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Steve Victory JOURNAL – NCT Championship Game 2028
Flash forward to late March 2028.
It’s a few hours before tip off of college basketball’s premier game – the NCT championship! About 60,000 fans are making their way into the Super Dome in New Orleans.
N.C. State coach Steve Victory – as usual looking his spit and polished self in a sleek suit with red tie – stands courtside. He’s talking with his good friend and colleague, longtime Wake Forest hoops coach Chris Lyde.
“Think we can do it?”
“Absolutely. You guys have been on a tear of late. We saw that during the ACC title game. Go out there and kick some Illini butt. Those boys wearing orange and blue have been way too cocky this season. Let’s get a sweet victory for the ACC.”
“It’s too bad we can’t both be here on the sidelines. That would have made for a fine NCT championship game – Wake Forest vs. N.C. State. Live from New Orleans. For all the marbles. Tobacco Road would have gone crazy…”
“Yeah, that would have been awesome. It almost happened, but we just didn’t have it against Texas in the Elite Eight. We still had a great season, though.”
“Well, gotta run. Wish us luck.”
“Luck!”
With that Victory and Lyde shake hands and go their separate ways. Victory heads up to the luxury suite where he’ll watch tonight’s game and root like heck for the Demon Deacons. Lyde heads for the locker room to finish preparing for his chance to win his first NCT title...
Wake Forest wins the tap, but like last year, Illinois rebounds a missed shot and sinks the first points on a layup…
It feels strange for Victory to be watching the game from so high up… “Boys, you’ve got to get back on defense,” he barks out to the small black-and-gold clad blips on the floor far below him…
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