|
Steve Victory JOURNAL – SEC Tourney 2016
Dick Vitale, still covering games for ESPN3 — the network’s all-college sports channel — would call it “Choke City, baby.” Needing a win or two to lock up an NCT berth, Alabama lays an egg in its SEC tournament opener against LSU. The Tigers were the #11 seed, while ‘Bama was the #3. LSU prevails by 4 points with reserve guard Marco Bartow providing the only real offense for the Tide. (Did I say that I HATED the number of injuries this game seems to dole out?)
“Now, we’ll just have to wait and see,” Victory says of his team’s NCT chances. “Will the selection committee like a team with a 19-12 record?”
LSU doesn’t help the Tide’s cause, rolling all the way to the SEC championship game. Sure enough, when Selection Sunday rolls around the third-best SEC team in the regular season is left off the NCT list. Alabama is ACT bound – what a bummer… The Tide’s first opponent, Duke! (Ha- at least they didn’t get an NCT bid)...
Regardless of how the ACT turns out, Victory has just two chances left at fulfilling his mission of winning the NCT within 15 years of his first coaching job. He finds himself fighting off the desire to retire now and move to a secluded beach house near Charleston, S.C…
|