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Old 01-30-2007, 02:40 PM   #180
aztarheel
High School JV
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Steve Victory JOURNAL – NCT Tournament 2025

Alabama loses its first game in the 2025 ACT tournament to Louisville, prompting more outcries against Charles Barkley in Tuscaloosa. Fortunately, Victory is safe at State after the Pack rolls past Kansas State in its opener 81-61. (Of course, you knew they would win!)

The Pack then takes out the top three seeds in the East Region to make it to the Final Four!! The first victim is #2 St. Joe’s, which sports a 24-5 record. The game is an up-and-down affair before the Wolfpack finally seals it 98-89. A fun one to reach the Sweet 16!!

Victory and company then guns down a familiar foe – #3 Mississippi State, one of the schools Victory sparred with often at Alabama. This one isn’t much of a game as State wins 81-62. Toni Zupic scores 22 points, and Deon Brown adds 16. Michael Stokes – back from his injury at last!! – scores 13 and dishes out 7 assists. State makes 22-of-23 free throws. (The SEC does get a revenge in another game as LSU knocks Duke from the tournament – oh well…). With the full lineup back, can anyone stop the Pack?

State’s Elite Eight win comes over the East’s top seed, Syracuse (29-8). The Orangemen have the edge at all five spots according to prognosticators but the Wolfpack has the edge on the scoreboard. State leads 39-29 at half and wins 69-68. Oh baby! Brandon Collins misses the game with the flu, but he’s not much of a loss since he’s down on the depth chart… Andre Baker leads State with 17 points. Ten players score in all, with Henry adding 10…

The parties in Raleigh get better and better after each NCT win. Hillsborough Street closes down all night after the Syracuse victory (hey, why is my couch in the middle of that bonfire? becomes a frequent question by students around campus). Coach Victory and the Sheriff watch on TV and marvel at what State has done. In four years, Victory has this longtime, mid-level ACC team poised for its first national championship in almost 40 years. If only Jim Valvano could see it now (TV stations do search out his family members however, and that makes for fun historical pieces on ESPN3, CNN-SI, the NC Sports Network, etc.)…

Thousands of State fans, clad in red, line the streets as the State bus pulls away from campus to head to the airport for its Final Four trip. Victory and players wave wildly from open windows. The coach almost cries from joy. The Sheriff, more stoic and wearing round John Lennon sunglasses, just smiles and waves coolly at the passing masses…

“We’re going to win,” Victory tells everyone on the bus. “I can just feel it. This is our destiny…” He can’t sit still the entire bus ride to the airport or the charter flight to Phoenix.

Last edited by aztarheel : 01-30-2007 at 04:04 PM.
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