BlueWhiteIllustrated.com - One-on-one with Trey Burke

November 5, 2009

Nate Bauer
BlueWhiteIllustrated.com Editor

Penn State men's basketball head coach Ed DeChellis landed his first recruit for the class of 2011 when guard Trey Burke made a verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions in late-October.

BWI caught up with Burke on Wednesday afternoon to discuss his decision, his visit this weekend, and who he's planning on rooting for at the big game.

Why did you choose Penn State and pull the trigger as early as you did?

Burke: You know, I felt like it was the best decision for me. The offer was on the table and the coaches were real cool. I came down there when they played Akron for a football game and I just loved the atmosphere. I just pictured myself playing there and I talked it over with my family and they felt like it was the best decision for me.

I understand that the offers you had when you made your decision were from mostly mid-majors?

Burke: Yeah, mid-majors and Butler.

Was the attraction to Penn State because it was the highest level of program coming after you right now? Some other bigger schools have started to get involved with you, right?

Burke: I thought about it. It was them and Butler that were the biggest schools that I was offered, but a lot like Ohio State and Cincinatti, they were recruiting me. But, my decision wasn't based on the highest school. With Penn State, I could picture myself playing there. They're on TV every single game on the Big Ten Network and it's not too far from home, my family can come watch me play. So, yeah, that's the main reason.

Jamelle Cornley is obviously also from the Columbus area. Did you have any relationship with Jamelle before making your commitment and what was that like?

Burke: Yeah, me and Jamelle are real cool. He came to a couple of Northland's open gyms in the last month and we talked. I had a long talk with him, he texted me and I'm real cool with Jamelle and I'm also cool with Javon, we played together. That had a lot to do with it, too. Greg Windbush, the stepdad, I talked to him and they just gave me a different look of Penn State. They told me about the classes and just a lot of stuff inside of Penn State and on campus.

When did Penn State start getting involved with you?

Burke: I'd say right after nationals after we came back from Orlando after we won it (in July). They were sending me mail at first and then one day in the summertime, coach Preston had called and we talked. I kind of started to get to know him better. We built a good relationship and when I came down there, I met coach DeChellis and all the other staff and from there on, they were recruiting me hard and they offered.

When you came out here for the Akron game, was that your first visit?

Burke: No, I was on a lot of visits. It was a busy summer for me. I went to Cincinnati, Butler, Ohio State game, Akron, OU, so Penn State, it was the last one. My last one might have been Notre Dame, but it was like the second to last. I just liked Penn State a lot. The atmosphere, the fans are real supportive, and that's what I wanted.

But it was your first trip to Penn State, right?

Burke: Yeah, it was my first trip there.

When Penn State started to get involved with you, what was your perception of the program and what did you know about it?

Burke: Honestly, when Penn State started recruiting me, I didn't really know a lot about them. I was more of an Ohio State guy, Big Ten, Ohio State and Wisconsin. I thought they were the best two teams in the Big Ten. But when they started recruiting me and when they offered, I watched some film on Talor Battle and the way they use their guards coming off screens and stuff and that was another big part that made me commit there, the way they use their guards and the way they let Talor Battle make decisions on the court.

Have you had a chance to talk to Talor yet?

Burke: I haven't really gotten a chance to really talk to him but I did meet him and Taran when they played Akron. And I'm sure, I'm going down to Penn State this weekend for the Ohio State game, I'm sure I'll talk to Talor then.

Is the way they use him exciting for you?

Burke: Right, yeah. The coaches were saying we have similar games, so.

What's your height and weight?

Burke: I was measured 5-11 and three quarters and 165.

After winning state's last year, what are your expectations for this season ahead?

Burke: Hopefully we can do it again. Nobody in the city league has won the state twice. We want to make history, but we have a lot of big games before that. We play Findlay Prep, the No. 1 team, the second game of the year here in Columbus. They haven't decided where we're going to play them at. We play Oak Hill. We play Detroit Country Day, another good team. We have a real tough schedule. We play Huntingdon Prep from West Virginia. But, our main goal like last year is to win state's again. We just gotta take it game by game, take each game one at a time.

What do you expect the relationship with Penn State like during the season this year? Have they already sent you workout plans or anything like that?

Burke: I think they'll start sending me things like that around the end of my season in my senior year. Right now, I talk to coach Preston and coach DeChellis every now and then, we keep in touch, and they still send me mail. I read the mail and stuff. But the relationship right now, they know that the season is about to start and I know they're going to be very busy so it's going to be every now and then that we'll talk because we're both going to be very busy.

Sometimes in recruiting, a guy might make a decision but try to keep his options open. Is that the case for you here or do you consider this a done deal?

Burke: I thought about that. Penn State, really, it's probably a done deal but it's not really closed. My options aren't really closed. I wouldn't say that. Other schools still send me mail, but Penn State, I feel like that's the place I want to be right now.

Will you entertain the idea of visits to other places if schools come after you?

Burke: Nah. Probably not. I won't really be taking anymore visits. Nowhere else, really.

The program actually has a lot of highly-rated kids coming in this weekend for the game besides yourself. Do you plan on doing some recruiting of your own?

Burke: Oh yeah. I'm pretty cool with Desmond Hubert from Jersey. I texted him the other day. Right now, that's the only recruit I know that's coming in. So yeah, we'll talk when we get there because me and Desmond are real cool. We played against their AAU team a couple of times this year and were in the same camp down in St. Louis. We have a good relationship.

It's pretty important for the program to bring in some big guys along with you.

Burke: That's another thing Jamelle and some of the coaches were talking about. Even my high school coach, they were saying now that I'm going to Penn State, it's like my job to help them recruit so I can have some players come in with me.

Your dad had some comments in the Patriot talking about how much he loved Penn State. What did the rest of your family think about your decision?

Burke: Well, my mom and dad came with me the first time down there and they both loved it. They were like begging me to commit there and I just kept thinking about it and I had to keep thinking about it because one of my favorite schools is Ohio State. So, I just kept thinking about it and they liked it so much and I really liked the campus a lot, too. My decision wasn't because of them but because I liked it. That's mainly it.

I have to assume you're a huge Ohio State football fan?

Burke: I'm a real big Ohio State football fan. My favorite college (basketball) team is Duke. I wouldn't want to go to Duke, but that's my favorite college team.

So I guess the big question is, who are you going to be rooting for this weekend?

Burke: In football? (Yeah) Really, I don't know. That's a hard question. Somebody else asked me that a couple of days ago at school, so I'm not sure. Ohio State is my favorite football team but I am going to be down there at Penn State. I might have to go for both of them. That's a hard question. The majority of my family is going for Ohio State but my mom wants Penn State to win. My mom and dad mainly want Penn State to win.

I guess Penn State fans can let you off the hook rooting for both for the time being. Thanks so much for your time.

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