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Steve Victory JOURNAL – NCT Tournament 2023-24
State fans were ready to party on Hillsborough Street in March of 2024, but alas they only got one night of revelry. NCSU beats 14th-seeded St. Francis in its tournament opener but loses in the second round to upstart sixth seed SW Missouri State.
Victory and the Sheriff aren’t really sure what happened. The centers played well (folks like Jon Henry), but the rest of the lineup just went bust. After the humbling, Victory has plenty of words for the guys coming back next season:
“Why? Why? You play your butts off all season to get to this point, then you hit cruise control and lay down. Well guess what, I’m not satisfied with just getting here, and neither are our fans. I want to win it all. Not just a regular season title but the whole can of marbles. I want to cut down the nets on the last night of college basketball, climb on the backboards and party into the night. Boys, I’ve been there, and there are few greater feelings in the world.”
The message seems to sink in, but who can tell until next season? Duke, Wake and Florida State manage to do what State can’t and reach the Sweet 16. Alabama also falls in the second round of the Big Dance, dropping a double-digit game to Pittsburgh. Barkley draws some boos from Tide fans afterward…
Amazingly, Duke carries the ACC banner all the way to the Final Four. The Dookies lose, however, to UConn in the semis 73-62. Colorado beats Illinois in the other semi, then drubs UConn 78-66 for the 2024 national championship.
Ah, Colorado. They’ll play a big role in the Steve Victory saga next season… Stay tuned...
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