Holcomb's Braiden Burk signs with Crowley's Ridge College

HOLCOMB – Hornet hoops standout Braiden Burk put pen to paper recently to continue his academic and athletic career at the collegiate level as a member of the Crowley's Ridge College basketball team.

As a Pioneer-to-be, Burk will be joining his sister, Hannah, who plays for the Crowley's Ridge College softball team, in Paragould, Ar., in the fall.

“It's always been a dream for me to play in college,” Burk said. “It's great that I'm able to go somewhere close to home, and Crowley's has always been on my radar since my sister goes there, too.”

Burk said that Crowley's is a “great spot,” and he's already garnered a relationship with Pioneer basketball coach Chris Perkins along with several of the team's current athletes after playing pickup games with them on campus.

Burk has been a central figure on the Holcomb basketball team for the majority of his high school tenure. He started playing for the varsity squad his sophomore year, and according to Hornet coach Michael Snider, he's only gotten better since.

Holcomb senior Braiden Burk looks for an opening to pass to a teammate during a game against Risco in January.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

“As soon as I got here, you always have a lot of kids who give you a lot of effort,” Snider explained. “Then it typically fizzles out over the years, especially when they're young. That never happened with Braiden.”

“Braiden has been gung-ho with basketball and his own journey with basketball since before I even got here,” he continued. “He just works extremely hard with his craft and what he does. You just don't find very many kids who will get here early in the morning to get 500 shots up, work on his ball handling, then go to school, go to practice, then go to another individual basketball workout somewhere else.”

Snider recollected a conversation with former assistant coach Daren Shipman at the start of Burk's sophomore year, in which he told Shipman that the rising athlete would start every game possible for the next three years.

“He works too hard, and wants it too bad,” Snider said three years ago. “And he kept improving every year.”

It may be a step up in terms of competition in advancing to play at the next level, but Burk's goals are clear.

“I definitely want to be a varsity guy at the college level, maybe right from the start, but who knows,” he said. “I just want to bring winning and a good culture to Crowley's. I think I'll be able to make a difference right away. They've got a ton of talent on their roster, but I think I can fit in and do something for the team to help spark winning.”

In the 2022-23 basketball season, the Pioneer's went 10-19 (6-7 Continental Athletic Conference).

Burk is not one to shy away from a challenge, and he played an important role in the ongoing culture change taking place in Holcomb.

Braiden Burk charges toward the basket in a game against Southland during the Tri-County Conference Tournament this season.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat

“We turned our program around,” Burk said of his time with the Hornets. “My group and the one before us wanted to change the culture and become more of a winning program. We wanted to be super competitive in conference play and become one of the top teams. That was a goal for us, and being in that championship game is something we knew we could accomplish.”

Snider took on his role four years ago, and Burk explained that he “brought a sense of winning and urgency,” that inspired the team. “We knew we could make winning happen,” Burk said.

The Hornets improved from a 13% record in 2019 to a 22.7% in 2020, 52% in 2021 and 69.2% in 2022. This year, Holcomb went 13-14 overall and played for the conference championship, but fell to Cooter, who went on to compete in a state quarterfinal.

Burk led the team his senior year with 13 points, four rebounds, five assists and 1.7 steals a game. He shot 38% from beyond the arc and was a prominent threat for any opposing team.

“I think now that everyone knows we have the capabilities to be a winning program, people trust in the basketball team now,” Burk said. “We've always had a pretty successful baseball team, but now I think things have changed and we have more momentum and respect going into the basketball season.”

While he had interest from other schools and another official offer, Burk's first game with the Pioneers will rapidly approach as he continues to hone his skills in the offseason.

“I'm just going to keep working,” Burk said. “It never stops. Basketball is a full-season sport for guys at the college level, so I'm just going to keep my nose down, keep working and see how much better I can be.”

Holcomb's Braiden Burk (center, seated) and his friends, family and coaches gather at Holcomb High School Wednesday, April 12, 2023.Christian Johnson, Delta Dunklin Democrat