Tag: DJ Burns

DJ Burns offered a definitive answer to a possible football career after he’s done at NC State

NFL scouts have been intrigued with the NC State big man.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — NC State’s surprise run to the men’s Final Four was fueled largely in part by the stellar play of big man DJ Burns. And while you’d normally think of a Final Four run as a prime showcase for NBA scouts, it was apparently NFL scouts who came away intrigued with the 6-foot-9, 275-pound senior.

Burns, though, doesn’t seem open to a football career.

Speaking to reporters in Arizona on Thursday, Burns was asked about the interest he’s created amongst NFL evaluators. And Burns made it clear that his interest remains entirely on basketball.

He said he had “zero” desire to play football after his time is done at NC State.

Now, just a couple days earlier, Burns didn’t completely rule out the possibility of football in an interview with Dan Patrick. He said to Patrick that he wasn’t a close-minded person, but would still pursue basketball opportunities first.

It’s obvious is heart is in basketball, and that’s been on display throughout March Madness.

DJ Burns reacts to NFL rumors with a savvy answer on if he would ever consider a football career

Gen-Z Bo had a perfect response to this question.

North Carolina State big man DJ Burns is one of the most exciting players participating in March Madness.

Burns, who has helped lead his team on an exciting run during the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, is playing extraordinarily well on the court. He is getting amazing nicknames and delighting NBA players like Nikola Jokic.

But he is also generating some buzz as an NFL prospect.

During a recent interview while on The Dan Patrick Show, the NCAA tournament darling said that it isn’t surprising people are talking about him playing football because his team is “trending” right now.

He added that his plan is to play in the NBA when he finishes his college career at North Carolina State. However, if a football team really wanted his services, he wouldn’t say no:

“I’d probably explore some other options with basketball first before all of that. But I’m not a closed-minded person.”

That is a great answer from Burns! He  made it clear to basketball teams that he still wants to keep the main thing the main thing without fully shutting the door on football, either.

Patrick noted that Burns could obviously pursue opportunities to play professionally overseas as well if the NBA does not work out. He could try playing in the NBA’s G League, too.

Burns was also asked if he has heard from any football teams about pursuing a career in the NFL.

The big man said that he had not heard directly heard from anyone. Perhaps teams have reached out to people affiliated with him through North Carolina State or otherwise but it seems Burns is more focused on March Madness as of right now.

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Jared McCain makes the South All-Region team after two 30-point games

Duke freshman Jared McCain scored 30 points in two of his four tournament games, and he was the only Blue Devil to make the all-region team.

Jared McCain was named to the South All-Region Team on Sunday evening after he scored 32 points against NC State in the Elite Eight.

McCain averaged 21.0 points per game in Duke’s four-game tournament run, including a 30-point game against James Madison in the second round when he made a program record eight 3-pointers in one NCAA Tournament game.

He also averaged 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, and the freshman finished 50% from beyond the 3-point line.

No other Duke player finished with even a 20-point game, much less two 30-point performances over the course of March Madness. McCain’s 32-point performance against the Wolfpack is tied for the fourth-most in a single NCAA Tournament game in Duke history.

NC State stars DJ Burns and DJ Horne led the five-man squad, and Marquette’s Tyler Kolek and Houston’s Jamal Shead also made the all-region team.

Nikola Jokic couldn’t stop gushing about DJ Burns after NC State made the Final Four

DJ Burns has the attention of the NBA’s best player.

With NC State’s surprising run to the men’s Final Four of March Madness, big man DJ Burns has quickly become the talk of the tournament.

After the forward dropped 29 points, four rebounds, and three assists in a dominating win over Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday, hoops fans couldn’t get enough of his unique skill. Burns’ performance even created a buzz about his potentially playing in the NFL in the future.

However, amongst the entire Burns-loving crowd, one of the more noteworthy was Denver Nuggets reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic. Fresh off a superb Easter Sunday performance of his own, the Denver center admitted he was late to his postgame press conference because he was watching Burns’ highlights.

And when asked about the young big man’s talents on the court, Jokic couldn’t stop gushing about him:

Look at that smile on Jokic’s face! That’s a man who’s truly appreciating someone’s unique abilities.

Burns himself loved hearing that Jokic enjoyed watching him play, even saying he likes to emulate the Nuggets center’s impeccable post work:

There you have it, folks. It’s not every day you get a ringing endorsement from the NBA’s best player, but that’s what happens when you play with as much joy as Burns.

DJ Burns may not be a future NBA draft pick, but what about playing in the NFL? There’s already buzz

Could DJ Burns thrive in the NFL and NOT the NBA?

DJ Burns is the darling of the men’s 2024 NCAA tournament, with the forward dominating to lead NC State to the Final Four and showing his humor on social media.

Despite the fact that he’s been awesome for the Wolfpack, he may not be a future NBA draft pick (but maybe a UDFA?) despite measuring at 6-foot-9 and 275 pounds. But given that size and athleticism … what about playing on the offensive line in the NFL?

