A member of the Muskegon Heights High School state championship basketball team of 1954, M.C. Burton netted a school record 1,141 points for the Tigers during his three-year varsity career (this record was later broken by his younger brother Ed).
In the fall of 1955, he entered the University of Michigan on an academic scholarship. As a senior in 1959, Burton became the first Big Ten player to lead the league in both scoring and rebounds, with 460 points and 379 boards en route to All-Big Ten honors, and the Most Valuable Player award. Both totals established new Wolverine single-season records.
Drafted by the Detroit Pistons following college graduation, Burton turned down an offer from the National Basketball Association squad to continue his studies in medicine. He remained active in basketball, playing 10 seasons of semi-pro ball in the Midwest Professional Basketball League and the North American Basketball League, logging time with the Toledo Twisters, the Holland Oilers and the Grand Rapids Tackers. He led the MPBL in scoring in 1963-64 and earned NABL All-Star and league MVP honors during the 1967-68 season.
Burton was named to the University of Michigan Hall of Honor in 1988.