North Carolina State's DJ Burns Jr., right, works the floor against Duke's Kyle Filipowski during the second half of an Elite Eight college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament in Dallas, Sunday, March 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

DALLAS — DJ Burns Jr. and the NC State men’s basketball team have become America’s team — even if they won’t refer to themselves as that.

Burns — a 6-foot-9 forward who depending on what he had lunch hovers around the 300-pound mark — feasted on Duke’s defense.

Burns scored a team-high 29 points to go along with three assists and two blocks as No. 11 NC State defeated No. 4 Duke 76-64 in the NCAA Southern Regional finals on Sunday at American Airlines Center.

“I take what they give me,” Burns said. “I’m looking to do whatever they are not, that’s what I’m trying to be.”

As for discussing his go to moves, Burns doesn’t give away all his tricks to the trade.

“We’re not going to speak on that, we’re not going to give all the sauce away,” he said sending the surrounding media including myself into laughter.

It was a complete turnaround in the second half for Burns.

After scoring just eight points the first half and only playing 12 minutes and 40 seconds in the first half due to foul trouble, Burns and the Wolfpack came alive in the second half.

“Well, honestly, I wouldn’t really say I wasn’t too worried about it,” Burns said of being in early foul trouble. “Going into halftime, I just knew that the main thing I was thinking, honestly, was that I missed a few shots towards the end, so they weren’t going to double-team me in the second half. I just decided when I came back in to take advantage.”

The junior from Rock Hill, South Carolina hit 9 of his 11 field goals in the second half as NC State turned on once nine point first half deficit into a 14-point lead.

Watching Burns catch the ball and work as a sight to behold because he kept his defender — yes Duke never double teamed him — looking dazed and confused.

“In March you have a clean slate,” Burns said. “We’ve been taking advantage of every single moment.”

Indeed.

The moment has not been too big for the biggest player in the Southern Region who was often smiling, flexing and look to be having the time of his life in NC State’s biggest game in four-plus decades.

NC State — who is playing in their first Final Four since 1983 when the late great Jimmy Valvano led the Wolfpack — have made another improbable run some 41 years later.

The Wolfpack have won nine games in a row dating back to March 12 against Louisville.

In between possessions Burns was flashing his smile, hyping up the crowd and becoming the face of America’s new sweethearts.

On the game’s biggest stage with all the other Final Four participants being determined Burns put on the show of shows.

Head Coach Kevin Keatts admitted to going against the grain in how he normally rotates players when he brought in Burns from Winthrop.

“When DJ hit the transfer portal, I was like, man, I got to change,” Keatts said. “He changed me, I’ve never thrown the ball inside as much as I have in the last couple of years. Last year one of his issues, he could pass the ball, but he didn’t have a great assist-to-turnover ratio, and now he is doing that.

“It’s changed the way I look at post guys now. There’s probably only three of those in the country, and I know we’re going to play a really good one next week at some point.

“I’m looking for some more guys that I can throw the ball inside. I’ve now found out that I can have a mix of throwing the ball to a post guy and having guard play.”

When asked about his opinion on of Keatts, Burns said it’s time for everyone to give Keatts his much deserved flowers.

“Give my man some respect,” Burns said Keatts. “I’m tired of the disrespect, that man, they treat him terribly or at least they did. That man deserves all the love and respect that he should get.”

With Sunday’s win NC State will once again be underdog at the Final Four as the Wolfpack will face Purdue and 7’4 center Zach Edey who has simply been dominating the competition.

While in complete jubilation from the Wolfpack defeating a conference foe in Duke and making the programs first Final Four in more than four decades, Burns was wise enough to not give the Boilermakers any bulletin board material.

“A good game,” Burns said. “I won’t speak on that too much.”

Burns was named the South Regional Most Outstanding Player after the game.

Burns didn’t need to speak on that, he let his game do the talking for him.