North Carolina Suffer Upset vs NC State as 23YO Star Celebrates March Madness Qualification: “I Couldn’t Be More Thankful””

March Madness is yet to begin, but the conference championship games are providing enough upsets to prepare us for the big tournament. Yesterday, Long Beach State took over the top-seeded UC Irvine Anteaters and bagged the Big West Tournament. And today, the NC State Wolfpack stole the spotlight as they defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels with an 84-76 score and won the ACC Conference Tournament title game, their first title in 37 years. DJ Burns and DJ Horne were the stars of the show.

The Tar Heels rallied in the first half to take a narrow lead of 1 point at the interval. However, the Wolfpack dominated the second half and lifted the trophy. This win over the Tar Heels is being hailed as a Cinderella run because of its unexpected and remarkable nature.

NC State’s DJ Burns Jr. flying high with the win

In a recent bit of Field of 68, sports analyst Jeff Goodman engaged in conversation with NC State’s Center DJ Burns Jr. just after the game concluded. When Goodman asked how he was feeling, Burns, describing his emotions, responded, “Oh man I’m just I’m just so thankful for this opportunity um my coach believed in me when I came here and he made sure that we were going to we were going to get the job done. He put me in all the right positions along with my teammates and I couldn’t be more blessed I couldn’t be more thankful.”

Notably, the Wolfpack stepped into the tournament as underdogs and had lower expectations than the Tar Heels being one of the top 5. “Oh man it feels awesome you know that’s a great team and honestly to be able to do that against a team like that who’s had the season that they’ve had but the players that they have it just means a lot definitely has a little bit of flavor to it,” Burns added. The Wolfpack’s triumph against all odds resonates with a humble contender defying expectations and emerging victorious, a classic Cinderella story.

The last time the Wolfpack won the ACC Tournament was in 1987. The 1983 team’s hard-earned journey led them to the conference title and securing an NCAA bid. Simply put, the Wolfpack recreated the 37-year-old winning charisma on the hardwood.

But that’s not all for the winning underdogs. The Wolfpack rewarded their head coach Kevin Keatts with an automatic two-year contract extension. Expressing his joy at the fact, Burns said, “Yes sir, I  honestly think it should not have taken that long, um they didn’t believe in him and he proved him wrong I’m very proud of him and I know he’s proud of us as well and I think he deserves a lot more respect than he gets.”

Starting next season, Keatts will be receiving an automatic increase in pay of $400,000. This amount will remain in effect for the duration of his contract. Now, shifting the focus to Burns, let’s explore some insights behind his interesting nickname.

The refrigerator with ballerina’s feet

NC State’s 6-foot-9 forward DJ Burns has earned the moniker – ‘Refrigerator with Ballerina Feet’. The reason why this nickname suits him well is because he has developed finesse in his playing style, along with his scoring prowess and the energetic impact he brings on the court.

During his time at the York Preparatory Academy, Burns achieved an impressive feat of 1000 points and 1000 rebounds in just 3 seasons. Moreover, in high school, he was ranked the No. 3 overall prospect in South Carolina with Zion Williamson and Ja Morant in 1st and 2nd place.

At Winthrop, Burns was named the Big South Freshman of the Year during his first season after he averaged 11.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He also set the school record for most field goals made by a freshman with 175.

Maintaining his strong performance as a sophomore, he earned Honorable Mention All-Big South honors with 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Further, he delivered an outstanding performance in his junior season, securing the 2022 Big South Player of the Year Award, averaging 15.3 points and 4.5 rebounds with an impressive shooting percentage of 62.6%.

Burns has delivered stellar contributions in crucial plays while showcasing his magnificent scoring prowess and agility, hence earning the nickname, ‘Refrigerator with Ballerina Feet’.

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