“We’re gonna keep trying to crash the party” - DJ Burns Jr. drops bold statement after bagging stellar win against Marquette, advancing to Elite Eight

NC State Wolfpack forward DJ Burns Jr. is looking to carry forward his team's winning momentum in their March Madness run. After NC State's Sweet 16 victory over Marquette on Friday, the 23-year-old dropped a bold statement following their qualification for the Elite 8 round.

In the post-game press conference, Burns Jr. was asked about their victory celebration with the fans and how they feel about their March Madness journey so far. Burns replied that despite the 'disrespect' they feel as a team sometimes, they plan to become the underdogs to win this year's national championship.

"Oh man, If you let me tell it, I imagined it way back in October. But yeah it was just the why not us thing. You know, we're gonna keep that going. We get a lot of disrespect. People still don't think we're supposed to be here, that we're gonna go further. But we're gonna keep trying to crash the party," Burns said.

The Wolfpack have now recorded their eighth straight victory this season as they defeated Marquette 67-58. DJ Horne was the team's leading scorer, putting up 19 points, five rebounds and one assist.

DJ Burns Jr. had four points, four rebounds and seven assists. So far this season, Burns has averaged 12.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.

If NC State can win its Elite Eight matchup against Duke, they will become the sixth No. 11-seeded team in NCAA tournament history to make it to the Final Four. The last time NC State made it to the Elite Eight was during the 1986 season under then-head coach Jim Valvano.

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DJ Burns Jr.'s college career

DJ Burns Jr. began his collegiate career with Tennessee in 2018. He redshirted his freshman campaign with the Volts before transferring to play for the Winthrop Eagles in 2019. Burns played three seasons for the Eagles, averaging 12.9 points, 1.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game in 84 games.

The 23-year-old then transferred to NC State ahead of the 2022 season and played 34 games last season, averaging 12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.5 apg.