Chris Burgess officially announced what has been widely assumed for a while-he is headed to Utah.
Last Friday morning, Burgess contacted local media in Salt Lake City to confirm that he would indeed continue his basketball career with Rick Majerus' Utes. Burgess, who announced his intentions to leave Duke in late April, will be forced to redshirt next season in accordance with NCAA regulations.
"I just felt [Utah] was the best possible situation for me to get better and be the player I wanted to be," Burgess said.
Burgess visited the Utah campus two weeks ago and then returned to his Los Angeles home to discuss his situation with his family. While in California, UCLA made a big push for the services of the 6-foot-10 sophomore.
But in the end, Burgess chose Utah, his top choice since deciding to leave the Blue Devils. He informed Majerus of his decision last Thursday night and told the media the following morning.
"I feel good about going to Utah and playing for Coach Majerus," Burgess told the Utah Daily Chronicle. "I just know he's going to make me a better player. I feel real comfortable with the players and coaches there. I also love Salt Lake and have a lot of family there."
Burgess said that Majerus has told him he would play power forward when he becomes eligible for the 2000-2001 season. At Duke, Burgess played mostly in the post as a center.
Coming out of Woodbridge High in Irvine, Calif., Burgess highlighted Duke's Class of 2001 when he chose Duke over BYU.
But once he arrived in Durham, Burgess was rarely used in Duke's offensive attack and he spent most of his time playing behind Elton Brand. Ken Burgess, Chris' father, has openly criticized Mike Krzyzewski for the way the coach treated his son.
"Things really clicked for me when I was given the opportunity to play at Duke," Chris Burgess said. "I just didn't think it was in my best interest to stay."
Burgess did not indicate that he had intentions of going on his Mormon mission, an option he began considering toward the end of last season. And while his first two seasons were not to his satisfaction, Burgess still believes he can become one of the nation's premier players.
"I know what I can do," Burgess said. "It's just a matter of working and working."
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