The Edinburgh gymnasium has witnessed Devin Burton at various stages of his life.
As a young child, he attended games with his father Curtis, all the while visualizing himself one day running out of the tunnel for pregame warmups.
Eventually, he earned that opportunity as a four-year starting guard from 2007 to 2011.
Now 31, Burton takes on yet another role as he takes over as Edinburgh’s head coach following five seasons leading the Lancers’ junior varsity squads.
“It’s special, it really is,” Burton said. “I’ve always wanted to be the coach here. This is home to me, so I’m glad coach (Keith) Witty got me on board.
“I’ve grown up here. I remember watching games in elementary school and middle school, and then playing in high school. I know I’m a young coach, but I’ve been around this specific program most of my life.”
Witty served as Edinburgh’s coach the past six seasons before taking the Greenwood job in June. His successor, who as a player helped the Lancers run up a 57-37 record, wants to duplicate that kind of success now that he’s in charge.
It starts with junior Connor Ramey, a 5-foot-6 point guard who averaged 11.7 points a game last season. Ramey’s stat line also included 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.2 steals.
“Connor is a really good player, and he’s going to have the ball in his hands a lot more this season,” Burton said. “He’s the type of player who makes everyone around him better. He’s a small guy, but has a big heart. A big motor. He plays a lot bigger than he is.”
Senior off guard Austin Brockman also returns after posting a 5.1 scoring average a year ago; junior forward/center Jackson Hartwell is back, and he should produce higher norms than the 3.4 points, 3.2 boards and 1.3 steals of last season.
“Obviously, we have a lot of new faces,” Burton said. “My goal is for us to keep getting better, and playing our best basketball in March.”
Edinburgh opens its season with a pair of road tests, starting at Southwestern on Nov. 21 before making the short drive to Indian Creek four days later.
After that, four of the next five games are inside the Edinburgh gymnasium. No need giving directions to Burton, who figures he’s occupied many of the seats inside the facility over the course of the past two and a half decades.
He knows the way.
SCOUTING THE LANCERS
Coach: Devin Burton
Last season: 13-10, lost to South Decatur in first round of Class A sectional
Key returnees: Austin Brockman, senior; Jackson Hartwell and Connor Ramey, juniors
Top newcomers: Gabe Bennett, senior; Milas Burkman, Ryan Londeree, Lucas Seegers and Eli Smith, juniors; Bailey Totten, sophomore
Outlook: Former assistant coach Burton moves over to the head coach’s chair on the Edinburgh sideline, leading a program that has finished with a winning record 10 of the last 14 seasons — including a combined mark of 53-20 over the past three.
Ramey is back to run the show as the point guard; Brockman and Hartwell are virtual locks as starters, too. The 6-foot-1 Londeree is expected to make a push to be a starter when the season begins, as are the 6-1 Smith, 6-0 Burkman, 5-11 Bennett and the 6-3 Seegers. Edinburgh teams have averaged no fewer than 60 points a game the past three years, but some of the current players will have to emerge at the offensive end to keep that streak alive.
