Troy Burrows (183-PG-1998, college: Illinois Coll.) is a 25 year old 183cm guard that was born in Illinois and will be playing at the Howard Hoops Pro Combine in Italy in August. He began his basketball career at Immaculate Conception High School. He then got vast experience playing at 3 schools. He began at JUCO school John Wood Community College. He then played at Millikin University (NCAA3) averaging 7.4ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 35.4%, 3PT: 37.2%, FT: 62.5%. He then finished at Illinois College (NCAA3) averaging 13.7ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 55.6%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 58.8%, and 6.6ppg, 1.4rpg, FGP: 35.2%, 3PT: 22.7%, FT: 50.0% as a senior. He spoke to eurobasket about basketball.
Thanks Troy for talking to eurobasket.com. Where are you at the moment and how is basketball life treating you at the moment?
Thank you for talking with me, I’m very grateful for the opportunity to take a minute and talk. Basketball has been good I’ve been enjoying the process of getting better everyday and working on my game. At the moment I’m waiting to start my rookie year here in the states.
You will be taking part at the Howard Hoops Pro Combine in Italy. How excited are you to come overseas and show your skills?
I’m very excited to get out to Milan and compete and show my ability for the first time in Europe. I’m thankful for Coach Ron and everything he’s done up until this point to get us prepared and ready to go. I’m excited and humbled by the opportunity to have this experience and show what I can bring to a club first-hand.
How did you find the contact to Ron Howard? Was it more through guys you know of finding information online?
I actually found Ron through the agent that I’ve been working with Darijan Briski. He highly recommended Ron and his combine as well as other people that I look to for advice like Sean McCaw. Both had great things to say about Ron and the opportunity he provides with his combine. My experience has been really great so far with Ron so I’m looking forward to it
How thankful are you of having found Ron Howard? He has been helping guys get jobs overseas for a decade.
Yeah I’m extremely grateful to have met Ron and everything he’s done for us so far has been really a blessing. For me personally seeing someone like him who plays my position have success overseas and is now helping guys like myself get jobs. He’s really put his best foot forward all summer so I can only imagine how great this experience will be in Milan.
What have you appreciated most about him? He is a guy that lives and breathes basketball and wants to give the underdog a shot:
Yeah I think that’s where I can relate the most and appreciate the most about him is his willingness to help the hidden gems of the guys that may just need a foot in the door. I appreciate him going out of his way to make other people’s dreams turn into a reality and setting us up for success long after this combine is over and hopefully help us establish a solid foundation in the overseas game. It’s hard to find genuine good guys and that’s what Ron has been, so it’s been great to have someone who has a genuine passion for the game the way I do in my corner this summer.
Your just coming out of college and are extremely young. How tough has the pro grind been for you in the last year?
The grind has been tough. There’s definitely better days than others. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in the process. A lot of my friends are already overseas playing so it does get to be difficult at times. I’m enjoying the process and really falling in love with the grind and building habits that will make me a successful pro for years to come. I think being young will definitely play to my advantage for clubs, I’m ready to go, I’m fresh, and have been preparing for a full year to be the best player I can be and to help an organization win ball games.
The odds to come overseas are slim. What keeps you going knowing that the odds aren’t good?
I think I’m the type of person who’s always been told what they can’t do and at every level I’ve developed and proved people wrong. I think the same applies here I think if you work and stay focused then anything is possible. I’m very confident in the work I put in and what I think I can bring to teams overseas. I think my skill set translates to the style of play and the direction the games going in.
Let’s talk a big about your game. If you had to describe your game to an NBA player who would best fit the description?
I would say I draw from a lot of different players I think that obviously being undersized I gravitate towards watching Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving. I think I have some similarities to both players in terms of how I score the ball in the midrange a lot like Ky and my ability to shoot the ball with range and confidence of Steph. I can also see myself being able to help teams a lot like Jose Alvarado and Gabe Vincent as a solid lead guard. I also watch a lot of overseas guards like Mike James, Clevin Hannah, David Logan. I think my game has a lot of similarities to those guys as well.
Talk a little about your game. What are your main strengths? Is shooting your biggest strength? You made 171 three’s in school.
Shooting is definitely one of my biggest strengths both from 3 and in the midrange. I’ve been a shooter since I started playing so I rely on it because it’s something that every team needs and can translate with my range as well. I was pretty efficient my final year shooting the ball and was able to score in the midrange effectively as well which helped open up my 3pt shooting a lot more.
