Chris Burgess, who caused a firestorm of sorts two years ago when he decided to attend Duke instead of BYU, is transferring, possibly to the University of Utah.
Burgess has been given his release by coach Mike Krzyzewski and will transfer to Utah, according to both ESPN and Fox Sports. Utah was one of Burgess' final choices in 1996 before narrowing his choices to Duke and BYU in 1997.Utah coach Rick Majerus, who has been in Indiana for a speaking engagement, told the Deseret News Tuesday night that he can't comment on Burgess because of NCAA rules.
"I can't speak publicly about a transfer just like I can't talk about any prospective recruit," said Majerus. He did acknowledge that he has not talked to Burgess and wouldn't consider it until after he had talked to Krzyzewski and until Burgess had officially received his release.
Recently Majerus told the Deseret News he had received letters from about a dozen players who wanted to transfer to Utah but was considering two or three of them. One of them was believed to be Burgess. But Majerus said any prospective transfer would have to come on his terms and meet certain standards.
When Burgess announced he was going to Duke in November of 1996, then-BYU coach Roger Reid made his famous "you let nine million people down" comment to Burgess that was a factor in Reid's firing a month later.
At the time Burgess said his goals were to win a national championship, win player of the year honors and play in the NBA. He came close to accomplishing the first goal when Duke went 37-2 and finished second to UConn in this year's NCAA tournament but hasn't come close to the other two.
The 6-foot-10, 245-pound center-forward saw limited action as a backup to national player of the year Elton Brand the past two seasons. He averaged 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds this past season.
When interviewed by the Deseret News in Chicago at the Great Eight tournament last December, Burgess talked about the possibility of going on an LDS mission, and he reiterated that statement late in the season.
"He didn't indicate what he planned to do about that," said Duke sports information director Mike Cragg.
Burgess becomes the third Duke player to leave the team in the past two weeks. Fellow sophomores Brand and William Avery already have announced their intentions to enter the 1999 NBA draft. Freshman Corey Maggette is also reportedly considering leaving early for the pros.
According to ESPN, Burgess' decision apparently caught Krzyzewski off guard.
"I am surprised by the decision and the timing of it," Krzyzewski said in a statement released by the school. "I certainly wish Chris and his family the best in the future."
Burgess was a Parade All-American out of Woodbridge High School in Irvine, Calif. After choosing Duke, he talked about leaving for the NBA after two seasons, but those words came back to haunt him when he couldn't even crack the Blue Devil starting lineup.
With Brand and Avery departing, Burgess would have been the Blue Devils' most experienced big man. Even so, his father, Ken Burgess, told the Los Angeles Times his son's development as a player simply wasn't progessing at Duke.
"He just wants a change due to lack of playing time," he said. "It didn't seem to be working."
Ken Burgess noted that even when the Blue Devils were blowing opponents out during last season's 37-2 march to the national championship game, his son wasn't seeing much action.
If Burgess transfers to Utah, he will have to sit out one year before playing. If he went on a mission, he could play his first year back, the 2001-2002 season. Ken Burgess verified that Utah is a candidate. And UCLA is another possibility.
BYU, which has switched coaches since Burgess' initial recruitment, is considered a darkhorse.
Even though Brand is leaving Duke for the NBA, Krzyzewski has lured another strong recruiting class that includes Nick Horvath, a 6-10 center from Arden Hills, Minn., and Casey Sanders, a 6-11 center from Tampa, Fla.
Deseret News sports writer Dirk Facer contributed to this story.