Once a local high school hero, Burnett followed long path to Michigan

The road back to Chicago has been long, winding and then some for Michigan guard Nimari Burnett.

Burnett probably qualifies as an Illinois high school legend, though he didn't stick around for long.

Back in 2017, as a freshman at Morgan Park, Burnett helped fill in for an injured Ayo Dosunmu and poured in 24 points in a Class 3A title game victory over Fenwick.

“I just remember being unconscious, and my teammates looking for me, and just finding a way to win, because Ayo was out,” Burnett said. “We had to change a large part of our offense and just kind of do it by committee. Luckily, I caught fire.”

Burnett talked about his journey at the Big Ten Tournament. He returned to the United Center this weekend and will try to help send Michigan to the Final Four by winning Sunday’s Midwest Region final against Tennessee.

Burnett's history with Dosunmu goes all the way back to middle school at the Beasley Academic Center on the South Side, which was also where Derrick Rose went to school. When Burnett was in fifth grade, he was promoted to the seventh- and eighth-grade team, and played alongside Dosunmu.

After delivering 24 points on the biggest stage as high school freshman, it was natural to suspect Burnett was on a fast track to the NBA. He was ranked No. 29 in the high school Class of 2020 by Rivals, below current NBA veterans like Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes.

But he's still in college as a sixth-year senior, since the COVID season of 2020-21 didn't count against eligibility. And it's not a bad consolation prize, starting for the Big Ten champions and top seed in the Midwest Region.

“I am so grateful to be in this current position,” he said. “I mean, I prayed for times like this, seriously.”

After becoming Morgan Park's freshman sensation, Burnett decided to move on, even though Dosunmu still had another year left. Burnett moved to Napa, California, and finished high school at Prolific Prep.

He spent his freshman year of college at Texas Tech, on a team that included Bulls guard Mac McClung, former Illini star Terrence Shannon Jr. and former Michigan teammate Vlad Goldin. Burnett then spent two years at Alabama, missing one with an injury, before transferring to Michigan in 2023.

“Prolific Prep was on me since like eighth grade, so it was always kind of a dream of mine and play at prep school,” Burnett said. “It was fun. Playing against top competition, playing all over the country, Florida, Kentucky. We went to Kentucky a lot. So I got used to long road trips, man.”

Since leaving Morgan Park, Burnett watched Dosunmu become a Big Ten star at Illinois and spend five years in the NBA, moving from the Bulls to Minnesota last month.

Burnett may not get to the NBA himself, but when asked what he'd tell his ninth-grade self, he sent a positive message.

“Just stay composed, enjoy the journey,” Burnett said. “The ups and downs of it are inevitably shaping you to become a better person, a better man.”