Tennessee has been looking to add veteran guard to the roster for more than a month now and Israeli shooting guard Ethan Burg has emerged as someone to potentially fill that role.
According to sources Burg was in town last weekend for an official visit and is currently awaiting a waiver from the NCAA to determine his eligibility.Burg is 22 years old and has spent the last two seasons playing professionally in Israel.
Burg (6-foot-3) averaged 11.1 ppg per game last season and shot 37% from three-point range playing for Herzliya in the Israeli league.Due to his time playing professionally it’s unclear how many years of eligibility Burg would be granted were he to win the waiver, though it’s likely that Tennessee is most interested in him being immediately eligible for one year.
On the surface he would seem to slot in nicely with Tennessee’s perimeter needs.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie is a ‘plug-and-play’ option at the point guard spot after transferring in from Maryland, and it’s possible that Burg could lend a hand there as well were he to end up in Knoxville.Star freshman Nate Ament, the highest rated recruit Rick Barnes has signed in Knoxville, is penciled in as a starter on one wing and transfer Amaree Abram is a presumed starter at the other wing spot.
Beyond that though there are some question marks on the perimeter. Is Bishop Boswell ready to step into a larger role as a sophomore?Is freshman Amari Evans going to be capable of giving some productive minutes? Same for first year point guard Troy Henderson.
If the Vols land Burg and he fits the bill for what they’re looking for in a veteran, hard-nosed guard, that could be a very nice get this late in the process.
