FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 21, 2020) – When
Shane Burcar arrived on Northern Arizona's coaching staff a little less than two years ago, building a relationship with the program's new point guard stood among his list of priorities.
Having coached former Arizona State guard Jahii Carson and former Tulsa guard Donte Medder while at Mesa High School, Burcar values the relationship between a coach and the man running the point for his team.
"The one thing I have been very lucky with, or blessed with, is that my whole coaching career I have been lucky to have good point guards," Burcar said. "I think that relationship between a coach and a point guard, is everything for the team. That point guard has to be your voice."
Through Northern Arizona's first 16 games this season, and Burcar's first 16 games as the program's head coach, no Lumberjack has been on the court more than sophomore point guard
Cameron Shelton.
Soon after Burcar joined Northern Arizona's staff in April 2018, he called up Shelton. The guard was at the San Diego Zoo at the time, but took a break to speak with the man who would eventually be his head coach. It didn't take long for the two to connect.
"We established a great relationship, and I think that's really where the trust comes from," Shelton said. "I feel like I do a good job of going in there, asking questions and making sure me and him are on the same page. At the end of the day, I am the coach on the floor."
Both cited a practice from last season that has carried over into 2020 as a key to their bond. A year ago, Burcar and Shelton sat down to watch film of every game together.
"He's helped me slow the game down a lot," Shelton said. "I'm really comfortable in his offense and he trusts me, so that makes it easier to play."
Both have taken on much more responsibility this season.
When former head coach Jack Murphy added Burcar to the staff, it was with the intention of him mentoring Northern Arizona's guards and wings. Now he's running the whole program. Meanwhile, Shelton has seen his minutes and usage skyrocket as a sophomore. After averaging 27.5 per game as a true freshman, Shelton's now at his team-leading 33.2 (as of Jan. 20). Additionally, the guard's percentage of possessions (25.5%) and percentage of shots (24.0%) lead the Lumberjacks and have taken leaps from last season (18.5% and 15.3% respectively).
Some of the increases come out of necessity, as Northern Arizona's depth chart at point guard changed a bit from last season.
"We don't really have another true point," Shelton said. "We have guys that can play the point by committee, but I have to try to be really good for the team and Coach Burcar has really helped with that."
"WINNERS WIN"
More than anything, Burcar cites Shelton's competitiveness as the guard's key to succeeding on the court. Listed at 6-2 by Northern Arizona, Shelton is just one of two guards among the top 20 rebounders in the Big Sky Conference. The other is Northern Colorado's Jonah Radebaugh.
While Shelton is just a sophomore, Radebaugh is not only a senior, but a two-time Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and likely to land on the All-Big Sky First Team at the year's end.
"We always talk about 'Do your job' and he does his job, his numbers would indicate that," Burcar said. "It's a situation where you can offensive rebound and it's one of the few things you can be selfish. He's getting blocked out by someone who's probably not as competitive as he is and he's going to get the ball."
It isn't just rebounding that Shelton has excelled in as a sophomore. Along with Radebaugh and Montana senior Sayeed Pridgett, Shelton is just one of three Big Sky players to rank among the top 18 in scoring, assists and rebounds. Additionally, Shelton is among the conference's top three underclassmen in the same three categories.
"He does everything. We give him the freedom to offensive rebound because we'd be fools not to go and let him use his skill set," Burcar said. "And that's part of being a true competitor. He's sharing the basketball, he will go score when he needs to score the ball. And as far as his rebounding, that's just pure heart, that's his heart going to get the basketball."
The performance isn't completely unexpected. Shelton measured out well as a freshman, posting a similar turnover rate in conference games and finishing the season with an offensive rating at 100.2, the best for any Northern Arizona freshman who took a similar percentage of shots since Ako Kaluna in 2014.
Those numbers came while seeing a significant portion of his playing time coming at shooting guard rather than the point.
"We had Carlos (Hines) last year, we were kind of switching off at the point guard spot," Shelton said. "But this year, obviously, it's a lot more opportunity. But when (Burcar) called me, I knew we were going to do some great things together."
Of course, even with the impressive numbers halfway through the season, Burcar said he knows Shelton wants to keep improving on what they have been able to do so far.
"There's no ulterior motives, he wants to be good and he's always talking positive about his teammates," Burcar said. "I have a saying, 'Winners win,' and Cam Shelton most certainly is a winner."
'AN OPPORTUNITY'
Not long ago, Shelton struggled to get on the court during the start of his high school career. It was to no real fault of his own, he just happened to be on the nation's best team.
Playing at Chino Hills with USC's Onyeka Okongwu, Loyola Marymount's Eli Scott and all three of the well-known Ball brothers, Shelton finished sixth on the team in many statistical categories. After Chino Hills finished the 2015-16 season 35-0 and atop the nation's high school rankings, Shelton transferred to Damien High School for the final two years of his high school career.
Shelton cited a few different reasons for the move, which would get him noticed and eventually offered by Northern Arizona.
"I wanted to be able to get a different type of education, going from public school to more of a controlled private school where they definitely get you ready for college," Shelton said. "And then obviously, on the basketball side there was a lot more opportunity over at Damien. Coach Mike LeDuc, he's like a legendary coach in California and I thought that was going to be a great opportunity to go and develop under him to get ready for college, and you know, obviously it worked."
LeDuc earned his 900th career win during Shelton's senior season at Damien, where the Spartans reached the CIF Southern Section Division I state quarterfinals each year.
Shelton committed to Northern Arizona in October 2017, during his senior year of high school, after Murphy pursued him at Damien.
"It was just constant and he really just sold this program. He was really hands on and I think me and my family appreciated that. He came to games, practices, did a house visit, so I was just really comfortable with him and the vision he was talking about," Shelton said.
While he wasn't promised minutes to start off his collegiate career, Shelton said Murphy told him he would have the opportunity to come in and play early on.
"That's what I was really looking for in college. Could I get a chance to come in, work and earn a spot," Shelton said. "Coach Murphy, he really gave me an opportunity and I am grateful for it. I mostly trusted my work ethic because I had been in situations like that before where you have got to earn a spot."
