TJ Burch takes pride in the ‘dawg’ mentality he’s brought to Utah basketball’s defense
Oct 13, 2026, 10:36 AM | Updated: 11:04 am
Utah basketball's Trey Campbell, TJ Burch at practice. Photo courtesy by Utah Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY — TJ Burch made a good first impression with Utah basketball of the defensive toughness Alex Jensen wants from the Runnin’ Utes this season.
For Jensen and general manager Wes Wilcox, a major point of emphasis in the roster construction this offseason was drastically improving on the defensive end. And Burch will be at the heart of that improvement.
The Wright State transfer finished with 16 points, five rebounds and four steals in Utah’s 79-69 exhibition win over UNLV on Oct. 7. His teammates had already become familiar with that competitiveness in practice, where Burch’s approach is helping establish expectations for a reshaped roster.
For Burch, the mentality comes naturally.
“It’s kind of like my DNA,” Burch said. “My family, we all play sports, kind of all got that dawg mentality, so it’s been in me forever.”
Utah basketball’s TJ Burch takes pride in defense
Burch arrived at Utah after earning Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year honors at Wright State. He recorded 88 steals last season, third-most nationally, while his 2.6 steals per game ranked seventh.
That production helped the Raiders win the Horizon League’s regular-season and tournament championships. It also gave Utah an accomplished defender who views getting stops as a personal responsibility.
“I take big pride in it. I take defense personal,” Burch said. “You’re not supposed to take basketball personal, but I do, I want to get that stop.”
The move to the Big 12 will test how consistently Burch can create that disruption against a higher level of competition. He has little interest in allowing questions about his size to define the opportunity.
“I’m a dog, bro. I’m a dog. Size don’t matter,” Burch said.
His value extends beyond the steals he collects. Pressure on a ballhandler can delay an opponent’s offense, make routine passes more difficult and help keep teammates from having to rotate out of position to stop penetration.
For Utah, the goal is to turn that individual effort into a dependable team defense.
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Utah’s exhibition win over UNLV showcased defensive emphasis
The exhibition opener offered an encouraging first look at Burch’s impact and Utah’s ability to rely on its defense when the offense slowed.
The Utes built a 17-point first-half lead but missed their first seven 3-point attempts after halftime. UNLV closed the gap to 62-56 by the under-eight timeout, putting pressure on Utah to find another way to regain control.
The response came with stops. Utah held UNLV to 1-for-5 shooting during a 9-2 run, rebuilding a 13-point advantage with 3:29 remaining.
Burch led the Utes with four of their 12 steals and went 8-for-10 at the free-throw line. Utah scored 18 points off turnovers, while Burch accounted for half of the team’s 32 bench points.
One exhibition provides only an early indication of what the Utes can become. Still, the ability to withstand a shooting slump and create separation through defense was a meaningful step for Jensen’s group.
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Alex Jensen’s defensive emphasis gains support
Burch’s teammates describe a player whose competitiveness carries through the daily work.
“He’s a machine, he’s a dog, he’s always competing, especially on the defensive end, and really pushing everybody to get along with that,” forward Alec Anigbata said.
Guard Obomate Abbey pointed to Burch’s response to mistakes as something he wants to learn from. Burch keeps his head up and emphasizes moving onto the next play, maintaining his effort rather than allowing one mistake to become another.
Trey Campbell described Utah’s guards picking each other up full court and pushing one another in practice. Babacar Faye estimated that roughly half of practice is devoted to defense, reflecting Jensen’s emphasis on that end.
Burch sees value in the willingness of the entire group to compete. He recalled his team overcoming a roughly 13-point deficit to win during a recent practice, a response he viewed as an encouraging sign of its resilience.
“I got teammates that want to fight with me,” Burch said. “They want to be able to win, too.”
TJ Burch embraces Big 12 opportunity
Going back to his portal recruitment, Burch said his connection with Utah’s coaching staff developed positively from the very first Zoom call through his official visit. He felt comfortable with the coaches and believed the program would allow him to be himself.
He also saw the opportunity to develop as a true point guard. He cited the staff’s NBA experience as the reason for his belief in the staff helping him better understand how to run an offense.
The move to Utah gives him a chance to expand his game while testing himself against top-level competition in the Big 12.
“I got a chance to show everybody I can do it on both stages, both levels,” Burch said.
Burch’s first exhibition performance gave Utah an encouraging introduction. The obvious next step is sustaining that impact when games start to matter. Then another, bigger step when they matter even more in Big 12 play.
