Ethan Burg still 'learning a whole new game' with Tennessee Basketball

Rick Barnes said he tries not to play the what if game. What if Ethan Burg and Clarence Massamba, Tennessee Basketball’s two international offseason additions, had been here all summer?

Burg, the sophomore Israeli guard, arrived in early September after playing for the Israel national team. Massamba, the French freshman guard, arrived in August.

“We would’ve (liked to) had them both all summer,” Barnes said on Tuesday, “but we didn’t.”

Up Next: No. 20 Tennessee vs. North Florida

Still, Burg is averaging 16.5 minutes off the bench through the first two games of the season for No. 20 Tennessee (2-0), which hosts North Florida (0-1) on Wednesday (7 p.m. Eastern Time, SEC Network+) at Food City Center.

He has 10 points and eight assists while shooting 60.0% from the field, including 2-for-2 from the 3-point line, while getting minutes both off the ball and at point guard behind Ja’Kobi Gillespie. 

“He’s catching up,” Barnes said of Burg. “I mean, we’re all impressed with what he’s been able to do in such a short time.”

Massamba made his debut in the 95-56 win over Northern Kentucky on Saturday, scoring three points in two minutes.

“I think before the season is out,” Barnes said, “Clarence is going to be a factor with us too, a real factor.”

Burg spent the last two seasons playing professionally in Israel, averaging 11.0 points, 2.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 43.2% from the field and 32.9% from the 3-point line. In 23.2 minutes per game last season, he averaged 11.1 points, 3.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds while shooting 44.7% from the floor and 37.6% from the 3-point line over 24 games. 

‘We trust him because we know where his heart is’

Barnes said Burg has “made some great strides” while adjusting to college basketball in the United States, describing it as a new game and a new level of physicality.

“Ethan is not afraid of the physicality,” Barnes said, “but he gets himself in trouble sometimes trying to play that style of basketball. And so he’s learning not just what we’re doing, but he’s learning a whole new game, basically.”

Burg is getting his minutes, tied for sixth-most on the team, because of what Barnes described as “maturity in his thinking.”

“You think about it,” he said, “I’m sure it’s somewhat humbling to him, coming out of playing where he was here, understanding that it is a difficult game, maybe harder than he thought coming in.”

But Barnes heard all he needed to hear when Burg first arrived at Tennessee. 

“We trust him because we know where his heart is, we know what he wants to do,” Barnes said. “From the first time I met with him, he said, you just tell me what I need to do to help the team and I’m going to do that, and whatever it means me adjusting my game. 

“And I know he meant it sincerely. I don’t think he realized how big a statement that was in terms of how hard it was going to be for him to make all the adjustments, but he’s all about it, which is a wonderful thing.”