The NCAA Tournament is a unique sort of star-making machine. While success in March is by no means a guarantee of success at the next level, nor does it promise a long-lasting stay in the spotlight, it does however provide those who manage to capture the spotlight for even the briefest of moments a seat at the table of a group that I like to call, The Made Men of Madness.

As the sole member of The Made Men of Madness selection committee, I would like to welcome NC State's DJ Burns Jr. to the table, because a man of that size who possesses that skillset and that smile and all of that swag is made for this. And if there was any doubt as to whether Burns deserves a seat at the table, then how he handled defeat, and how he spoke of the experience of playing in March, should erase all doubts.

In under 30 seconds time, DJ Burns offered a remarkably heartfelt expression of gratitude for simply being involved in the month-long single elimination tournament we know and love and call March Madness. And keep in mind, this soliloquy was delivered not long after the Wolfpack's Final Four defeat at the hands of the Purdue Boilermakers, who as a result of the win will be making their first National Championship Game appearance since 1969.

For Purdue, anything short of a Title Game appearance would've been considered a letdown. However, for NC State, a Final Four appearance in 2024 was all gravy. Just one month ago, the idea of even an appearance in the Big Dance would've seemed far-fetched. With hopes of earning an at-large berth non-existent, the Wolfpack had to run the table (as a 10-seed) in the ACC Tournament to earn an automatic bid into the Big Dance. Behind Burns and a rock solid supporting cast that features nearly half a dozen players capable of leading the Wolfpack in scoring on a given night, NC State ran the table, winning five games in five days in Washington D.C. to earn their spot in the field of 68. But DJ Burns stayed hungry, and he was ready to eat at the table of the Made Men of Madness.

NC State won four games in the NCAA Tournament, toppling Texas Tech in Round 1, holding off a pesky Oakland squad in the Round of 32, upsetting Marquette in the Sweet Sixteen and taking down Duke for the second time in the month of March. Yes, the ride ended on Saturday night at the hands of Zach Edey and the Big Ten regular season champions. But as Burns alluded to, this run should restore the culture and the excitement in Raleigh.