We’ve seen some hoops stars in college — Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham come to mind — go to the NFL and flourish. Could that be a possibility?

First: he did play football before hoops, as you’ll see in the video below, and second, NFL Network’s Peter Schrager says he spoke to some scouts and GMs who sounded interested (note: I am fully aware he posted this on April 1, but no word yet on whether it was a joke or not):

O-lineman Justin Pugh wants him in the NFL:

And there’s this:

This could be really, really cool.

DJ Burns trolls Duke’s Jared McCain with an Instagram story with the TikTok star

DJ Burns trolled the Duke player and TikTok star after the March Madness win to clinch a Final Four spot.

DJ Burns is the biggest star now thanks to 2024 March Madness.

The NC State forward dominated Duke and fans loved his classy moments after he helped the Wolfpack clinch a Final Four berth.

But he did a little trolling after the win over the Blue Devils, too. He threw in an Instagram video with Duke’s Jared McCain — a TikTok star! — getting fooled and he used a little clip of McCain dancing.

Burns later said it was “all love” and that he was having fun, but this qualifies as trolling. Here’s the clip that everyone was sharing after he posted it:

NC State storms back in second half to eliminate Duke in Elite Eight

The Wolfpack couldn’t make a shot in the first half, but they couldn’t miss in the second as they stormed back to win the South region.

For the second time in the 2024 postseason, underdog NC State stunned Duke. The Wolfpack dominated the final 20 minutes to storm back for a 76-64 victory on Sunday, clinching a spot in the Final Four.

The in-state rivals battled for the third time in the month of March on Sunday, just weeks after NC State bounced Duke from the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Neither of the first two contests held the same stakes as this Elite Eight matchup, however.

The two North Carolina teams combined for an inefficient, mistake-prone first half from the floor. Neither team finished above 31% from the floor, and the Wolfpack and the Blue Devils went a combined 3/14 (21.4%) from behind the 3-point line. Duke coughed up the ball five times in the first 20 minutes.

Despite the inefficiency, freshman Jared McCain found a way to shine through once again. He helped take the lid off of the basket early with a transition 3-pointer, stopping on a dime with the NC State defense still not settled around him. The bucket gave Duke the lead back five minutes into the game, and his five free throws over the next two minutes extended the advantage to three points.

He couldn’t match his torrid early pace from the James Madison game in the second round, when he buried six first-half triples en route to a 30-point game, but he did score 13 points before the break.

The Blue Devils fought through their offensive struggles to take a 27-21 lead into the locker room. The Wolfpack fared even worse, making just one of their 11 layup attempts and one of their seven 3-point efforts.

Sophomore 7-footer Kyle Filipowski, who scored just two points on five shots in the first half, laid in an easy bucket a minute and a half into the second half, and Duke led 29-23.

The Wolfpack kept themselves alive, however. The two DJs, forward DJ Burns and guard DJ Horne, traded baskets as NC State went on a run. Horne made a layup, Burns made a bucket, and the lead shrank to four. Horne fed teammate Mohamed Diarra for a dunk before burying a 3-pointer to pull within one.

Horne, an All-ACC Third Team member, drew a foul on the next possession, and his two ensuing free throws pushed the Wolfpack in front for the first time since the opening minutes. After a three-point play from Filipowski, Burns and Horne traded three more baskets between them.

All told, the two DJs combined to score or assist on 21 of NC State’s points during the 25-11 run, and the Wolfpack led 48-40 with eight minutes to play.

When NC State’s Michael O’Connell buried a triple to balloon the lead to nine with seven minutes on the clock, the game felt officially out of hand.

The Wolfpack run officially slowed down at 35-15, and they outscored Duke 55-37 in the second half for the 12-point victory. Burns and Horne teamed for 49 combined points, and the duo shot 14/18 from the floor over the final 20 minutes. Duke, as a team, shot just 11/33.

NC State advances to play Purdue in the Final Four.

Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.

Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.

For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.

Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.

Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.

Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.

Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.

For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.

Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.

Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.

Did he stay or did he go? Tracking the biggest NBA draft decisions

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

All prospects who declared early entry for the 2021 NBA draft without foregoing their collegiate eligibility had until July 7 to withdraw.

While the official date from the league is not actually until July 19, the NCAA has mandated the deadline of July 7 for players who wish to play college basketball next season.

Prospects who declared as early entry candidates but were just “testing the waters” often opt to return to the collegiate ranks so as to improve their draft stock for the subsequent year instead. But there are several reasons why a player might be even more willing to return to college for another campaign than usual.

For example, seniors have the option to use another year of eligibility because of the massive impact of COVID-19. Others may be interested in playing another year of college in front of fans after last season was met with many restrictions.

Meanwhile, all NCAA athletes also now have the ability to profit from their name, image and likeness (NIL) for the first time. This offers an avenue to collect some money while still in college without needing to fully commit to turning pro.

Here are the latest updates about who is still testing the waters, who will be turning pro and who will be returning to the NCAA.