Doug Edert returns to New Jersey, 'the best state,' as he faces Rutgers basketball
The first weekend of November was “family and friends” weekend at Bryant University, and that meant strangers approaching Doug Edert on the Rhode Island college’s campus.
“You’re that guy from Saint Peter’s – the mustache guy,” Edert said Friday, chuckling about the encounters. “They’ll come up and take pictures and ask me about it, and I always give them my time and tell them how it was.”
It was legendary, how the Bergen Catholic High School grad became a household name overnight as his sharpshooting helped Saint Peter’s reach the NCAA Tournament’s Elite Eight in 2022 – an unprecedented feat for a No. 15 seed.
But times have changed. Those Peacocks split up in the weeks after the run, with head coach Shaheen Holloway taking the job at alma mater Seton Hall and most players transferring out in search of greener pastures. Edert landed at Bryant, and Sunday he returned to his homeland for a game at Rutgers.
“I love New Jersey,” Edert said. “I always tell people that Jersey is the best state because it has everything. People disagree with me, but you’ve got to experience it.”
Bends in the road
In the afterglow of the Peacocks’ epic run, as Saint Peter’s administration took nearly two weeks to hire a successor to Holloway, Edert and backcourt-mates Daryl Banks III and Matt Lee decided to enter the transfer portal. The three are super tight – Edert said they text each other and play video games together virtually every day still – but they wound up scattered.
Banks had a strong season at St. Bonaventure in 2022-23, averaging 15.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He tallied four points and three assists in its 2023-24 season-opening win against Longwood.
Lee suffered a torn ACL early last season at Missouri State. In this year’s opener he chalked up four points, three boards and seven assists in a loss at West Virginia.
As for Edert, after averaging 9.5 points and shooting 41 percent from 3-point range as a junior at Saint Peter’s, he averaged 5.4 points and shot .312 from deep last winter at Bryant, which finished 17-13 and tied for fourth in the America East Conference.
This season he played just four minutes in a loss to Manhattan and recorded 11 points and three assists in 17 minutes of a romp over NAIA foe Fisher College. He didn't play at all in Bryant's 66-57 loss at Rutgers Sunday.
During the preseason Bryant head coach Jared Grasso – a hard-charging recruiter whom Edert said “blew up my phone” when he entered the portal – was placed on leave by Bryant’s administration for an unspecified matter. This past week prosecutors dropped a misdemeanor charge against Grasso for failing to stop in an accident resulting in damage to a vehicle.
“We’re just trying to block out all the distractions and trying to keep our heads focused on winning basketball games,” Edert said. “We’re a mature group.”
In his fifth year, Edert is working toward earning his sociology degree in May because a fair amount of credits from Saint Peter’s did not transfer to Bryant, he said.
What might have been?
During his daily chats with Banks and Lee, do they ever wonder what might have been, had they stayed together in Jersey City?
“We never really talked about that,” Edert said. “Very rarely will we get on a call and talk about the old times at Saint Peter's.”
Still, he cherishes those memories and the friendships forged – and considers himself a Saint Peter’s fan for life.
“Those are lifetime bonds right there,” Edert said.
He’s also keeping an eye on Seton Hall, where Holloway and former Peacocks assistants Ryan Whalen and Rasheen Davis are coming off an NIT campaign.
“I know they have a lot of doubters right now and things might not look good to outside people, but I know Coach Sha and that staff – they’re going to have a successful program,” he said, adding that, “they’ve reached out to me (from time to time) to make sure everything is going alright.”
Jersey forever
The Hollywood finish to the script would be Edert helping Bryant reach the Big Dance, “getting back there so my teammates can experience something like that – the best moment of my life so far,” he said.
No matter what happens, he’ll always be celebrated back home.
“I truly appreciate all the love and support I get from people in New Jersey,” he said.
He made it clear that the feeling is mutual.
“New Jersey is the best state, for sure," he said. "I want to make that point."
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Doug Edert returns to NJ, 'the best state,' to face Rutgers basketball
