A quick check in with some of the principle characters involved before the men’s Final Four kicks off Saturday…
DJ Burns Jr.
Living his absolute best life right now regardless of what happens, and should be. Nothing that goes down this weekend short of a string of armed robberies or the entire team forgetting to wear shorts out to the opening tip-off changes a thing about the 2024 season for North Carolina State. As the ring leader, Burns will justifiably never pay for a meal in Raleigh again, and if the Wolfpack take down Purdue, Mary-Ann Baldwin might as well resign as mayor, because the position will belong to her in name only. If the 11th-seeded Wolfpack become the lowest seed to advance to the title game in NCAA history, Raleigh will run on the whims and fancies of DJ Burns Jr.