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Burton voted Indiana Mr. Basketball for 2023

Markus Burton has earned the top individual award in Indiana high school boys basketball.

           

Burton, a 6-1 guard from Penn High School, has been named IndyStar Indiana Mr. Basketball for 2023 in online voting of media and boys’ varsity coaches conducted by the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association and All-Star game director Mike Broughton, it was announced Wednesday (April 19) as part of the IndyStar Indiana Sports Awards program.

           

The Mr. Basketball result means Burton will wear the No. 1 jersey for the Indiana All-Stars in their annual series with Kentucky. The Mr. Basketball award goes to the top boys’ basketball senior in the state. The Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball awards are part of the IndyStar Indiana All-Star program that dates to 1939. The Miss Basketball award, along with the girls' All-Stars, was added to the All-Star program in 1976.

           

The complete 2023 boys' All-Star team was announced on April 4. The complete 2023 girls' All-Star team was announced on March 14. Laila Hull of Zionsville previously was announced as Miss Basketball for 2023.

           

Burton earned the boys' top honor after being named on 171 ballots submitted to Broughton in balloting that ran from March 14 through March 29. Xavier Booker of Cathedral was runner-up with 20 votes. Zane Doughty of Ben Davis and Joey Hart of Linton-Stockton each received six votes. Myles Colvin was fifth with five votes followed by Mason Jones of Valparaiso with three votes. In total, 16 players received at least one Mr. Basketball vote.

           

A Notre Dame recruit, Burton averaged a state-best 30.3 points as well as 5.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.6 steals while leading Penn to a 28-2 season that included Northern Indiana Conference, Elkhart Sectional and Michigan City Regional championships. He converted 58.2 percent on field goals (348 of 598), including 42.5 percent on 3-point attempts (65 of 153) for the Kingsmen. He also sank 87.1 percent on free throws (148 of 170).

           

For his career, Burton totaled a school- and St. Joseph County-record 2,273 points as well as 533 rebounds, 512 assists and 329 steals while Penn amassed an aggregate record of 74-31 over his four seasons (10-14, 12-12, 24-3 and 28-2). He also holds the school record for points in a season (909 as a senior) and produced a triple-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in this year's sectional opener against Elkhart on Feb. 28.

           

Burton is the first boys' player and the eighth overall player from Penn to be named an Indiana All-Star. Those chosen as All-Stars previously from Penn, all girls, are Jessica Reiter (2000), Lily Svete (2009), Alex Morton (2012), Taylor Lutz (2013), Caroline Buhr (2014), Camryn Buhr (2016) and Kaitlyn Costner (2021). Also, Penn's Kristi Ulrich is the head coach of the 2023 girls' All-Stars.

           

In going to Notre Dame, Burton joins Chris Thomas of Pike (2003) and Luke Zeller of Washington (2005) as Mr. Basketball honorees to join the Irish program. Burton, Thomas and Zeller are among 24 Indiana All-Stars to play for the ND men's basketball program.

           

Burton also is the third Mr. Basketball winner from St. Joseph County. He follows John Coalmon of South Bend Central in 1957 and David Magley of South Bend LaSalle in 1978. Burton also becomes the third Mr. Basketball recipient coached by Al Rhodes. The Penn mentor also guided 1985 winner Jeff Grose and 1996 winner Kevin Ault while he was the coach at Warsaw.

           

While in high school, Burton has been recognized as 2021 IBCA Large School All-State, 2022 IBCA Underclass Supreme 15, 2022 AP third-team All-State, 2023 IBCA Senior Supreme 15 and 2023 AP first-team All-State. He also was named the NIC's most valuable player in 2022 and 2023 after earning honorable mention all-NIC accolades in 2021.

            

Mr. Basketball and Miss Basketball traditionally wear No. 1 jerseys for the respective Indiana Boys All-Stars and Indiana Girls All-Stars in the annual series with Kentucky. The All-Stars will face the Indiana Junior All-Stars in an exhibition doubleheader on June 7 at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis. The All-Stars follow with their home-and-home doubleheaders with Kentucky -- June 9 at the Owensboro SportsCenter in Owensboro, Ky., and June 10 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. 

