There were points during the season that Ethan Burg longed for it to be over. He was ready to leave Tennessee and head back home. But Burg pushed through the challenges and came out on the other side appreciative for the experience. When Tennessee’s season ended with an Elite Eight loss against Michigan, Burg was in tears discussing the season.
“Playing in pro, I think you have your moments but it’s more professional,” Burg told RTI. “You don’t create bonds as strong as you create in college. But not just in college but this program specifically. You’re in the gym so much, spending so much time with these guys. I’m not sure there’s any program in the country that spends as much time as we spend around each other.”
Burg’s perspective changed so much over the course of the season that he now wants to return to Tennessee for another season.
“I really want to (come back),” Burg said. “I’ll tell you that for sure. I really want to. … Definitely, that is something that I want. If the guys want to have me back, that’s something that I want. I definitely want to be here. I love the guys, man.”
Of course, preferences can change as the emotions surrounding a season-ending loss get farther away. Burg’s outlook could also change if he and Tennessee don’t see eye-to-eye on his financial compensation for next season.
But following Tennessee’s loss against Michigan, Burg seemed extremely sincere about his desire to return to Tennessee and his appreciation for the Vols coaching staff for sticking by him.
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 badly struggled 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.
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But starting with an eight-point performance in 18 minutes against LSU, Burg began regaining trust and earning a bigger role.
“I understood how blessed I am to be here, how blessed I am to be around these guys, how blessed I am to be in this program,” Burg said. “I want to thank Gregg Polinsky for recruiting me. I want to thank all the coaches for believing in me even when it was hard. I know it was hard. I didn’t give them much reasons to believe. I was checked out. I was already checked out, man. But I’m happy that they believed in me.”
“He was really struggling, and I actually asked him one day, I said, ‘are you about ready to quit?'” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said. “Because he was down, about as low as you could be. He said to me, Coach, I will never, ever quit on these guys. He said, this is the first real team I’ve ever been a part of. He says if I never play another minute, I will never quit on these guys. I promise you. He said I love them. There’s a brotherhood with us. I would never quit on them.”
The turnaround was not a complete 180. Burg didn’t turn into a star, but he became a mainstay in Tennessee’s rotation and embraced his role— taking care of the basketball, playing good defense and shooting when he was open.
Burg was one of Tennessee’s top guards off the bench in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.8 minutes in the Vols’ four games. Over the course of the season, Burg averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 assists per game. He shot 44.3% from the field and 40.5% from three-point range.
“I couldn’t be more happier for choosing Tennessee,” Burg said. “Definitely been a journey. Lots of ups-and-downs. Very humbling but very rewarding at the same time. I’m grateful to be here.”
