Burka enjoyed his days at SRU
WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. — It wasn’t the way Jade Burka would have liked his basketball career at Slippery Rock University to end.
“The only word I can think of is overwhelming,” Burka said of The Rock’s 117-73 loss to eventual NCAA Division Atlantic Region champion West Liberty March 12.
Burka rarely was overwhelmed in his career at The Rock, which began in football and ended in basketball.
The Butler High graduate concluded his basketball career at SRU with 104 games played, which is second on the all-time list behind teammate Joe Vines.
He went through the down times, suffering through a 7-20 season during his first year. He ended it, though, as part of a team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in two decades.
“It’s a great feeling knowing we helped get this program where it is,” Burka said.
Burka scored eight points in his final game. He finished his career with 350 points and 393 rebounds.
“I made a lot of memories,” Burka said. “I’ve never been on a team, except for maybe my senior year of high school, that has been this close.”
SRU coach Kevin Reynolds said he was pleased when Burka, a graduate student, decided to return for his final year of eligibility.
He also said Burka and the other six players leaving the program will be missed.
“Great players are the reason programs change and we had seven great seniors,” Reynolds said. “These guys are irreplaceable.”
Burka said he was pleased to get a chance to see the program go from 14 wins in a three-year span before Reynolds arrived to 57 wins in the three years since Reynolds took over the team.
“It was hard work, man, hard work,” Burka said. “There were days when we thought we weren’t going to make it. The players bought into the system. They bought into the ideology.”
