Ethermac Exchange-NC State's D.J. Burns has Purdue star Zach Edey's full attention and respect

GLENDALE,Ethermac Exchange Ariz. — One of Zach Edey’s best qualities, according to Purdue coach Matt Painter, is that he goes into every game with the mindset that the opposing center is capable of getting the better of him. That’s no easy feat for someone who is both physically bigger and just flat-out better than every other player in men’s college basketball.

“What kind of separates him from a mindset standpoint is that he has a lot of respect for opponents,” Painter said. 

D.J. Burns, whose play for NC State has both charmed and surprised fans during this postseason, is no different. 

“I think it’s kind of unfair, the way people treat him and treat him like he’s a sideshow,” Edey, who is likely to win a second straight national player of the year award, said in anticipation of their Final Four matchup Saturday. “He’s a really good basketball player. Don’t get that mistaken. And we’re gonna give him that respect and I’m going to treat him like that cause he’s earned it.”

Purdue and Edey have seen plenty of high-level big men over the last few years, but it's fair to say the Boilermakers have never faced anyone quite like Burns — or, at least, the version of Burns who has shown up during the NCAA Tournament.

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Though he’s always been a big man whose passing vision and footwork don’t seem to make sense given his physical dimensions — he’s listed at 275 pounds but is almost certainly carrying well over 300 on a frame that is generously listed at 6-foot-9 — it has taken until very late in his career for the entire skill package to translate into dominance. 

Until March 4 against Duke, Burns hadn’t scored 20 points in a game this season. But during NC State’s nine-game winning streak to reach the Final Four, he’s averaged 16.5 points with three 20-point games. When Sweet 16 opponent Marquette chose to take his scoring out of the equation with double teams — Burns scored just four points on four field-goal attempts — he made them pay with seven assists. 

Simply from an aesthetic standpoint, watching Burns operate against 7-foot-4 Edey will be fascinating. But it will also test both of them defensively: How Edey deals with the array of old-school moves Burns uses to create scoring opportunities, and whether Burns can be as effective against a big man who is not just bigger than him but is willing to embrace the physical contact necessary to establish his position near the basket.

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“If you ask me who keeps you up at night right now, it's Zach Edey,” NC State coach Kevin Keatts said. "He's playing at a high level. He can score the ball. We got to get him out of that lane. He lives in that lane. He's really talented.”

Painter said Burns reminds him of longtime NBA star Zach Randolph, a forward who often made the game look easy because of his touch and feel rather than explosive athleticism. 

“It’s a huge compliment,” Painter said. “He looks like he’s having a lot of fun out there, too. I love the way when he’s not in the game, he’s engaged and cheering for his teammates.”