The Wolverine

February 2014

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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  MICHIGAN IN THE PROS Trey Burke Shines In His Return To Michigan F BY CHRIS BALAS ormer U-M guard Trey Burke was a busy man in his return to Michigan Jan. 17, and not just on the court in leading Utah to a 110-89 win over the Detroit Pistons with 20 points and a career-high 12 assists. The rookie point guard literally spent hours signing autographs before the game, many for kids wearing replicas of either his Jazz or Michigan jersey, met with local media for several minutes before and after the game, and then posed for pictures and signed more autographs afterward. On Jan. 16, though, it was a night for family. Burke had met 25 family members on a recent trip to San Antonio, but the Columbus, Ohio, native was in much higher demand a few days later. "This feels like a second home to me having played in Ann Arbor and being this close to home," Burke said. "This was a game I definitely looked forward to. I played here, and you see all the fans that ask for autographs. It's kind of like yesterday when I was in Ann Arbor in college." Part of him seemed to miss it. The NBA is a "job and a grind," he admitted, noting he had to catch a plane immediately after the game to go to Minnesota, the team that drafted him ninth and traded him to Utah. Burke scored 20 points and dished out a career-best 12 assists to lead Utah to a 11089 victory at Detroit Jan. 17. PHOTO COURTESY UTAH JAZZ Burke overcame a broken finger that sidelined him for the first month of the season, along with a sprained ankle, to earn Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for December, and he was averaging 13.7 points, 5.7 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game as of Jan. 20 for a team that went 1-11 before winning 13 of 30 upon his return. Burke insisted he didn't use the Pistons' draft snub — they had the No. 8 overall pick, but passed on him — as motivation for his solid performance.

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