North Carolina State basketball forward D.J. Burns Jr. is sending a warning to the other remaining schools in the NCAA tournament. The Wolfpack big man wants those other teams to know that his team is pushing their way through March Madness like a wrecking ball. The no. 11 seed Wolfpack are now the only double digit seed left in the tournament.
“We get a lot of disrespect. People still don’t think we’re supposed to be here, that we’re gonna go further, but we’re gonna keep trying to crash the party,” Burns said.
North Carolina State basketball pushed their way past Marquette in the Sweet 16, defeating the Golden Eagles 67-58 on Friday. Burns was active, scoring 4 points and grabbing four rebounds in the victory. Burns also added seven assists, showing his willingness to pass the basketball. The Wolfpack now meet in-state rival Duke in the Elite Eight.
NC State run
The Wolfpack are on quite a run in March Madness. The team stormed their way past no. 6 seed Texas Tech in the Round of 64, before knocking out upstart Oakland. North Carolina State basketball is now on an eight-game winning streak, going back to the ACC tournament. In the last eight games, the Wolfpack have defeated powers Duke, North Carolina, Texas Tech, and Marquette, along with several other schools. That’s an impressive run for a team that lost 14 games during the regular season.
Burns has been a key part of the winning streak. The forward is now averaging more than 12 points this season, to go with four rebounds a game. He had a quieter game against Marquette, after muscling his way to a double-double against Oakland in the Round of 32. Against the Golden Grizzlies, Burns poured in 24 points and added 11 rebounds.
Burns is playing with his third college team. The big man started his career in the SEC with Tennessee, then transferred to Winthrop. He’s done well everywhere he has been, winning the Big South Player of the Year award in 2022.
The ACC has several teams rolling in March Madness. The conference can get two teams to the Final Four, as Clemson is also still alive. The Tigers face off on Saturday against Alabama, in another Elite Eight matchup.
“The ACC is one of the best conferences if not the best conference. We’re not the only team that took it with a level of disrespect, and that’s why we’re all fighting now,” Burns said, per 247Sports.
North Carolina State basketball must now defeat Duke one more time to get to the Final Four. The teams meet in the Elite Eight on Sunday, tipping off at 5:05 Eastern. North Carolina State is in its first Elite Eight since 1986. The school has won two championships, in 1974 and 1983. The Wolfpack haven’t reached the Final Four since that last championship season.
Duke defeated Houston on Friday to reach the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons, under two different head coaches.
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