Burton For Certain

By Sonja

Jeff Walz has hit another over the fence. During this time of year, when major league baseball,the Bats and summer softball leagues [and fall football practice] draw their seasonal share of attention, the coach of the Lady Cards basketball team may have just topped them all by getting a commitment from Charlotte, N.C. point guard Nikki Burton for next year.

Burton, the second signee for the Class of 2009, is a talented 5-10 point guard with blistering speed, good court sense, and a smooth stroke. Her defensive skills, something at times lacking from the Cardinal guards last year are bona fide, too… and UofL got her commitment last night. ESPN Insider is quite high on Burton:

“Quickness and explosiveness personified. Burton is a point guard that makes things happen constantly and will punish any defender taking a possession off. She is really at home attacking baseline and forcing the defense to collapse. She elevates and finishes when it’s her turn as well as distributes. Controlling her team and getting the ball to the right person in the half court, being more a floor leader, is where she needs to improve to take over a big time D-1 program which her talent suggests she should.”

This is great news. I had heard from a fairly reliable source that South Carolina had Burton wrapped up, but her recent visit to the UofL campus and seeing the facilities and meeting with the players won her over to Cardinal Country.  Guard depth was one of the main areas that Walz needed to add to the Cards, and he’s done a magnificent job in shoring up the position for the next couple of years.

Nikki is second recruit that the Cards have edged South Carolina for, and Louisville also is tops on the list for Class of 2009 guard Markel Walker, who favors the Cards over the Gamecocks. Whatever new USC head coach Dawn Staley is telling them down there seems to be working out pretty well for UofL.

Welcome to the Ville, Nikki.