class in the country.
With Konstantynovskyi on board and Markus Burton returning, Notre Dame has a chance to have an excellent season in 2024-25.
The Irish are coming off of a disappointing 13-20 season in 2023-24. However, there is talent on the roster. Look for Shrewsberry to continue to improve the Notre Dame men’s basketball program in the coming years as he continues to get more of his players into the program.