Top three and favorite for 2006 Burney, Jr.

His AAU coach thinks Jerome Burney, Jr. has a chance to be one of the best big men in Georgia in the class of 2006. At this point the 6-foot-7, 204-pound power forward from Westlake High School in East Point, Ga., has a top three with one leader.

“My top three schools are Georgia Tech, UConn and North Carolina State, with Georgia Tech being my leader,” said Burney, Jr. “None of them have offered, but they are all showing a lot of interest. Coaches from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, UAB and Clemson came by the school during the evaluation period."

A strong Architecture program and proximity to home are two of Georgia Tech’s advantages in recruiting Burney, Jr.

“Georgia Tech has a good Architecture program, and that is what I’m looking to go into,” he said. “They are close to home and have a very good program. I’ve met the coaches, and they are very straight forward guys."

Burney, Jr., is also considering style of play with the schools that are recruiting him.

"I’m looking for a school with a good reputation and an up tempo style of play,” he said. “I like to get up and down the court. I’d like to play early, but I want to work for my position."

Aggressiveness, conditioning and shooting were the three areas of his game that Burney, Jr., is working to improve. His AAU coach Horace Neysmith with the Georgia Stars feels Burney, Jr., will be one of the best in the state of Georgia as he continues to improve.

“I think he's going to be the best ‘06 big man in the state of Georgia,” said Coach Neysmith. “He's a great kid and very smart. He realizes he has a lot of potential and is just starting to put it together. Once he gets stronger, he will be very good."