DALLAS — DJ Burns, Jr. is starting to learn about the double-edged sword that comes with being one of the star attractions of March Madness.

As the NC State basketball team's locker room opened to the media Thursday in American Airlines Center, allowing members of the press to talk to any member of the Wolfpack they chose, Burns was nowhere to be found. He snuck in a few minutes later, ducked into a corner locker cubby and attempted to hide his 6-foot-9, 275-pound frame behind a backpack hanging on the wall.

It didn't do much to thwart the media horde, who quickly spotted Burns, surrounding the big man and peppering him with another round of questions.

This was before Burns was scheduled to join teammates DJ Horne, Casey Morsell and head coach Kevin Keatts on the dais for the formal press conference. Burns' exploits in the NCAA Tournament have helped get the Wolfpack to the team's first Sweet 16 appearance since 2015. It has also come with more and more attention with each passing day.

"It's been kind of crazy going from having almost zero media attention to a camera following you around all day. ..." Burns said. "...it's been cool, but you know, definitely noticed it. Hard to miss it."

Other Wolfpack players can't escape the Burns spotlight either, often being asked how best to describe their teammate.

"I would say that he's actually a really nice guy," DJ Horne said. "Suburban dude. Nice guy."

As NC State's stay in the NCAA Tournament continues, Burns does appreciate that more people are starting to get to see the just how close the team is as a whole, not just centered around him.

"I think it's always been there," Burns said of the team's chemistry. "I don't think that we treat each other differently now. Everyone is paying attention because we're winning. That's what winning does. It's going to seem like you're a little closer when you are winning."

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: NC State basketball's DJ Burns can't hide from March Madness spotlight