Burns to Return to the United States to Play for Challenge ALS in TBT’s Wichita Regional July 18-22
DJ Burns, a driving force behind NC State’s 2024 Final Four run, will return to the national stage this summer as he makes his The Basketball Tournament (TBT) debut. Burns will join Challenge ALS, a team competing in TBT’s Wichita Regional, alongside alumni teams from the University of Houston, Wichita State, and the University of Texas.
Challenge ALS is coached by current NC State assistant coach Brandon Chambers.
Burns spent two seasons at NC State (2022–24), appearing in 62 games for the Wolfpack. In his first year, he earned All-ACC Honorable Mention honors. As a fifth-year senior in 2023–24, he led NC State to its first ACC Tournament title since 1987, earning ACC Tournament MVP after a 20-point, 7-assist performance in the championship game against North Carolina. Burns followed that with a dominant NCAA Tournament run, scoring 29 points against Duke in the Elite Eight and being named the Most Outstanding Player of the South Region as the Wolfpack reached their first Final Four since 1983.
After graduation, Burns played for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2024 NBA Summer League before spending the season with the Goyang Sono Skygunners in South Korea.
TBT 2025 will showcase alumni teams from some of the nation’s premier college basketball programs, including Kentucky, Louisville, Houston, UConn, Syracuse, Ohio State, and Auburn, among others. Regional events will be held in top basketball cities across the country, with host sites including Louisville, Lexington, Indianapolis, and Syracuse. Select TBT games will be broadcast on FOX Sports.
The winner of the Wichita Regional will advance to TBT’s quarterfinals on July 27. The semifinals will be held on July 31, and TBT’s $1 million championship will be played on Aug. 3.
Tickets are on sale now at tbthoops.com/tickets.
