Why DJ Burns, NC State could be tough matchup for Kentucky in second round

NC State BIG man DJ Burns won hearts and minds at the ACC Tournament, leading five wins in five days to earn NC State an NCAA Tournament berth. Now, can he take his club to two wins this weekend, including one over Kentucky?

With one of the heaviest players in the country down low, who’s also expertly skilled, On3’s Andy Staples proposed on Monday’s On3 YouTube show recapping the bracket that Burns could give Kentucky all they can handle should they meet in round two.

“I think they can beat Texas Tech, they can pull the upset here. Now, I also think they can be very dangerous for Kentucky and really turn the heat up on Cal if NC State were to get out of the first round,” said Staples to On3’s James Fletcher, who agreed the Burns matchup is a tough one for Kentucky.

“DJ Burns is kind of a matchup nightmare for this Kentucky team, which has kind of tried to rotate through their bigs and figure out who they’re going to play. I don’t think they have anyone that can matchup with DJ Burns down there.”

The Wildcats have three seven-footers, but you’re better off predicting the weather than which of them will play well on a given night. That’s why Fletcher thinks Calipari could be serious about his assertion Sunday evening that UK will switch things up down low.

“We have heard John Calipari hint, maybe suggest, that there’s a defensive shift around the corner,” added Fletcher.

“Will he play two seven-footers together? How will that look? Can that negate what DJ Burns is able to do when you can just box him in with two guys who have more height and length than he has? It will be interesting if we get that matchup what it would look like for the Kentucky defense. Because you’re going to have to find some unique way to do it.”

Luckily for the ‘Cats, though, while Burns is massive and effective down low, he’s not the type of big to kill you on the boards, where Kentucky has struggled mightily. Also, for all his size, Burns is going to have one hard time keeping up with Kentucky’s sped on the offensive end, especially in pick-and-roll coverage.

Either way, a Burns v. Kentucky matchup is one that will look like an optical illusion and his inside presence will certainly hurt the ‘Cats. But if they can advance past him, Fletcher really likes their path.

“But this Kentucky team, I think if they can survive that or beat Texas Tech, I think they got just about as good of a draw as they could possibly get in this bracket. It looks really good to me. Marquette is still dealing with Tyler Kolek’s injury, Florida just lost Micah Handlogten. I think this run is just about the best thing John Calipari could have hoped for.”

That’s not even to mention the region’s 1-seed, Houston, has been riddled with injuries to their depth and now basically have two front-court rotation players with a third they’ve had to pull from the end of the bench.

Staples concurred with that sentiment from Fletcher, noting that he believes Kentucky is perhaps the most talented team in the entire tournament, even if they’re wildly inconsistent at times.