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Former March Madness star commits to play in TBT 2025

ByFrank Sciarroni|
Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward DJ Burns Jr. (30) reacts in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils in the finals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airline Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Mar 31, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack forward DJ Burns Jr. (30) reacts in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils in the finals of the South Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at American Airline Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Not long ago, the big fella DJ Burns took over the college basketball world as he led NC State on a memorable run in March. After finishing the regular season with four straight losses, the Wolfpack needed to run the table in the ACC Tournament to earn an automatic bid to March Madness, and they did just that. They then followed that up with four straight wins in the NCAA tournament to reach the Final Four where they fell to Purdue. 

Over that 10-game stretch of win-or-go-home play, Burns was dominant averaging 15.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Luckily for college basketball fans, we will get to see Burns play on a notable stage once again as he has committed to play in TBT 2025, also known as The Basketball Tournament.

This summer will be the 12th edition of The Basketball Tournament which features a $1 million winner-take-all prize. This 64-team single elimination tournament, made up of several college basketball alumni teams, is the perfect offseason remedy for college hoops fans and Burns should be a star. With none of his former schools (NC State, Winthrop, and Tennessee) fielding a team in the tournament, the big man will be suiting up for Team Challenge ALS. 

After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA Draft, Burns played with the Cavaliers in the NBA Summer League before joining the Goyang Sono Skygunners of the Korean Basketball League. Over the course of 54 games played in the KBL last season, Burns averaged 9.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game. 

As a tournament that largely features former college basketball stars who did not make it in the NBA and ended up in smaller leagues or overseas, Burns is a perfect fit. Full rosters for the 2025 event are yet to be finalized, but some notable college alumni teams set to participate include Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, Syracuse, and UConn. Burns’ Challenge ALS squad will begin play in the Wichita Region, hosted by Wichita State’s Aftershocks alumni team, where games are set to tip off on July 18th.

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