Patrick Fergus
@Fergus5Fergus
Nothing’s come easy for Brayden Burries.
The six-foot-four shooting guard from Riverside, Calif., first made waves in the Golden State in 2021 as a freshman at Riverside Poly. He earned several honors, including All-Inland first-team in his debut campaign, and was poised to be one of the top recruits in the state.
But Burries could only control his stellar performance on the court, not the trouble developing off of it.
At the end of the 2021-2022 season, Poly’s basketball program was placed on probation for CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Southern Section rule infractions. An intricate plot was led by former Poly head coach Yancy Dodson, who admitted to using fake documents over the course of four years in order to certify ineligible student-athletes.
The CIF came down hard on the program, forcing the school to relinquish wins from the previous seasons where such actions had taken place, and they were barred from competing in that year’s playoffs—-one in which Poly were contenders.
“I feel like I am just always an underdog, even now still being an underdog,” Burries said.
Ahead of the 2022-23 season, Burries took his talents about 22 minutes across the Jurupa valley to play at Eleanor Roosevelt high school. There, he went on a mission to re-establish himself among the perennial high school talents. Except Burries was then ruled ineligible for the upcoming season, taking away yet another opportunity to rise the ranks of the California basketball world.
“When I switched schools to Roosevelt, it just made me love the game even more,” said Burries. “Because I had to sit out my sophomore year, now I play every single game like it’s my last.”
Despite the adjustment, it didn’t seem to change much for Burries on the hardwood. He once again became a must-watch prospect, with impressive downhill playmaking and balance through contact. He boasts a gifted mid-range game, and his physicality allows him to rack up buckets in a variety of ways.
Even on the defensive side, often a forgotten note among top recruits, he is fully engaged.
“I just got to get better at everything,” said Burries. “Mainly, just continue to be a better leader, and continue to put my teammates in positions to be successful.”
In his first season at Roosevelt, and his first after such a turbulent turn of events, Burries averaged 25 points, eight rebounds and three steals a game. He was denied the chance to compete in the playoffs as a member of Poly, so he aided his new Mustangs teammates to the championship games of the CIF Southern Section Open Division and Regional playoffs, and a top five ranking in the state.
It’s now a new year but the same story, and Burries has even brought his game to another level. He’s averaging about 30 points and nine rebounds per game as a member of the number one team in the state, with a record of 23-2.
“Our bond is great,” said Burries. “Even games we lose, we still got each other’s backs.”
Although they don’t lose many games, the Mustangs fell to Gonzaga College high school on the final day of Hoophall. Burries had an off shooting day, but still used his strong frame to get to the rim and create open looks for his teammates. He finished with 14 points and four steals.
Burries has fielded offers from some of the biggest college teams in the nation; the likes of Arizona, USC, Alabama, Duke, UCONN and UCLA, but is yet to make a formal commitment.
Whatever the challenges may be at the next level, Burries is without question equipped to deal with them.
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