North Carolina State DJ Barnes Jr. has a fan of Nikola Jokic, which prevented the former MVP from arriving on time for the postgame press conference.
The Nuggets star praised Barnes’ play when he met with the media after he had 26 points, 18 rebounds and 16 assists in the Nuggets’ 130-101 win over the Cavaliers on Sunday.
Jokic may not be a college basketball fan, but thanks to Barnes’ play, he sat through and watched North Carolina State defeat Duke and advance to the Final Four.
“They weren’t supposed to be in the tournament, right?” Jokic asked about North Carolina State. According to the Denver Post.
But an impressed Jokic specifically praised Barnes, who scored 29 points in the win.
“I think he’s very skilled, especially left-handed. I’d love to be left-handed,” Jokic said. “And the players and teammates seem to like playing with him, so he’s got to be a good guy.”
The Wolfpack became the Cinderella story of the NCAA Tournament after North Carolina State had to win five straight in the ACC Tournament to earn one of the automatic bids.
North Carolina State’s nine-game winning streak was impressive, with the Wolfpack back-to-back wins over Texas Tech, Oakland, second-seeded Marquette, and fourth-seeded Duke in the NCAA Tournament.
Their Elite Eight appearance is just the fourth in program history and the first since 1983.
Barnes began his college basketball career at the University of Tennessee, transferred to Winthrop after his freshman year, and spent three seasons at Winthrop before transferring to Northrop State University.
He will face another tall center, 7-foot-4 Zach Eady, in the Final Four when NC State plays Purdue.
