D.J. Burns Jr., known for his joyful demeanor both on and off the court, led North Carolina State to a historic Final Four appearance with a season-high 29 points in a 76-64 win over rival Duke in the NCAA’s South Region final on Sunday afternoon in Dallas.
Burns, standing 6-foot-9 and weighing 275 pounds, Burns captivated fans with his lively presence and impressive performance, shooting 13-of-19 from the field. D.J. Horne added 20 points to secure the Wolfpack’s first Final Four berth since winning the national title in 1983 under Jim Valvano.
Following a challenging regular season that saw N.C. State land in the ACC Tournament as a lowly #10 seed, the Wolfpack have surged in the postseason, winning five games in five days to win the conference title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, followed by four more wins to reach the Final Four in Phoenix.
Next up for the Wolfpack are Zach Edey and the Purdue Boilermakers, following a 72-66 win for the Big 10 regular season champions over the Tennessee Volunteers in Detroit on Sunday afternoon. Edey had 40 points in leading the school to its first Final Four appearance since 1980. Tennessee, falling one win shy of the program’s first ever Final Four appearance, was paced by Dalton Knecht’s 37 points.
On Saturday evening, the defending national champion UConn Huskies used a 30-0 second half run to defeat Illinois, while the Alabama Crimson Tide reached their first ever Final Four with a victory over Clemson, setting up a Saturday national semifinal between the Big East school in Storrs, Connecticut and the SEC institution in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
