DJ Burns Jr. has lost a significant amount of weight since the end of his season, and the former NC State center said that has helped him immensely throughout the predraft process.
Burns was listed at 275 pounds this past season and is down at least 45 pounds since the Wolfpack lost to Purdue in the Final Four in April. He said at his pro day last month that he’d begin cardio exercises at 5 a.m. and then hit the gym every day.
The 6-foot-9 standout, speaking after working out with the Indiana Pacers this week, revealed some more details of his diet that led to his recent weight loss.
“Lots of running,” Burns said. “Lots of figuring out which foods I can no longer have, which were almost all of them that I liked. So, just finding new ones that I do like that go along with the plan.”
Burns burst onto the national radar after helping lead the Wolfpack to their first ACC Tournament championship since 1987. They became the first double-digit seed (10) to win the tournament after reeling off five wins in as many days.
The fifth-year senior was named to the 2024 NCAA Tournament all-region team after averaging 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists on 62.5% shooting from the field in five games. He erupted for a season-high 29 points in a win over Duke in the Elite Eight.
Burns proved dominant during their run with his size and ability to bully opponents in the paint. He isn’t projected to be drafted on June 26-27 but believes that ability, along with his personality and team-first mentality, will help him at the next level.
“(My) postgame and my ability to be a good teammate and passer and be someone that people enjoy being around,” Burns said. “Nobody wants to be around a guy that is going to kill the energy of the team. I feel like that’s definitely an aspect that I bring.”
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