Analyzing the Opponent: Dachon Burke

Once again, I’m back looking at the opponent. I apologize for missing this segment against Central Penn but they have a very limited data base. With that being said, let’s look at Robert Morris Colonials’ Dechon Burke.

Burke is arguably the best player for the Colonials and may give the Bulls some problems. He hasn’t scored in single digits this year which is impressive on it’s own. He also has a very high steal rate. These are things the Buffalo Bulls will have to look to stop. With Dontay Caruthers out, I would assume you see Jeremy Harris or Davonte Jordan covering Burke for most of the game. Let’s look at his strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths

Like I said, Burke can score. How he scores is even more deadly. He’s shooting over 50% from three and around 45% from two. He likes to drive to the rim and has good speed in getting there. If he isn’t made uncomfortable at the top of the paint, he will be an issue all game. Limiting his scoring will be huge for Buffalo.

He also is 24th in the nation in steal percentage. If he covers Davonte Jordan, Jordan will have to be extra careful with the ball. He’s done much better this year, but this is still a quality defender. If he covers Massinburg or Harris, I think their size may be too much for him to handle, and the turnovers will be limited.

Weaknesses

Burke’s big issue is his size. At only 6’4 180, he’s not the strongest guy. RMU has not played the toughest schedule this year and it seems that he has taken advantage of that to hit the offensive boards. I don’t seem him having too much success in the paint against a bigger and stronger UB team.

He also is a shockingly poor FT shooter, something that hits close to home for UB fans. Even with his long range accuracy, he is shooting just 61% from the line. If he tries to drive against the Bulls, he better hope his speed carries him past the defenders, because he just isn’t converting at the line this year.

Final Thoughts

Burke is one heck of a player. I think that he will still score against the Bulls, but may get limited by the fast hands of our guards. Like I said earlier, Caruthers missing is a big defensive loss, but the Bulls can make up for it. I’m excited to see this match up and I think it will be a good game within the game. Also, I’m assuming he will not make a half court buzzer beater, but Ryan Daly did, and I’m not letting anything feel impossible.