How did Saint Peter's reach the doorstep of a Final Four bid? It's not complicated.

There has to be a method to the madness. What is the secret? How did a collection of unknown players and coaches at perhaps the most unknown school in the men's NCAA Tournament beat a succession of higher-ranked opponents — Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue — to reach the doorstep of an unbelievable Final Four bid?

That's the question of the tournament: How does Saint Peter's do it?

The latest to buckle down in search of a solution is No. 8 North Carolina, which advanced to the Elite Eight with a win against No. 4 UCLA. Once again, it will be a matchup of brand power against the ultimate March Madness underdog: UNC's win total as a program (2,320) exceeds the Peacocks' undergraduate enrollment (2,134).

But the answer for how Saint Peter's has reached this point may not be complicated.

"It's pretty easy," guard Doug Edert said of the Peacocks' style. "All you really have to do is give 100% effort and defend."

Ask the Wildcats, the Racers or the Boilermakers what the Peacocks bring to the table, and the response might be as simple as: Saint Peter's plays hard, physical basketball with a sense of cohesiveness built around a veteran and experienced roster.

"They beat us like they beat the other two teams," Purdue coach Matt Painter said after the Peacocks' 67-64 win to reach the Elite Eight. "They had a strong will, grimy, tough, into you. Hats off to those guys and good luck to those guys."

At a time when experience and toughness are in short supply among tournament teams, coach Shaheen Holloway has developed an unflappable playing style good enough to vanquish ballyhooed opponents with tournament histories longer than a CVS receipt and more NBA-level talent than a random G League roster.

In other words, there is no crazy method — no tricks, quirks, gimmicks or whatever — behind the Peacocks’ style.

"These guys really play with their chip on their shoulder, and some of these guys that were sitting up here just now feel like they belong at schools like that. So this is their opportunity to kind of showcase their talent and show what they can do," Holloway said.

HELLO, CINDERELLA: Rankings: Peacocks among 10 most surprising Cinderellas of all time

MORE: Saint Peter's March Madness run has made guard Doug Edert 'folk hero with a mustache'

OPINION: Saint Peter's embodies wackiness and uncertainty of this NCAA Tournament

"I just think that we're just playing at a different level right now, being connected. No one is worried about who's getting the shot, no one is worried about who's getting to shine, no one is worried about this or that. They're just happy for each other, playing hard and just kind of figuring it out."

Seven of the Peacocks' nine leading scorers are juniors and seniors; the two outliers are freshman guard Jaylen Murray, who has averaged 6.7 points per game in tournament play, and freshman forward Clarence Rupert, who had 11 points, three steals and two blocks in the win against Purdue.

Unlike multiple contenders still in play for the national championship, including North Carolina, the Peacocks run a deep bench that rotates into action in waves. Ten players clocked at least eight minutes of action against Kentucky and Purdue; nine played at least 11 minutes against Murray State.

Only one player made double-digit attempts from the field in each of those wins. Seven players took at least four shots against the Wildcats. Seven made at least six attempts against Murray State. Six took at least six shots in beating the Boilermakers. Four players have cracked double-figures in scoring during tournament play.

The heavy rotation and share-the-wealth mentality is carried over to the defensive end, where movement, communication and an aggressive style have helped Saint Peter's overcome a noticeable height disadvantage: Purdue trotted out 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey, for one, while the Peacocks have no contributor over 6-foot-7.

"We want it more than guys, and it shows on the court," said senior forward KC Ndefo. "We're doing whatever we have to do to get the win. We're grinding it out, we're a grinding team. We play defense, we love each other, and this is what it's all about."

This purposefully simplistic blueprint behind the most preposterous run in tournament history — Saint Peter's is the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight, while no seed higher than No. 11 has reached the Final Four — should be enough to worry the latest blueblood on the Peacocks' schedule.

After an inconsistent first half of the regular season, North Carolina has won 17 of 20 under first-year coach Hubert Davis to be one of three ACC teams in the Elite Eight. Three different players have led the team in scoring in wins against No. 9 Marquette, No. 1 Baylor and No. 4 UCLA, showcasing a level of offensive balance that separates the Tar Heels from the Peacocks' three tournament opponents.

"Saint Peter's is an unbelievable team," Davis said. "They have an outstanding coaching staff, and it's a team that has won 10 games in a row, and they're playing with a confidence and a toughness that has put them in the final eight."

UNC knows what to expect. But can the Tar Heels succeed where three other favorites have failed? Being familiar and aware of what's coming doesn't mean UNC will have an answer for Saint Peter's.

"We're going to keep fighting the entire game," said Peacocks junior guard Daryl Banks III. "We're going to get after them. Yeah, we're just going to fight, we're going to get after them, we're going to do what we do; we're going to play Saint Peter's basketball, and that should take care of itself."

Follow colleges reporter Paul Myerberg on Twitter @PaulMyerberg

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saint Peter's on doorstep of Final Four bid. How? It's not complicated