“He is a really good basketball player”: $815k NIL-valued Zach Edey speaks up against ‘unfair’ treatment of DJ Burns Jr. 

Purdue will be against one of the greatest March Madness Cinderella runs when they take on NC State in the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Their magical run, which saw them win nine straight, has made them a topic of national conversation.

A majority of the focus has fallen on DJ Burns Jr., whose play has been pivotal for the Wolfpacks' turnaround. But, a lot of the conversation around Burns is about the incredible person he is, rather than about his incredible play on the court.

But, for last year's National Player of the Year, whose NIL value now stands at $815,000 (according to On3), the focus is all about basketball. Speaking to reporters after a practice session, Zach Edey was quick to focus on the basketball talent that Burns possesses, rather than his behavior off the court:

"I think it's kinda unfair the way people treat him. Like, people treat him, like he's kind of a sideshow. Like, he's a really good basketball player, like, don't get that mistaken. And we're gonna give him that respect, and treat him like that. Because he's earned it."

How has DJ Burns Jr. performed on the court?

An old-school back-to-the-basket type center, Burns has been highly impactful for the NC State Wolfpack. For this season, he's averaging 13.0 points and 4.1 rebounds, with his NCAA run seeing three games over 20 points.

Against UNC in the first round, he tallied 20 points along with seven assists to power the Wolfpack to an 84-76 victory, before a dominant outing against Oakland in the Sweet 16 saw him go for 24 points and 11 rebounds.

His best performance came against Duke when NC State caused a huge upset against the No. 4 seed, winning 76-64, thanks to a 29-point outing for Burns. He was impactful on defense as well, tallying a couple of blocks to stifle the Duke attack.

His strong play has been instrumental for the NC State surge during March Madness, reaching their highest finish since 1986, more than a decade before Burns was born, and has made him a possible addition to multiple NBA teams.

When do Zach Edey and DJ Burns face off?

The first Final Four matchup, pitting the Purdue Boilermakers against NC State tips off at 6:09 p.m. ET on April 6. The match is available on TBS and is streaming from State Farm Stadium.

As the No. 1, Purdue is the 9-point favorite, as most oddsmakers believe that NC State's run is coming to an end. So far, the Wolfpack have defied expectations, beating a No. 2 seed in Marquette and a No. 4 seed in Duke in the previous two rounds.

Do you think NC State can pull off their biggest upset yet? Let us know in the comments below.