Burtner Signs with Saint Francis

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Burtner signed with the NAIA school on Monday at Western Boone.

Burtner will study Sports Management while at the University.

Burtner started looking at the Cougars this month and Western Boone boys basketball coach Kyle Spray contacted the school.

"I think he was interested in coming to a program that has been successful," Saint Francis coach Chad LaCross said. "We got him up for an open gym and he got to meet our assistant coaches and it all fell into place."

The Cougars finished No. 3 in the conference and was the NAIA National Runner-up last season.

Burtner isn't sure yet when he will start at Saint Francis and plans on working in different aspects of his game before taking off for Fort Wayne.

"I need to work on anything the coach tells me I need to work on," Burtner said. "I need to work more on defense."

The University of Saint Francis is a member of the Mid-Central Conference which includes Taylor University, Marian University, and Indiana Wesleyan University.

Burtner averaged 16 points per game on 43 percent shooting and averaged two steals and two assists per game.

"It neat as a coach when you have guys who are going to play at the next level," Spray said of having another Western Boone player go on to play college basketball.

"Brandon has played a lot of basketball and he has put himself in a position to play in college because of the amount of work he's put in."