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aztarheel · 01-18-2007, 01:25 PM

Steve Victory JOURNAL – Non-conference 2014-15

Alabama’s strong ACT run gets them invited to the Alaska Challenge (a neat homecoming for freshman Will Turner, who hails from Palmer).

Amazingly, the Crimson Tide responds by beating three solid teams and winning the preseason tune-up. Victory’s bunch disposes of UC Riverside 89-81, St. Louis 86-75 and #7 Minnesota 75-53. Josiah Parker nets 23 in the opener. Michael Bliss scores 27 against St. Louis. Wow! (Note – all three opponents have CRIs in the top 20 when rankings come out later in the season).

The three-game sweep vaults Alabama to a number-three ranking in the International Press poll! That’s the best-ever listing for a Victory-coached team, though the coach is wise enough after 12 years on the bench not to take too much stock in early-season rankings.

“We’re kind of the flavor of the week,” Victory says. “If we’re ranked third in February or March, then I’ll get excited.”

Sure enough, Alabama drops out of the polls in the next two weeks after losing to Texas A&M 68-67 and #5 Arizona 86-67. In between, Victory does beat his alma mater, Miami of Florida, 85-70. It was a nice homecoming for the coach as the Hurricanes were ranked #13 at the time.

The Arizona loss weighs heavy on Alabama players, who believe they belong in the same elite category as the Wildcats. With renewed vigor, ‘Bama players finish off the non-conference schedule with nine-straight wins. Check out these scores:

• Marshall, 99-76
• @ Cal Poly SLO, 95-74
• @ Illinois-Chicago, 91-59
• VMI, 92-57
• Colorado State, 90-59
• Iona, 95-61
• @ Cleveland State, 100-62
• Xavier, 92-59
• @ Iowa State, 86-65

Granted, these opponents aren’t of Arizona’s stature, but there was a time recently when Alabama was losing to opponents like Illinois-Chicago and Iona. The strategy: a strong quarter-court defense, an uptempo offensive game and a focus on both post and perimeter play.

The Crimson Tide enters the SEC schedule with a 13-2 record. They return to the rankings at #15 in the IP poll and #20 in the .400 poll. The team’s CRI (the game's version of RPI) is listed as #2 in the nation!

Victory allows himself to dream a bit of making a big NCT run. “I don’t think there’s a team out there that we couldn’t compete with,” he says. “This could be the year...”

01-18-2007, 01:25 PM	#83
aztarheel High School JV Join Date: Sep 2006	Steve Victory JOURNAL – Non-conference 2014-15 Alabama’s strong ACT run gets them invited to the Alaska Challenge (a neat homecoming for freshman Will Turner, who hails from Palmer). Amazingly, the Crimson Tide responds by beating three solid teams and winning the preseason tune-up. Victory’s bunch disposes of UC Riverside 89-81, St. Louis 86-75 and #7 Minnesota 75-53. Josiah Parker nets 23 in the opener. Michael Bliss scores 27 against St. Louis. Wow! (Note – all three opponents have CRIs in the top 20 when rankings come out later in the season). The three-game sweep vaults Alabama to a number-three ranking in the International Press poll! That’s the best-ever listing for a Victory-coached team, though the coach is wise enough after 12 years on the bench not to take too much stock in early-season rankings. “We’re kind of the flavor of the week,” Victory says. “If we’re ranked third in February or March, then I’ll get excited.” Sure enough, Alabama drops out of the polls in the next two weeks after losing to Texas A&M 68-67 and #5 Arizona 86-67. In between, Victory does beat his alma mater, Miami of Florida, 85-70. It was a nice homecoming for the coach as the Hurricanes were ranked #13 at the time. The Arizona loss weighs heavy on Alabama players, who believe they belong in the same elite category as the Wildcats. With renewed vigor, ‘Bama players finish off the non-conference schedule with nine-straight wins. Check out these scores: • Marshall, 99-76 • @ Cal Poly SLO, 95-74 • @ Illinois-Chicago, 91-59 • VMI, 92-57 • Colorado State, 90-59 • Iona, 95-61 • @ Cleveland State, 100-62 • Xavier, 92-59 • @ Iowa State, 86-65 Granted, these opponents aren’t of Arizona’s stature, but there was a time recently when Alabama was losing to opponents like Illinois-Chicago and Iona. The strategy: a strong quarter-court defense, an uptempo offensive game and a focus on both post and perimeter play. The Crimson Tide enters the SEC schedule with a 13-2 record. They return to the rankings at #15 in the IP poll and #20 in the .400 poll. The team’s CRI (the game's version of RPI) is listed as #2 in the nation! Victory allows himself to dream a bit of making a big NCT run. “I don’t think there’s a team out there that we couldn’t compete with,” he says. “This could be the year...”