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Quick hits from DJ Funderburk's NC State career

NC State fifth-year senior forward DJ Funderburk has already proclaimed that he has played his last game for the Wolfpack.

With his NC State career presumably over, here's a look back at Funderburk's time in the red and white.

NC State Wolfpack basketball forward DJ Funderburk
Funderburk played three seasons for the Wolfpack. (Ethan Hyman/News & Observer)
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An Interesting Recruitment

Like his classmate Braxton Beverly, Funderburk’s path to NC State involved a detour at Ohio State and a connection to former Pack assistant A.W. Hamilton.

Funderburk was a well-touted prospect coming out of Hamilton’s Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., in the 2016 class when he signed with Ohio State. After redshirting a year for the Buckeyes, a coaching change in Columbus resulted in Funderburk being at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville, Fla.

That’s when Hamilton was at NC State, and he used his old connection to Funderburk to help bring the forward to Raleigh with three years of eligibility remaining.

Game Of His Career

When NC State crushed Duke in 2020, much of the attention was focused rightfully on guard Markell Johnson's monster performance, but Funderburk also had a huge evening. He finished with 21 points and nine rebounds.

Highlight Of His Career

Stepped It Up In ACC Play

One interesting nugget about Funderburk and his time in Raleigh: he always scored more in conference action than he did in non-conference play.

Funderburk in ACC play
Year Non-Conference Scoring Average ACC Scoring Average

2018-19

8.3

9.3

2019-20

11.6

13.4

2020-21

12.2

12.8

Accurate Shooter

Funderburk’s most notable accomplishment: his field goal percentage. He finished at 57.7 percent in his career (340 of 589). Only Kevin Thompson, who shot 58.8 percent between 1990-93, had a higher percentage in school history among those who connected on at least 200 field goals.

When Funderburk shot 60.9 percent in 2019-20, it was the third best single-season mark in school history among those who made at least 100 shots in a year.

Accurate At The Line

Funderburk finished his career with a 77.8 percent average at the free throw line, making 270 of 347 attempts during his three seasons. This past year was his best at the line, converting 79.2 percent to lead the team. Similarly, Funderburk led the Pack in his debut campaign in Raleigh from the charity stripe at 78.5 percent.

The last post player to lead NC State in free throw shooting multiple seasons was Todd Fuller, who did so in 1995 and 1996.

Funderburk just missed joining Fuller and Bob Seitz (1955-57) as the lone NC state post players to crack the top 15 all-time among Wolfpack players at the free throw line (minimum 100 makes). Former forward Ilian Evtimov is 15th at 79.1 percent.

What Could Have Been In Four Years

Had Funderburk enjoyed a full senior season, he likely would have joined Beverly in reaching 1,000 career points at NC State. As it is, he finished with 964 points.

As noted previously, Funderburk did not arrive at NC State until he was a redshirt sophomore.

If you were to take his yearly average production and extended over a full four-year career, Funderburk would have finished with 1,285 points and 604 rebounds. The scoring total would have been good enough for 31st most at NC State. However, his yearly average is somewhat skewed by the fact that he did not get a full fifth-year senior season.

Odds are under normal circumstances, Funderburk’s three-year average of points in a season would have translated to a four-year total that would have landed Funderburk in the top 25, if not top 20.

Another category that Funderburk could have threatened to leave his name in the record books had he played a full four seasons: blocked shots. Funderburk had 72 in his three seasons. Cedric Simmons is currently in 10th place with 115.

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