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Burke signs father, cousin as agents

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- As former Michigan guard Trey Burke moves on to the NBA, he’ll be keeping part of his life close to home. He has decided to be represented by his family.

Burke told ESPN.com he would be represented by his father, Benji Burke, and his cousin, Alonzo Shavers. Shavers primarily has been an NFL agent and is the founder and president of Infinite Sports Concepts.

“I think it’s the best decision for me,” Burke said. “Alonzo is my cousin and also been a football agent for years. He has the experience. My dad is new to the game. I felt going with them would be the right fit and I think we’ll still have the same resources we would have with a bigger firm, just because I feel like I’m marketable enough to get those types of endorsements and things like that. I just felt like it was the best decision for me.”

Burke, the national player of the year for the 2012-13 season, is projected as a lottery pick, perhaps as high as the top five in June’s NBA draft. He set Michigan’s single-season assist record last season with 260 while averaging 18.6 points a game.

The 20-year-old will attend next week’s NBA draft combine in Chicago. He said there were other agents inquiring about signing him before he chose to stay within his family.

“It was a business decision for me and one I felt I had to make,” Burke said. “There were a lot of big-time agents that were really interested and wanted me to sign with them. I just feel like I made the best decision for me.”