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Steve Victory JOURNAL – ACC Tournament 2023-24
A ruptured disc ended Jerry Williams’ senior season in the ACC tournament opener against North Carolina. The Wolfpack still wins 87-80 (with Baker and Burns scoring 16 points each), but Victory and the Sheriff remain concerned about the impact of losing their short but strong starting center/team leader.
Sophomore Jon Henry gets the start in the ACC semifinals against Georgia Tech. He pumps in 15 points (whew!) and the Pack prevails 80-70. All five starters reach double figures, with Anderson getting 17 points, Baker 10, Geoff Burns 10 and Toni Zupic 15. That puts State into the ACC championship against this season’s nemesis, Wake Forest.
Victory and Wilt wondered all weekend how Wake didn’t win the conference outright. They creamed State in both meetings (74-53 and 82-58) but lost five other league games during the year. Unfortunately, the Wolfpack can’t muster past the Deacs in the ACC title game, losing 81-71. Wake leads by 15 at the half and never looks back…
“Hey, we’re in the NCT, and we should be seeded pretty well,” Victory says afterward.
State draws a #3 seed in the East. Wake gets a #2 seed in the South. Duke is #7 in the East, and Florida State is a #6 in the West. Maryland gets relegated to the ACT.
Barkley’s ‘Bama boys rode a roller coaster after destroying NCSU at home, finishing the regular season 19-10, 8-8 in the SEC. At least they made the tournament… Like State’s, though, their visit to the NCT would be short...
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