Saint Peter's proves cohesiveness, confidence are stronger than big-name brand power | Opinion
PHILADELPHIA — To describe the remarkable run into the Elite Eight made by underdog Saint Peter's requires a thesaurus. The No. 15 Peacocks’ off-the-radar postseason was unexpected, unbelievable, implausible, captivating, overwhelming and outrageous — and maybe even impossible to truly put into perspective.
The dream ended with a 69-49 loss to No. 8 North Carolina, which dominated from the opening tip and cruised into a Final Four matchup with No. 2 Duke.
"They shocked the world," coach Shaheen Holloway said of the Peacocks. "You've got guys that's going to be remembered for things that they could tell their kids and grandkids. It's a story within a story. I'm super proud of these guys.
"They came in and and made history. Point-blank, period. No one has done it. Saint Peter's did it. Period. Saint Peter's made the Elite Eight. Great story. You guys write about it."
The images will last in perpetuity as part of the annual montage of unforgettable NCAA Tournament moments. The upset of Kentucky. The wins against Murray State, Purdue. The calming demeanor of Holloway. Doug Edert's mustache.
No college basketball program has ever put itself on the map so quickly, with such a high level of likability and a backstory befitting the Peacocks' longshot status. In the span of four games, this small, private college in Jersey City, New Jersey, etched itself into history as the tournament's most memorable underdog.
This legacy will forever define Saint Peter's: After college basketball's postseason spent decades waiting for a truly out-of-left-field success story, the Peacocks delivered in style.
"It didn't go our way," said junior guard Daryl Banks III. "But we should all keep our head high, because what we did is something that no one's ever done before. So we're going to walk out of here with our head high."
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And now the Peacocks turn to an uncertain future.
Other mid-major programs have made similar noise in March. Gonzaga built the foundation of a national powerhouse on the Bulldogs' run to the Sweet 16 in 1999. George Mason reached the Final Four as a No. 11 seed in 2006. More recently, a pair of No. 15 seeds have made similar runs out of the opening weekend before losing: Florida Gulf Coast in 2013 and Oral Roberts in 2021.
Will Saint Peter's become the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference's version of Gonzaga — a team that outdistances its conference competition and is in annual contention for the tournament? Or is the Peacocks' 2022 season destined to remain the outlandish outlier in an otherwise tepid basketball history?
"What we did, we generated a lot of publicity for our school," said Banks. "Caught the attention of everybody who wants to come here. I just think what we did will have an impact on everybody who knows about the school now, just going forward."
The program will very likely plow ahead without Holloway, whose unflappability and deft touch when utilizing the Peacocks' nine-man rotation made him one of the breakout stars of the tournament. Holloway is expected to return to Seton Hall, where he was previously a star point guard and top assistant, and replace former coach Kevin Willard, who left for the same position at Maryland.
"I'm not worried about that right now," Holloway said. "I'm worried about these 15 young men whose hearts are broken and really down."
Every key piece of this year's roster is eligible to return in 2022-23, though there's a possibility that multiple players parlay the spotlight provided by this year's tournament and transfer into a more prestigious program. For one, KC Ndefo entered the transfer portal after last season and heard from multiple Power Five schools, he said this week, before opting to come back to Saint Peter's.
With the right hire as Holloway's replacement, a healthy amount of roster retention and helpful additions on the recruiting trail, the Peacocks would enter next season as the favorite in the MAAC and a program to watch on a national level.
"I think the future's bright," Holloway said.
Beyond setting a new baseline for what the program can achieve, the tangible impact of this run may be felt in the blueprint provided to other mid-majors: Saint Peter's proved that name recognition, brand power and tournament history are secondary to cohesiveness, consistency and confidence.
It may be years before another underdog makes a similar postseason run — if that happens again at all. Saint Peter's certainly captured lightning in a bottle; the Peacocks might face the same tournament field 100 times and advance this far just this once.
But one time is all it takes to rewrite the program's reputation. Saint Peter's made history, and from this point forward will be the benchmark for every tournament darling. If the Peacocks did it, why can't everyone else?
"The sky’s the limit for anybody," Ndefo said. "If you put in the work, success and all of it is going to be behind it. So don’t get too high, don’t get too low. Just stay in your lane and it will work out for you."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Saint Peter's shows cohesiveness is stronger than big-name brand power
