3 Daunting Questions for NC State Wolfpack vs. Purdue in Final Four

2. Can the DJ's Turn the Tables on Purdue?

DJ Burns and Horne are the Wolfpack's clear two best players and they'll need to outduel Zach Edey and point guard Braden Smith if NC State is going to win. Horne, in particular, has an advantage on the perimeter against Smith, who is a great shooter but struggles defensively against quick guards.

Dalton Knecht scored 37 points in the Elite Eight and while Horne doesn't have the same size advantage that the Tennessee star did, he can still take advantage of a relatively weak perimeter defense to get scoring opportunities.

Horne scored 39 points in the last two rounds combined while making 6-of-13 from beyond the arc. NC State needs him to shoot well to spread out the Boilermakers' defense and find ways to score without challenging the monstrous Edey in the paint.

Of course, the star of the show for NC State has been Burns. He had 29 points against Duke and 24 in the win over Marquette, averaging 18.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game in the tournament.

He's proven he can hurt defenses in a variety of ways, especially with his passing, and he'll need every trick up his sleeve to outduel Edey.

Burns' patented jump hook will be more difficult with Edey's outstretched arms in the way, so I'm anxious to see what creative methods the Wolfpack big man uses to put the bucket in the hoop.