Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
How D.J. Burns went from college basketball anonymity to a March Madness superstar
GLENDALE, AZ — Zach Edey is on stage accepting yet another national Player of the Year award on Friday afternoon in the bowels of State Farm Stadium, where his Purdue Boilermakers will play the NC State Wolfpack in the 2024 men’s Final Four just over 24 hours later. As Edey goes through his remarks thanking his teammates, coaches, and family, loud music blaring from the hallway momentarily interrupts the ceremony.
It’s D.J. Burns and the Wolfpack walking out onto the floor for their open practice, boombox over the shoulder of a team manager, everyone singing along and having fun. Purdue head coach Matt Painter peered out into the hallway and raised his eyebrows at the scene. Maybe it wasn’t the first thought going his mind in that moment, but he had to acknowledge that he’s about to face a team as loose and as free of burden as any to ever hit a stage this big.
NC State has taken on the personality of Burns, its breakout star, during its miraculous run through the March Madness bracket. The Wolfpack’s season was going nowhere as of three weeks ago. They finished No. 10 in the ACC regular season in a 15-team league. The only way they could extend their season would be a highly unlikely run through the conference tournament. After five wins in five days — highlighted by a banked-in buzer-beater to force OT in the semifinals against Virginia — NC State had its automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
“Honestly he’s been acting like a superstar before he blew up,” teammate Breon Pass on DJ Burns
Somehow, the story has only gotten better from there.
No. 11 seed NC State upset No. 6 seed Texas Tech in the first round. The Wolfpack survived against Oakland (who beat Kentucky) in the round of 32, then pulled another upset against No. 2 seed Marquette in the Sweet 16. More than 15 million people watched NC State manage its biggest win yet in the Elite Eight by manhandling in-state rival Duke.
NC State is in the men’s Final Four for the first time since 1983. Along the way, America fell in love with a beefy big man with soft hands, incredible footwork in the post, and a big gap between his two front teeth. March Madness is perhaps the greatest star-making vehicle in sports. No one symbolizes that better than Burns, who has gone from an anonymous college center to a household name in a few weeks time.
“He’s about as unique as you’re ever going to get.” NC State coach Kevin Keatts said ahead of the Final Four. “I’m glad that everybody on the national stage is getting the opportunity to meet DJ Burns.”
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Burns has been smiling all the way to the bank during NC State’s run. He’s reportedly made “six figures” in NIL deals since the Wolfpack won the ACC tournament. He’s worked with Applebee’s, Raising Canes, TurboTax, Manscape, and others to meet the furious demand of brands wanting to align themselves with an authentic personality and dominant player the whole country loves.
Burns’ NC State teammates say he hasn’t changed during the sudden wave of fame and modest fortune.
“Honestly he’s been acting like a superstar before he blew up,” NC State guard Breon Pass told SB Nation ahead of the Final Four.
How did Burns get here? It begins with a prep career in South Carolina that saw him rated as the No. 3 recruit in the state behind current NBA players Zion Williamson and Aaron Nesmith. He committed to Tennessee, redshirted as a freshman, then transferred down to Winthrop. He dominated lower level competition almost immediately, being named Big South Freshman of the Year in 2020, and Big South Player of the Year in 2022. That’s when it was time to transfer up. Keatts and NC State typically didn’t target low post scorers when they were recruiting big men, favoring shot blockers and rim runners instead. That changed when they saw Burns in the portal and knew he was their best option to add some size and skill to the front court.
Burns was a local star in Raleigh after his first season with the program, when the Wolfpack made the NCAA tournament but lost in round one. He was actually benched midway through this season for a game against Syracuse as coaches grew frustrated with his lack of conditioning and constant foul trouble. A switch flipped once the ACC tournament began, and suddenly Burns has been the most lovable athlete in America.
“He’s a gatherer. He does so much to try to give. You see that in how he plays basketball, too.”
Basketball players are supposed to be long and lean. Burns is anything but. Physically, he resembles an NFL right tackle much more than a center — so much so that NFL teams are reportedly poking around on his football potential. Burns has said he has no interest in the gridiron, though. This man is a hooper through and through, with a combination of grace and physicality no one has been able to match.
Burns is a monster in the post. He can easily establish inside position with his huge frame, and it’s hard to move him with such a low center of gravity. As a scorer, Burns punishes one-on-one coverage because he’s equally adept at spinning both right and left and finishing with either hand. Duke tried to single cover him in the Elite Eight with a future NBA lottery pick in Kyle Filipowski taking on the assignment.
Burns torched him for 29 points.
Duke decided to play single coverage on Burns after Marquette threw double teams at him on every touch in the Sweet 16. Burns only scored four points in that game, but his seven assists helped pace the Wolfpack’s offense to a win. Burns’ passing has been the biggest revelation on this run, even earning praise from the greatest big man passer of all, Nikola Jokic.
How did NC State weaponize Burns’ passing and make him the defacto point guard? According to NC State assistant Joel Justus, it’s an example of the coaches needing to fine-tune the roster to their talent. Last season, NC State had two fantastic on-ball creators in Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith who could cook with the ball in their hands. As those players exited the program and new guards stepped in, Wolfpack coaches needed to change their system to fit their talent.
“Michael O’Connell doesn’t have the best wiggle. DJ Horne doesn’t have the best wiggle,” Justus told SB Nation. “But they can come off handoffs. They can come off zoom actions. Having (Casey) Morsell and (Jayden) Taylor spacing on the wing, it makes sense for us to play through the bigs.”
“It was something we ultimately saw throughout practice and games,” Justus said on Burns’ passing ability. “He’s such a willing passer. Sometimes too willing. We have to get after him to score a little bit more to start drawing those double and triple teams.”
Burns has also learned the dark side of fame during his ascension. He shared a racist piece of mail he received during this March Madness run, and has been jeered for his weight at times.
Still, Burns has the ability to light up any room he steps into at the Final Four and beyond. America has fallen in love with the player who always galvanized NC State, even back when they were a middle of the road team in the ACC.
“He’s a gatherer,” Justus said. “He does so much to try to give. You see that in how he plays basketball, too. He’s a guy who loves to engage folks and make them have a great day.”
In so many ways, Burns is the perfect college basketball star for this moment. NC State is happy to be along for the ride.
