Jamarius Burton undergoes medical procedure on knee

Pitt guard Jamarius Burton underwent a procedure on Friday morning to address swelling and discomfort in his left knee. The procedure was a success, but it will take him four to six weeks to recover.

“Jamarius had some swelling and discomfort in his knee, and after evaluation by our medical staff, we determined the best course of action would be to take care of it now before the start of the season,” Pitt head coach Jeff Capel said. “With his level of maturity and commitment to the game, we are extremely confident Jamarius will put in the work to make a full recovery.”

“As one of the leaders in the program, I know he we remain engaged with the coaches and his teammates throughout the rehab process and continue to build strong relationships within the program,” Capel continued. “We look forward to having him back out on the court as soon as the recovery process allows.”

Burton transferred to Pitt from Texas Tech in April and was declared immediately eligible to play by the NCAA in July. During his lone season in Lubbock, Burton made just four starts but played in 23 games. Over that span, he averaged 4.3 points, 1.2 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game while shooting 33.3 percent from long range. However, prior to his stint with Texas Tech, Burton was a standout at Wichita State, as he averaged 10.3 points, 3.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds and shot 38.1 percent from three-point range as a regular starter in his sophomore season.

Burton is expected to split time in the Pitt backcourt with Femi Odukale this season, but given his experience and past success at Wichita State, it seemed likely he would play a prominent role and perhaps start at the onset of the season. However, if Burton ends up requiring more than four weeks to fully recover, he will be forced to miss the season opener on Nov. 9 and that role will likely fall to Odukale.