DJ Burns cuts down the nets after monster 29-point performance

FaceProfileby:Thomas Goldkamp•03/31/24
NCAA Tournament press conference — Purdue coach Matt Painter

To the victors go the spoils. Or a piece of a net, anyway.

Such is life when you clinch a berth in the Final Four for the first time since 1983. NC State did just that on Sunday evening, topping rival Duke 76-64 in the Elite Eight to win the South Region.

So following the game, big man DJ Burns climbed a blue and yellow ladder and carefully cut off one sliver of the net to take home as a keepsake. It’s a memory he’ll likely never forget, an unlikely one at that.

Check out Burns scaling the ladder, as fans chant his name.

NC State has been on a remarkable run in postseason play, winning nine straight games… so far. The Wolfpack weren’t even an NCAA Tournament team until they stormed through the entirety of the ACC Tournament and claimed the league’s crown and its automatic bid to the Big Dance.

But, boy, has NC State looked like it belongs ever since. And Burns is a huge part of that.

DJ Burns playing his best ball yet

The skilled big man has been elite in every sense of the word during this postseason run. He’s averaging 16.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game over the nine-game stretch.

Best of all, DJ Burns is coming off his most dominant outing yet, scoring 29 points against Duke while also chipping in four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Burns’ ability to draw in defenders and then kick it out — or score over them anyway — is a sight to behold. He’s an elite passer for a big and that makes NC State incredibly difficult to defend.

So yeah, Burns is likely to celebrate well into the night. Then turn around and focus on doing even more damage in the Final Four.

Right now everything is coming up aces for the Wolfpack.

“There’s just been a total switch in our commitment,” DJ Burns said. “Nobody’s being late to things. Nobody’s being a problem on the court. Everybody’s come together. I don’t know what it is, but everybody’s handling it on-and off the court quite well.”

NC State will take on 1-seed Purdue in the Final Four on Saturday at 6:09 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on TBS.