LSU sophomore forward Craig Victor laid on the PMAC floor, grinning as Kentucky senior forward Alex Poythress stood over him looking flustered.
Poythress had just slammed Victor to the floor, eliciting a loose ball foul as Tigers led by 10 early in the second half against the then-No. 9 Wildcats. Although Poythress was clearly frustrated by the deficit and a whistle at his expense, Victor wasn’t fazed by Poythress’ aggressive foul.
The New Orleans native simply smiled as LSU gained further control of a game it would win, 85-67, on Jan. 5.
As he would confidently say, Victor was just doing his job, which includes being the Tigers’ enforcer.
“I knew I was the toughest guy on the court,” Victor said prior to last weekend’s loss to Florida. “That’s how I feel every time I step out on the court. I know I’m the meanest; I’m going to be the toughest. I really don’t have no worries. I was pulled down by my neck, but I love all that. I love the physicality of the game.”
By all accounts, Victor, who averages 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds, isn’t a dirty or mean-spirited player. In fact, he is as charismatic as any player on the team. But he realized he had a mission to accomplish once he became eligible last month – doing the dirty work that came with bolstering the Tigers’ frontcourt.
With the tenacity he brings on the floor, LSU is 5-2 since Victor joined the lineup after a 4-4 start to the season.
Over the course of his life, growing up in the sometimes-perilous Uptown area of the Crescent City and then transferring from Arizona to be closer to family, Victor became the toughest version of himself and, possibly, one of the toughest players in the Southeastern Conference.
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“The big thing is he brings a sense of urgency and toughness to our team,” said coach Johnny Jones before the Florida game, “which allows our other guys to be confident in a lot of areas.”
Last March, Victor sat in the media room of the LSU practice facility, facing the local media as a whole for the first time as a Tiger. Despite being a fresh face on campus, Victor was relaxed, thoughtful and displayed his moxie.
He had absolutely no doubt that his year away from the meaningful competition, per NCAA transfer rules, would eventually pay off.
“Oh, it’s going to pay off,” Victor said last year. “I’m not worried at all. I’m in the gym every day and the weight room. I don’t like to talk about it much, even when people ask me. I tell them, ‘talk to the strength and conditioning coach or talk to coach [Jones].’ Because the game will speak for itself. I don’t really have to say too much.”
So what was Victor’s job in practice when facing future NBA draft picks Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey?
“Just dominate,” Victor said last year. “Dominate and push them as much I want them to push me.”
The 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward made sure to say the battle between Martin or Mickey in practice, who were on the Purple team while Victor was on the Gold team, didn’t involve trash talk. All Victor was worried about was providing fierce competition since he couldn’t do that in games for the Tigers in 2015.
So when Victor finally got his opportunity to see live action, as the Tigers were in the midst losing four of their last five games, Victor helped spark a 21-point victory against Gardner-Webb on Dec. 16 with 10 points and five rebounds. He did that by doing the “little things,” as he often says.
That’s all the Tigers needed to get back to winning ways, freshman forward Ben Simmons said after the game.
“He brought energy,” Simmons said. “Like he said, he did what he needs to do. He rebounded. He played physical. He posted up. So, he did everything that he needs to do for us.”
Victor’s other job, though, is looking out for Simmons when they’re on the floor together.
“A lot of guys try to go at Ben,” Victor said after the Kentucky game. “But at the same time, I’m out there, and Ben Simmons is well-protected at all times when I’m out there. You best believe that he has no worries while he’s out on the court, and he is a tough guy also. So we’re going to go out there, and we’re going to battle every night.”
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New Orleans made Victor who he is, but that doesn’t mean he’s begging to head home as much as possible.
Victor, who attended St. Augustine High School before transferring to Findlay Prep in Nevada for his senior year, is as aware of the violence and drug-influence as anybody from the city. So much so, it has pushed him away from a town he is proud to represent.
In fact, he really only goes back for home-cooked meals or emergency situations.
“It’s a battlefield, and it’s not easy to make it out,” Victor said. “There’s some parents in New Orleans that just want to see their kids make it to 18 – some 15. Fifteen is like the new 18. If you can make it to 18, it’s a blessing. It’s a blessing to be able to live that long in New Orleans and be a young adult.
“Other places, they’re not worried about that. They’re thinking about college and other stuff like that. Down there, it’s just thinking about making it through to the next day.”
As he acknowledges, he’s not the only one who has lost loved ones to the violence that New Orleans has regrettably become known for. He even chose to play youth basketball in the Gentilly area of New Orleans to avoid the things he couldn’t control.
To Victor, now that he’s back home, he has opportunity to inspire those who share his dreams or those who just want to see someone from New Orleans do well. When he returns home, he’s embraced as beacon of hope for those who have seen him grow from near and afar.
The inspiration he provides recently included a fellow St. Augustine Purple Knight.
“I was in [the practice facility] after media one day, and this kid told me, ‘I went to the same high school you went to, man, and I just appreciate what you’re doing for the city,’” Victor said. “At the same time, that touched me because I know some kids back home would never have this opportunity.”
But on the basketball court, Victor will still be taking his do-your-job approach, which includes being the player no one wants to face.
“I try as much as I can to strike fear in the opponent’s heart,” Victor said. “That’s a part of my game. I don’t necessarily mean to do it. It just happens.”