Hall of Fame
A four-year starter for the Grove City men’s basketball team from 1973 to 1977, Joe Burns played a major role in the resurgence of the Wolverine program during that period.
The 6-foot-4 Burns excelled as a playmaking guard on offense and as a superior defender at the other end of the court.
Head coach John Barr cited Burns as one of the two best defensive players that he coached during his 25-year stint at Grove City.
The Ashland, Ohio, native graduated as Grove City’s career leader with 352 assists. He also scored 785 career points in 93 career games, making him responsible for nearly 1,500 points.
As a freshman, Burns set a program record with 158 assists. The next year, Burns averaged a career-best 11 points per game while also leading the team with 80 assists.
In his junior season, Burns helped Grove City to a 16-4 regular season record and the program’s first NCAA Division III Championship Tournament invitation. That year, the Wolverines qualified for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship in Scranton, Pa.
In the opening round against eventual national champion Scranton, Burns limited Jack Maher - the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player - to only two points and zero field goals.
As a senior co-captain, Burns helped lead Grove City to a 14-9 record as the Wolverines’ 23-game slate featured 14 games against scholarship level schools.
Grove City closed the 1976-77 season with a 19-game home winning streak. Burns concluded his career by earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in 1977.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology. Burns then added his master’s degree at the University of Georgia in 1981. Three years later, he earned his doctorate in education at the University of Georgia.
