Former Tennessee guard Ethan Burg signed a contract to play with Hapoel Jerusalem in the Ligat Winner League in Israel, the team announced on Monday. Burg joins former Tennessee standout Josiah-Jordan James on Hapoel Jerusalem. James signed a two-year deal with the club ahead of last season.
Burg returns to Israel after playing one season with Tennessee basketball. The 6-foot-3 combo guard had an extremely up-and-down season with Tennessee, finishing the year while averaging 2.5 points, 1.1 assists and 0.9 rebounds per game. Burg shot 44.3% from the field, 40.5% from three-point range and 81.8% from the free throw line.
Burg arrived in Knoxville after the start of the fall semester as he competed with Team Israel in the FIBA EuroCup. His performance was mixed in non-conference play but he struggled badly early in SEC play. Rick Barnes moved Burg to the scout team, and he played just six combined minutes in nine games from Jan. 10 to Feb. 14.
But starting with an eight-point performance in 18 minutes against LSU, Burg began regaining trust and earning a bigger role.
Burg had two years of college eligibility remaining but instead decided to return to his home country. The Israeli native discussed late in the season about the challenges of being away from his family as war continued in his home country.
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“Although I’ve made the difficult decision to return home to Israel to be closer to my family, I’ll always be proud to be a Tennessee Volunteer,” Burg wrote on his Instagram story. “This past year has been unforgettable and I’ll cherish the memories I made for the rest of my life. Go Big Orange!”
Burg played in Israel before his long season at Tennessee. As a member of Beni Herzeliya, Burg averaged 11.1 points on 45% from the field, 38% from three-point range and 80% from the foul line during the 2024-25 season. Playing in 24 games, the 6-foot-3 guard made 1.6 three pointers per game. He also averaged 3.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game.
Burg posted similar numbers during the 2023-24 season, averaging 10.9 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He was less efficient shooting the ball, making 42% of his shots from the field and 29% from three-point range.
Hapoel Jerusalem is one of the best franchises in the Ligat Winner League. Neither of the last two seasons finished due to the war, but Hapoel Jerusalem won the Israeli Cup in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. The team has won four of the last six Israeli Cups.
Other notable players on Hapoel Jerusalem last season includes former Auburn guard Jared Harper and Michigan State guard Cassius Winston.
