Duke had no reply for DJ Burns. NC State’s huge man punished the Blue Devils on Sunday of their Elite Eight matchup, as he helped the Wolfpack pound away to the Last 4 with a 76-64 win. Burns scored 29 factors in 29 bruising minutes, and got here alive within the second half to dominate his ACC foe. The victory, NC State’s ninth in a row, continued what has developed into a really magical postseason run.
Duke took a 27-21 lead into the half and gave the impression to be in charge of the sport. Jon Scheyer’s workforce gave the impression to be headed to the primary Last 4 of his tenure. Burns ruined these plans by taking on the sport’s closing 20 minutes and spoiling the Blue Devils’ plans.
The fifth-year senior ahead entered halftime with eight factors on 4-of-8 taking pictures, with two rebounds and an help. He picked up his second foul with 9:47 remaining within the first half, limiting his minutes and aggressiveness. He held nothing again after the break. Within the second half, Burns scored 21 factors on 9-of-11 taking pictures, was 3-of-4 from the free throw line, grabbed two rebounds and had two blocks. In 16 second-half minutes minutes he was a eye-popping plus-18. He was merely unstoppable.
Duke could be forgiven for failing to comprise Burns. It is not typically school groups must cope with a 6-foot-9, 275-pound put up participant with fast fet and excellent physique management. It is a distinctive downside to resolve, and has confirmed tough for the Blue Devils. In three video games in opposition to them this season, Burns has averaged 22.0 factors, 4.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 blocks, whereas taking pictures 59.2 p.c from the sector.
Sunday’s win superior NC State to the Last 4 for the primary time since 1983 when Jim Valvano’s “Cardiac Pack” received the nationwide title. That workforce received the ACC event, then pulled off a string of massive upsets to win an unlikely championship. The parallels to Kevin Keatts’ present squad are eerily related.
On March 9, NC State was 17-14 and entered the ACC event because the No. 10 seed, needing to win it to earn a bid into the NCAA event discipline. The Wolfpack ripped off 5 wins in 5 days to seize the event title, beating the highest three seeds —Duke, Virginia and North Carolina — alongside the way in which. They got the No. 11 seed within the South and have not stopped profitable. NC State beat Texas Tech within the First Spherical, topped a tricky Oakland squad in overtime within the Second Spherical, then upset No. 2 seed Marquette 67-58 within the Candy 16, and took down No. 4 seed Duke on Sunday.
Burns and his workforce are on an all-time run proper now. Reaching the Last 4 whereas profitable 9 video games in a row is sort of a feat. NC State has these 9 victories within the final 20 days, every of them primarily serving as an elimination recreation. Then there’s this observe: the Wolfpack received eight video games in January and February mixed. In March, they received 9.
April, and the Last 4, await.
Ryan Phillips is a senior author at The Large Lead.
