Breaking News: Hercy Miller re-sign another four year historic contract deal worth $800 million with tar heels….

I must admit something.

This weekend at the men’s Final Four, I will be cheering for NC State. I’m a little ashamed because I love and was a student at UNC. In a sense, they are rivals.

It’s an odd sensation. A bit of an out-of-body encounter.

All that was wanted at first was for State to win the following game. At last, I had to look in the mirror—or rather, take a photo with my phone—and shamefacedly acknowledge that I was rooting for them to win the entire thing.

Amazingly, I’m not by myself.

More Tar Heel supporters of the Wolfpack than I have ever seen in my life, or at least since Jim Valvano and the Cardiac Pack’s incredible 1983 championship run.

Carolina supporters were smug that year because they had just won the championship with Jordan and them in 1982; we could kick back and enjoy the chaos. Well done, State.

However, we were competitive this year and received a top seed. So how did I end up in this awkward situation where I was cheering for the Pack?

First of all, the Heels are no longer in it after losing to an Alabama squad that, in my opinion, we are still superior against.

Two, State’s journey from an 11th seed is a classic Cinderella tale.

However, one could argue that DJ Burns was the catalyst for it all. The native of South Carolina was a 4-star prospect in 2018 when he signed with Tennessee; he red-shirted his freshman year and played at Winthrop before moving to the state in 2022 and became well-known across the country in 2024.

DJ Burns: who is he? During March Madness, NC State basketball forward has gained notoriety.

His listed weight is 275, and that is a modest estimate.

In a similar vein to the youthful Charles Barkley, who was known as the “round mound of rebound” at Auburn, his stature makes him intriguing.

But more than his size, Burns has a unique game that sets him apart from other collegiate basketball players.

Sharp passes to teammates, deft floor moves, gentle hands, and even grace when handling the ball contrast with his unrelenting pursuit to the hoop, which merely swoops larger guys around like pinballs. He takes an antiquated approach. He is a potent concoction of Moses Malone and body acceptance.

Although not particularly original, his hairdo—braids tied into a ponytail—remains a staple of his distinctive appearance.

During State’s ascent, Burns, a graduate student, has gained national attention from the media, and I haven’t been exempt. His NIL prospects are obviously skyrocketing.

People recently waited in line for an event called Meet the DJs at He appeared at an Applebee’s with State guard DJ Horne, who is also becoming well-known during this run.

However, it’s not limited to Burns.

The basketball rivalry between UNC and State hasn’t been genuine in a while, if we are to be honest. I am aware that Wolfpack supporters find that upsetting.

UNC has made 31 Sweet Sixteens—including this year—and 21 Final Fours—a national record—since 1975. Six of the twelve national titles we have competed for are ours.

Unfortunately, the dark blue team’s stats are almost identical to UNC’s, and their rivalry may be the greatest in sports.

This year marks State’s third trip to the Final Four. They came in second to David Thompson in 1974 and first in 83 for championships.

As one sports writer for USA TODAY stated, “NC State has unquestionably been the third wheel for more than a generation.”

First up in downtown Fayetteville is the J. Cole mural just in time for Dreamville.

I initially began to have that out-of-body feeling when State defeated the Tar Heels in the ACC tournament championship. The Tar Heels were the regular season champs and had already defeated the Pack twice.

To my surprise, I wasn’t that upset.

My real thinking was, “They need this.”

They did, in fact. Without that victory—against five teams in five days, including Dook—they wouldn’t have a chance to see any of the Big Dance; it was their first ACC championship in 37 years.