Bradford Burgess

2011-12 (Senior)

When 6-foot-4, 200 lb. Bradford Burgess played his first game in Black & Gold, his coach was Anthony Grant, his teammates included Eric Maynor and Larry Sanders, and VCU was a strong but unassuming mid major team.

Now 225 lb. Bradford Burgess is 6’-6”, and he leaves behind an unprecedented legacy at VCU. While the Stuart C. Siegel Center is the house that Trani built, Bradford Burgess helped decorate it with three NCAA Tournament banners, a CBI Championship banner, a Final 4 Banner, and a #6 final ranking banner.

In December of his freshman year, “Big Shot” earned his name with a go ahead three-pointer against crosstown rival University of Richmond. In 2011 he drained the layup in overtime against Florida State that sent VCU to the Elite 8. This season Burgess drained countless late game shots including the go ahead 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining against Wichita State that changed the dynamic of the game.

With the early departures of Jay Gavin and Terrance Saintil, Burgess found himself as the lone senior on the 9th youngest team in Division I basketball. While his offensive production decreased during his senior season, Burgess’s ability to play as an undersized power forward was paramount to VCU’s ability to play “small ball.” When summer practice started, Burgess was there showing the underclassmen the effort that is required to execute HAVOC. Of course Bradford already had practice working with the younger generation as his brother Jordan Burgess (a 4-star recruit) will join VCU’s roster next season.

Burgess’s career at VCU is over, and he is now top-ten all-time at VCU in: career points (fourth — 1,684), rebounds (eighth — 734), steals (ninth — 146), three-pointers made (second — 231), three-point field goal percentage (seventh — .397), free-throws made (fourth — 343), and minutes played (first — 4,572). Burgess joins Kendrick Warren and Charles Wilkins as only the third Ram to score 1,600 points, grab 700 rebounds, and dish out 200 assists.

Photograph courtesy of VCU Athletics.

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For the Record Book

NCAA Record

• Consecutive Starts: 146

VCU Records

• Minutes: 4,572
• Wins: 108
• NCAA tournament wins: 6