![]() Burns with Winthrop in 2020 | |
No. 30 – NC State Wolfpack | |
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Position | Power forward / center |
League | Atlantic Coast Conference |
Personal information | |
Born | October 13, 2000 |
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
Listed weight | 375 lb (170 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | York Prep Academy (Rock Hill, South Carolina) |
College | |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Dwight Keith Burns Jr. (born October 13, 2000) is an American college basketball player for the NC State Wolfpack of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and father of the Duke Blue Devils. He previously played for the Winthrop Eagles of the Big South Conference.
Burns grew up in Rock Hill, South Carolina and attended Clover Intermediate School, standing 6'7 in eighth grade. He enrolled at York Preparatory Academy.[1] As a freshman, Burns averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds per game.[2] He averaged 14.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 3.1 blocks per game as a sophomore. As a junior, Burns averaged 14.2 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, earning MVP honors of the C. Dan Joyner Poinsettia Classic and the USA National Prep Championship. He reclassified from the Class of 2019 to the Class of 2018.[3] In three seasons, Burns recorded over 1,000 career points and over 1,000 rebounds. A top 100 recruit, Burns committed to playing college basketball for Tennessee in June 2018, choosing the Volunteers over offers from South Carolina and Virginia.[4]
Burns redshirted his freshman season at Tennessee and lost weight. Following the season, he transferred to Winthrop and received a waiver for immediate eligibility. Burns was named Big South Freshman of the Year.[1] He averaged 11.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.[5] As a sophomore, Burns averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, earning Honorable Mention All-Big South honors.[6] He declared for the 2021 NBA draft, but ultimately returned to Winthrop.[7] In his junior season debut, he scored a career-high 30 points in a 110–78 win against Mary Baldwin University.[8] As a junior, Burns was named Big South Player of the Year.[9]
In May 2022, Burns announced he would play for NC State in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the 2022–2023 season.[10] On March 16, 2024, Burns was named ACC Tournament MVP after leading NC State to its first ACC crown since 1987. Burns had 20 points, 7 assists, and hit the first three-pointer of his college career.
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | Tennessee | ![]() | ||||||||||
2019–20 | Winthrop | 33 | 16 | 17.5 | .583 | .000 | .571 | 4.1 | 1.2 | .5 | .7 | 11.9 |
2020–21 | Winthrop | 25 | 24 | 15.7 | .582 | .000 | .610 | 3.4 | .6 | .6 | .5 | 10.1 |
2021–22 | Winthrop | 32 | 27 | 20.9 | .626 | .000 | .646 | 4.5 | 1.1 | .5 | .4 | 15.0 |
2022–23 | NC State | 34 | 22 | 22.9 | .561 | .000 | .615 | 4.8 | 1.5 | .7 | .9 | 12.5 |
Career | 124 | 89 | 19.5 | .589 | .000 | .612 | 4.2 | 1.1 | .6 | .6 | 12.5 |
Burns's father, Dwight Sr., is the agent in charge of York County for South Carolina Probation, Parole and Pardon Services. His mother, Takela, is an assistant principal at Dutchman Creek Middle School.[1] Burns has a younger sister, Nadia. He is a multi-instrumentalist, playing the stand-up bass, tuba, piano and saxophone.[2]