  

Indiana Mr. Basketball honorees

1939: George Crowe, Franklin

1940: Ed Schienbein, Southport

1941: John Bass, Greenwood

1942: Bud Brown, Muncie Burris

1943: not awarded (World War II)

1944: not awarded (World War II)

1945: Tom Schwartz, Kokomo

1946: Johnny Wilson, Anderson

1947: Bill Garrett, Shelbyville

1948: Bob Masters, Lafayette Jeff

1949: Dee Monroe, Madison

1950: Pat Klein, Marion

1951: Tom Harrold, Muncie Central

1952: Joe Sexson, Indianapolis Tech

1953: Hallie Bryant, Indianapolis Attucks

1954: Bobby Plump, Milan

1955: Wilson Eison, Gary Roosevelt

1956: Oscar Robertson, Indianapolis Attucks

1957: John Coalmon, South Bend Central

1958: Mike McCoy, Fort Wayne South

1959: Jimmy Rayl, Kokomo

1960: Ron Bonham, Muncie Central

1961: Tom VanArsdale, Indianapolis Manual, and Dick VanArsdale, Indianpolis Manual

1962: Larry Humes, Madison

1963: Rick Jones, Muncie Central

1964: Dennis Brady, Lafayette Jeff

1965: Bill Keller, Indianapolis Washington

1966: Rick Mount, Lebanon

1967: Willie Long, Fort Wayne South

1968: Billy Shepherd, Carmel

1969: George McGinnis, Indianapolis Washington

1970: Dave Shepherd, Carmel

1971: Mike Flynn, Jeffersonville

1972: Phil Cox, Connersville

1973: Kent Benson, New Castle

1974: Steve Collier, Southwestern (Hanover), and Roy Taylor, Anderson

1975: Kyle Macy, Peru

1976: Dave Colescott, Marion

1977: Ray Tolbert, Anderson Madison Heights

1978: David Magley, South Bend LaSalle

1979: Steve Bouchie, Washington

1980: Jim Master, Harding (Fort Wayne)

1981: Dan Palombizio, Michigan City Rogers

1982: Roger Harden, Valparaiso

1983: Steve Alford, New Castle

1984: Delray Brooks, Michigan City Rogers, and Troy Lewis, Anderson,

1985: Jeff Grose, Warsaw

1986: Mark Jewell, Lafayette Jeff

1987: Jay Edwards, Marion, and Lyndon Jones, Marion

1988: Woody Austin, Richmond

1989: Pat Graham, Floyd Central

1990: Damon Bailey, Bedford North Lawrence

1991: Glenn Robinson, Gary Roosevelt

1992: Charles Macon, Michigan City Elston

1993: Maurice “Kojak” Fuller, Anderson

1994: Bryce Drew, Valparaiso

1995: Damon Frierson, Ben Davis

1996: Kevin Ault, Warsaw

1997: Luke Recker, DeKalb

1998: Tom Coverdale, Noblesville

1999: Jason Gardner, North Central

2000: Jared Jeffries, Bloomington North

2001: Chris Thomas, Pike

2002: Sean May, Bloomington North

2003: Justin Cage, Pike

2004: A.J. Ratliff, North Central

2005: Luke Zeller, Washington

2006: Greg Oden, Lawrence North

2007: Eric Gordon, North Central

2008: Tyler Zeller, Washington

2009: Jordan Hulls, Bloomington South

2010: DeShaun Thomas, Fort Wayne Bishop Luers

2011: Cody Zeller, Washington

2012: Gary Harris, Hamilton Southeastern

2013: Zak Irvin, Hamilton Southeastern

2014: Trey Lyles, Indianapolis Tech

2015: Caleb Swanigan, Homestead

2016: Kyle Guy, Lawrence Central

2017: Kris Wilkes, North Central

2018: Romeo Langford, New Albany

2019: Trayce Jackson-Davis, Center Grove

2020: Anthony Leal, Bloomington South

2021: Caleb Furst, Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian

2022: Braden Smith, Westfield

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