BLAIRSTOWN, N.J. — Elijah Burns left La Salle Institute in Troy, N.Y., for Blair Academy after last year in order to play basketball at a higher level and enroll in one of the top prep schools in New Jersey.
After reclassifying to the Class of 2015 from 2014, the move already seems to be paying dividends.
Coaches are filing into Blair to watch the 6-foot-7, 210-pound Burns, as well as teammate Marial Shayok and other players on coach Joe Mantegna’s squad.
Burns, who averaged 17.8 points and 10 rebounds a game last season at Troy, told SNY.tv Georgetown, Temple, Siena and Holy Cross are working on him the hardest right now. But that list figures to grow and morph in the coming year.
“He reclassed so he’ll have two years here,” Mantegna told SNY.tv earlier this week. “I think this is a totally new environment for him, both academically and basketball. He’s certainly going to be in the adjustment stage this fall, but you want to talk about a kid who doesn’t realize his own potential, Elijah would fall into that category.”
New York recruiting expert Tom Konchalski says Burns needs to commit himself on every possession.
“My impression from watching him is here’s a guy who had a Big East body and he took a lot of plays off,” he said. “He’s got to learn to play every possession. I know Joe has been very pleased with him. He certainly has a Big East body and with another year and reclassing and getting the coaching he’ll get from Joe Mantegna, he can only get better.”
Burns recently visited Georgetown and likes the Big East school because he has family members nearby.
“It was really fun,” he said. “I have some family members that live down there so I did a two-day unofficial. I got to play with the guys and had a lot of fun.
“I need to have the balance between basketball and academics and that’s what I was always told.”
He liked it so much he will return to Georgetown for its Midnight Madness in late October.
“They’re looking at me as a three and maybe a stretch four, but mainly a three,” Burns said.
“If I can hit the 15 foot shot, then I can start to step it out. But I just want to get consistent and then start expanding.’
Burns also attended the Syracuse Elite Camp at the end of August.
“It was really good,” he said. “It was like 60 players. I got to be there with my friends. It was just a good weekend. We did a lot of individual stuff and had fun got to get up and down and run, which is great.”
In the meantime, Bucknell coach Dave Paulsen, Canisius coach Jim Baron, Holy Cross assistant Kevin Driscoll and Siena assistants Greg Manning and Lucious Jordan saw Burns play on Wednesday.
“He likes Georgetown a lot,” Mantenga said. “He likes some of the Patriot League schools as well. He’ll have offers from the Colonial and the A-10 and Providence is talking about offering right now.”
