(Notre Dame) — Notre Dame guard Markus Burton will undergo surgery Wednesday on the left ankle he injured in last Friday’s win over TCU.

There is no timetable offered for the return of the former Indiana Mr. Basketball out of Penn High School.  Burton is Notre Dame’s leader in both scoring (18,5 ppg) and assists (3.7/game) and was shooting 92% from the foul line.

“It’s tough because that’s like one of my own kids, he’s family” Irish coach Micah Shrewsberry told local media at his press gathering Tuesday. “He’s a local kid and now’s the time for the community to support him.”

It’s the second straight season that Notre Dame has lost Burton for an extended period of time. Last season, Burton was injured in the first game of the Players’ Era Classic in Las Vegas.

“The timing and talent this year make adjusting a little easier,” said the third-year Irish head coach “Jalen Haralson can move to point guard. He has played there his whole life. But tomorrow is the most important game of the season. We may not play well, but we will be locked in.”

The Irish face 6-3 Idaho at Purcell Pavilion. The Vandals shoot 31 three-pointers per game, and connect on nearly 11 per contest.  It’s a game that Shrewsberry says is important in Notre Dame’s quest for an NCAA tournament berth.

“We’re not the most talented team in the country,” admits Shrewsberry. “We can’t go out and overwhelm teams with talent like Kansas or Duke. We have guys who can think the game now. This group can find what it is to help us create an advantage. We don’t want to have to win games without Markus, but we have to do it.”