Stanley Burrell (basketball) facts for kids

Stanley Dewayne Burrell Jr. (born September 16, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Standing at 6 feet 3 inches tall, he played the point guard position. A point guard is usually the player who brings the ball up the court and helps set up plays for their team. Stanley Burrell played college basketball for Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was a starting player for all four years at Xavier and finished his college career with 1,612 points, placing him 12th on the school's all-time scoring list. He also played in a record 132 college games! After college, he played professionally for 10 years.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Stanley Burrell was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky. His parents divorced when he was young. Stanley and his brother, James, were raised by their mother in her hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana.

In Indianapolis, Stanley went to Ben Davis High School. During his senior year in 2003, he was the top scorer for his team, averaging 20.9 points per game. He helped lead his team to win a Sectional Championship. He was also named to the 2003 Indiana All-Star Team. After high school, he decided to play college basketball at Xavier University.

Prep School Training

Before going straight to Xavier University, Stanley attended Hargrave Military Academy for a year (2003–2004). This was a "prep school" season, where he worked on improving his basketball skills and strength. This helped him be ready to make a big impact when he started at Xavier. At Hargrave, he averaged 15.5 points per game and helped his team win the Prep-school National Championship.

College Basketball Career at Xavier

Stanley Burrell joined Xavier University for his first year, known as his freshman season (2004–2005). He quickly became an important player.

Freshman Year Success

• He led Xavier in scoring, averaging 12.7 points per game. He was only the third freshman player ever to do this for Xavier.
• He was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team. This means he was one of the best new players in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Sophomore Year Highlights

• In his second year (2005–2006), Xavier won the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament.
• This win earned them a spot in the NCAA Tournament, which is a big national competition for college teams.
• Stanley again led Xavier in scoring with 14.4 points per game and also in assists with 3.3 assists per game.
• He was named to the All Atlantic 10 Conference Team.

Junior Year Achievements

• During his third year (2006–2007), Xavier won the Atlantic 10 regular season championship.
• They also earned another spot in the NCAA Tournament.
• Stanley was the team's second-highest scorer, averaging 12.4 points per game. He was also second in assists.
• He was again named to the Atlantic 10 All Conference Team.

Senior Year and Top Defender

• In his final year (2007–2008), Xavier won its third straight Atlantic 10 Championship.
• They made it to the NCAA Tournament again, reaching the "Elite Eight" (the final eight teams) before losing.
• Stanley became known as one of the best defensive players in the country.
• He was named the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year.
• He still contributed to scoring and assists, averaging 9.7 points and 3.8 assists per game.
• Many sports experts, like Seth Davis from Sports Illustrated and ESPN analyst Jay Bilas, praised his defensive skills.

Professional Basketball Career

After graduating from Xavier University with a degree, Stanley Burrell started his professional basketball journey.

Early Professional Teams

• In 2008, he signed his first professional contract with KK Bosna in the Adriatic League. He played 17 games, averaging 9.7 points and 2.4 assists.
• In January 2009, he joined the Austin Toros in the NBA's Developmental League (now called the G-League). This league helps players develop their skills to potentially play in the NBA. The Toros reached the semifinals of the playoffs that season.
• In 2009, he signed with Royal Basket Club Verviers-Pepinster in Belgium. He averaged 10.8 points per game and led the entire Belgian League in assists with 4.6 assists per game.
• He then played for Generali Okapi Aalstar, also in the Belgian League, for the 2010–2011 season.

Playing Around the World

Stanley Burrell continued his career playing for many teams in different countries:

• In 2011, he played for Energa Czarni Slupsk in the Polish League, leading his team in scoring and assists.
• In 2012, he joined Bremerhaven in the German League, again leading his team in scoring and assists.
• In 2013, he signed with Royal Halı Gaziantep in Turkey.
• In 2014, he played for Bnei Herzlyia in the Israeli League.
• Later in 2014, he joined the Hitachi Sunrockers in the Japanese League.
• From late 2014 to early 2015, he played for Tsmoki-Minsk in Belarus.
• In 2015, he moved to Hapoel Gilboa Galil in the Israeli League.
• Also in 2015, he signed with Apoel in the Cyprus League.
• In January 2016, he joined Olaj Szolnok, a Eurocup Team in the Hungarian League, where he averaged 15.2 points and 4.4 assists per game in the Eurocup.
• He briefly returned to the Polish club Energa Czarni Słupsk in July 2016 before ending his professional career.