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Steve Victory JOURNAL – Post-season 2028
State and Wake proved the cream of the ACC crop this season, and so it was fitting the Wolfpack and Deacons meet in the tournament championship game in early March 2028.
State played its own version of the “Big Four” tournament during the weekend in Greensboro. First, they beat North Carolina 98-70. Then they beat Duke 99-77. Unfortunately, Wake – which had knocked off Maryland and Virginia in earlier rounds – won the coveted ACC (and Big Four) championship with a 74-68 triumph. The Deacs got up in the first half and never really let Victory’s boys fight back… The Achilles’ heel for State – teams with strong post games, such has what WFU featured… (Memo to Victory — recruit taller and stronger post players)...
Both finalists received number one seeds for the NCT however. Wow! State is shipped out West, while Wake Forest gets bracketed in the East. The other top seeds are familiar – Illinois in the Midwest and Florida in the South.
The Wolfpack sails through the first three rounds and looks ready to earn another Final Four berth.
UMass falls to the Pack 96-60 in the opening round as Marcus Hill scores 23 points and Ian Demory 22.
Stanford, seeded eighth, is the next victim, falling 93-45. Calvin Carstensen earns a double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Center Jean Sykes scores 23 with nine boards. Ian Demory adds 20 points.
State then takes out fourth-seeded Arizona 86-64. Hill (23 points), Carstensen (20 points) and Demory (15) again are the stars.
The parties get serious on Hillsborough Street again after the Arizona win. “Four-for-Four” becomes the rallying cry in Raleigh as State seeks its fourth consecutive berth into the NCT semifinals. Leave it to sixth-seeded Texas to spoil the celebrations. The Longhorns hit 11 three-pointers and 23-of-30 free throws and pull the upset 74-69. While Wake locks up its Final Four berth with a 90-68 win over Pitt, the Wolfpack charters a plane ride home for the season. Only Victory and a few of his staff will attend this year’s Final Four in New Orleans. And they are going just as spectators... Rats…
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