Amanda (Buzz) Burakoski verbally committed to play basketball at St. John’s University about a year ago and, in short order, the critics came out of the woodwork.
Some wondered why the 6-foot Mary Louis wing would do it so early, before her junior season even started. Others were shocked St. John’s, a Big East program, would take a chance on a girl from a small school who still had two full seasons of high-school ball left to play.
All those doubts were put to rest last Wednesday when Burakoski, now a senior and one of the best players in the Class of 2009 in New York City, put pen to paper and signed a National Letter of Intent with St. John’s.
“Whether she committed early or not isn’t a question anymore,” Mary Louis coach Joe Lewinger said.
For St. John’s, it was a fine get, one of four local players the Red Storm have coming in next year. But for Mary Louis, it was a historic event. The school has Division I athletes graduate in other sports every June, but Burakoski will be the first from the basketball program since Kate Caslin-Sinnott in 1978.
“I’ve been committed so long, it feels like I’m already there,” Burakoski joked.
The first time Joe Tartamella, now St. John’s associate head coach, saw Burakoski was during her freshman season. But the summer after her sophomore year, one in which she helped lead Mary Louis to the state Federation Class A championship, he really targeted her. She was playing with the NYC Heat AAU team and Tartamella noticed right away her excellent athleticism for her age, solid size, court vision and potential as a scorer.
“I knew she was a player I wanted to focus on,” he said. “That was the first thing I told Coach [Kim Barnes Arico] was: ‘We gotta offer this kid.’”
Barnes Arico loves Burakoski’s passing ability and versatility. But especially her shooting range.
“There’s not many people out there that can shoot the ball like she can shoot the ball,” the seventh-year St. John’s coach said.
Not long after, Burakoski, a Greenpoint native, committed to St. John’s. In the past two months, others have followed, like Jennifer Blanding of Notre Dame Prep, North Babylon’s Eugeneia McPherson and Nadirah McKenith of University HS. The Red Storm are still waiting on their potential crown jewel, St. Michael Academy superstar and the best shooting guard in the country Shenneika Smith, who is expected to announce her choice Wednesday.
Burakoski isn’t much of a trendsetter, though. As good as St. John’s can be the next few years with the influx of local talent, she just liked its location and its small-school feel – kind of like Mary Louis. She had her heart set on going to high school there, much the same way she chose St. John’s early.
"To me, it was just like Mary Louis," Burakoski said. "When I went to St. John's, I just had the same feeling."
