• A former standout at DePaul, Burno enters his first
season as a member of the Tigers' staff, reuniting with his former
mentor at DePaul, Pat Kennedy.
• Burno - known for his outstanding work ethic - will assist
in all facets of the Towson program. Head coach Pat Kennedy
is particularly excited about Burno's ability to develop players
and on-floor coaching ability.
• A product of the famed St. Anthony's program led by Bob
Hurley, Sr., Burno went on to become the only three-time captain in
the history of the DePaul program.
Burno photo courtesy of Kanji Takeno
NCDS: Rashon Burno, Asst. Coach - Towson
Winning in conference is a very difficult task when you have a young team. As we enter into the grnid of conference play, it is very important to execute our game plan. As a coaching staff we are mentally preparing our kids for the stretch run of conference. Each game in conference is more and more difficult because of game preparation, scouting, and adjustments made by the other. It is vital that we get our kids to understand that execution is key in winning games down the stretch. Our practices have been spirited and intense, we now have to take that and bring it into our games, especially the first five minutes of each half. Our guards have done a tremendous job adjusting to conference play but we still have a ways to go. Our post players have been tremendously effective but they still have a lot to learn. As we prepare for our next three conference home games our point of emphasis has been on the defensive end. Our team plays very hard on the defensive end but we now need to make the adjustment of playing smarter.
As I watch college basketball, the really great teams play very close attention to details on game preparation. We must, as a team, compose our will down the stretch of our conference games. Our head coach has done a tremendous job to put our kids in the place to win games but it is now our job to execute this planning until the end of the game.
Having a young talented freshman point guard has been a tremendous blessing. He is like a sponge when given instructions and as a coach you couldn’t ask for anything more. He has been a pleasure to work with. Our senior guard has been a tremendous leader on and off the floor. He has helped the young freshman through a tough start and has remained a mentor on and off the floor through the season. One of the highlights of the season for me has been watching the development of a kid who didn’t think he had a role on the team at the beginning of the season and to see him now play a prominent role on our team. He was named Conference Player of the Week recently and I am tremendously proud of this accomplishment. It is the moments like this that make all the hard work and hours away from your family truly worth it.
Also, I would like to talk about the importance of the forgotten heroes. The players who make up the rest of the team. The guys who are executing the other team’s system to help us to prepare to win, playing countless hours of defense to help us sharpen our offensive system while still being able to play our opponents offense so that defensively we are prepared for the game. These guys are the epitome of dedicated teammates.
I look forward to my next post and updating you on our team’s progress as we round out the season. Til next time – Go Tigers!
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