What is a hidden strength in your game that isn’t noticed right away on the court?
I would say my ability to distribute and make plays for other guys is something that doesn’t pop out right away. I think that I can find guys and make plays. I hope to show that more as my career goes on that I’m an effective passer as well in transition and in the half court or in the pick and roll as well. I also think defensively I can get after guys and cause problems on the other end as well that’s not something that really shows in a highlight tape so I look forward to showcasing that to teams in Milan as well.
On what area’s of your game are you working on most at the moment so you can continue to grow as a player?
I’ve been working a lot on my strength and conditioning to be in the best shape and be able to compete with guys bigger and stronger than me. I’ve been working on cutting and moving without the ball and off the ball as well so I can continue to grow as a player.
You played JUCO for John Wood Community College. I have interviewed 100’s of guys that played JUCO and each guy said it was a very tough journey, but one that helped their development. How was it for you?
JUCO is definitely a grind. You have to have a certain level of toughness to go through a JUCO season let alone win games at that level. I think being a part of a winning program definitely helped my development as a player and overallJUCO helped me grow on and off the court.
You played a season at Millikin University (NCAA3) averaging 7.4ppg, 1.6rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 35.4%, 3PT: 37.2%, FT: 62.5%. How was that experience for you and what was your fondest moment there?
Millikin was a good experience. The CCIW is a great conference one of if not the best in the country at that level. A lot of pros have come from that conference as well as now with the transfer portal guys have transferred to D2 powers as well as D1 schools. I think playing against high level competition every night and being able to compete every night was really great for me. I think my best memory is just playing in front of some of the bigger crowds at the NCAA3 level was a great experience it’s always fun to play well in a packed gym and you learn a lot when you don’t play as well in those same environments which helps you grow as a player.
You played a season at Illinois College (NCAA3) averaging 13.7ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 55.6%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 58.8%. How tough was this season for you? It got cancelled because of COVID. Do you sometimes wonder how that season may have gone without COVID?
I loved my time at Illinois college. It was a great experience with an even better group of guys. I think with a full season we could’ve made a run that year in the tournament. We made the mock tournament that year which was cool but doesn’t compare to actually playing in it. I really enjoyed my time at IC and I’m proud of how far the program has come. The year before I got there they weren’t really on the map and Coach Schweer and the guys have built that into a power at the NCAA3 level so I’m just glad to have been a part of that.
How did Steve Schweer groom and prepare you for a professional career?
I think Coach Schweer did a great job of putting me in a situation where he trusted me and let me be free and show what I could do. I think he prepared me as a leader for my pro career on and off the court which is most valuable. I think on the court being able to be free and have that trust helped me have a big year and helped me with my confidence going into my professional career. I’m very grateful for Coach Schweer and Coach Jay for all they did for me in my time at Illinois College.
Who won a 1-1 in practice you or Deandre Enoch?
Dre is my guy! We had some battles in practice but never played 1 on 1 haha. I’ve known Deandre since the 8th grade so he’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever had.
Who was the toughest player you ever faced in your life that reached the NBA?
I would say probably Jalen Brunson. There’s a YouTube highlight somewhere of me playing against him in high school. He’s really crafty and physical so he gave me some trouble when I was younger. Jevon Carter and Jordan Poole are a close second and 3rd in terms of tough matchups.
Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?
Only 5 is tough I got love for a lot of my teammates but I would say
Aziz Fadika, Chima Oduocha, Will (Tre) Rogers, TJ Irvin, and my high school teammate Angel Ramirez
What is your personal NBA Mount Rushmore of past or present heads?
My personal all time Mount Rushmore is Kobe, Mj, Steph Curry, and Lebron. I have to add one for Allen Iverson as well.
Who is your GOAT and why?
My GOAT is Kobe Bryant. Kobe growing up was everything for me. He’s the reason why I’m still playing to this day. He’s the most skilled most cold blooded player in NBA history to me. His mentality has inspired me more than words can describe.
Did you see the sequel of the classic Coming To America? Shouldn’t they have left it alone?
Haha I actually haven’t seen the sequel yet I need to watch it the original Coming to America is a classic and one of my favorite movies so I think usually it is best to leave the classics alone and let them be.
Thanks Troy for the chat.
German Hoops 