Basketball to 'Beastboy': What to know about NC State star DJ Burns Jr.

There's no question the fan favorite of the men's NCAA Tournament is North Carolina State big man DJ Burns Jr., who has received acclaim for his crafty footwork and goofy personality.

In the first men's Final Four matchup Saturday at 6:09 ET (TNT), Burns and 11th-seeded NC State (26-14) will face No. 1 seed Purdue (33-4) and their 7-foot-4 star, Zach Edey.

Before then, let's get to know the 6-foot-9, 260-pound Burns a little more. Here are five nuggets about the power forward aptly nicknamed "Gen Z-Bo" — a nickname that pays homage to former NBA forward Zach Randolph, Burns' fellow lefty.

1. He was one of the top recruits in South Carolina

In 2018, the state of South Carolina produced one of the most electrifying players in men's college basketball history: Zion Williamson. Many of us remember Williamson's one season at Duke, a year filled with tomahawk dunks, jaw-dropping blocks and masterpieces in the biggest games. 

But Williamson wasn't the only 2018 South Carolina prospect who would go on to dazzle the country. It took a while, but Burns (the No. 5 player from the state that year) has proved the class to be more than a one-trick pony.

2. He started as a Tennessee Volunteer

Could you imagine if Burns played on the same team as Tennessee star Dalton Knecht? The big man fielded offers from Tennessee, South Carolina, Auburn, College of Charleston and Charlotte but eventually opted for Rick Barnes and the Volunteers. 

Burns never played a game for Tennessee, as he redshirted his freshman year and then transferred to Winthrop. What could have been on Rocky Top...

3. He was the Big South Player of the Year

As a redshirt junior for the Winthrop Eagles, Burns averaged 15 points and 4.5 rebounds and shot 62.6% from the field. In 2021-22, he was named Big South Player of the Year, the sixth Winthrop player to win the award. 

Winthrop finished the regular season 21-8 (14-2 in the Big South), nabbing the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament. There, Burns averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in three games for the Eagles, who top-seeded Longwood beat 79-58 in the Big South Tournament title game. 

4. He forced Kevin Keatts to change 

Before Burns joined the Wolfpack ahead of the 2022-23 season, North Carolina State's Keatts had already been a head coach for eight seasons — three of which resulted in his team making it to the NCAA Tournament. 

Once Burns and Keatts found each other, a new style emerged in Raleigh.

"Typically I play with two forwards, a Ben [Middlebrooks] and a Mo [Diarra] together," Keatts told reporters after Sunday's tournament win against Duke. "But when DJ hit the transfer portal, I was like, 'Man, I gotta change.'"

And change he did. NC State doesn't run every offensive set through Burns — after all, DJ Horne and Casey Morsell can do some serious work with the ball in their hands — but it relies on him for quite a lot offensively. 

Burns' abilities to back opponents down to the basket and finish through contact or find open teammates (whether cutting to the basket or spotting up for an open triple) are difficult skills for defenses to handle. Burns burned Texas Tech, Oakland, Marquette and Duke in the tournament with his talents. 

"I've never thrown the ball inside as much as I have in the last couple of years," Keatts said. 

Against Purdue, the Wolfpack will keep throwing the ball inside to Burns, who averages 13 points and 4.1 rebounds. 

5. He dabbles in music

Last March, Burns dropped "Beastboy," his first single (you can listen to it here on SoundCloud). It's two minutes and eight seconds of smooth rap, an impressive feat considering his commitment to basketball.

That's not the only time he has shown an interest in music.

Growing up in Rock Hill, S.C., Burns played the tuba, upright bass, saxophone and handbells, his parents, Dwight Sr. and Takela, told WRAL-TV in Raleigh.