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Burney signs with Otero

Melinda Mawdsley

Steamboat Springs High School graduate Cameron Burney has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball for Otero Junior College in La Junta this fall.

The 6-foot-5 Burney will move from the post to shooting guard for the Rattlers, a position to which Burney said he is well-suited.

Burney took a recruiting trip to the southeast Colorado town and met the team and coach Tim Moser.



Burney and Steamboat coach Kelly Meek think Otero is a good fit.

“Coach Moser was the only coach that Coach Meek paid attention to,” Burney said.



In other words, Moser is a strict man who has high expectations for his players on and off the court, Burney said.

Burney is unsure of his long-term career goals but would like to get a two-year degree in business management. He has basketball aspirations beyond Otero.

“Oh, yeah,” Burney said. “I definitely want to play (Division 1). I’d like to try to go to CU.”

The University of Colorado at Boulder is a member of the Big 12 Conference, and Otero’s coaching staff has a reputation for sending its players on to larger schools, including Division 1 institutions.

Otero plays in Region IX and competes against schools in Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming and Arizona, among others.

This winter, Burney helped lead Steamboat to a 21-3 record and the Western Slope League championship. He was the league’s Player of the Year and a second team All-State selection after averaging 16.6 points and 9.7 rebounds a game, both team highs.

Burney leaves Steamboat as the school’s all-time leader in two-point field goal percentage at 72.2 percent. His overall shooting percentage during the season was 64.4 percent.

On Saturday, Burney will play in the All-State game at Cherokee Trail High School. Burney is the first Sailor invited to play since 2000.


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