Whenever someone asked you what the symbolization for a Peacock was, many would say it was the symbol for logo for National Broadcasting Company (NBC) or it was an animal with lovely blue-green plumage and spotted feathers that can fold into an elaborate fan. During the 2022 NCAA Tournament, it was the nickname of institution that became one of the lowest seeds to be at the precipice of the national championship. Unfortunately, that dream scenario came to a rough conclusion against one of the “Blue Bloods” of college basketball.
The magical run for the St. Peter’s
University Peacocks (22-12) ended with a 69-49 loss in the Elite 8 versus the
University of North Carolina Tar Heels (28-9) in the First No. 15 (St. Peters)
versus No. 8 (North Carolina) tilt in NCAA Tourney history. The loss snapped a
season-high 10-game winning streak by the squad from Jersey City, NJ.
“I kind of wish we could play this game
over. I would’ve done a couple of things different. But…you got to give those guys
credit. They came out and they deserved it,” fourth-year head coach of the Peacock’s
Shaheen Holloway said after the loss postgame.
Entering this year’s NCAA Tournament, the
Peacocks, who had not won an NCAA Tournament game prior to this year were given
a 0.1 percent chance to reach this point. The storied Tar Heels given their up-and-down
season in 2021-22, more often down at times were given a 4.7 percent chance to
reach the Elite 8.
On this night, though it was the Tar Heels
who looked like the storied team that we have become accustomed to watching and
the Peacocks looked like a team that finally meet their match.
Coach Holloway’s squad, who never led in
the game was just 2/19 shooting on contested shots against the Tar Heels
defense in the first half, compared to the 42 percent from the floor they
produced on contested shots the first three tournament games. That led to a
12-2 run to close the first half and led to a 19-point deficit at intermission.
Junior center Armando Bacot was a force
for the Tar Heels with 20 points and had 15 of his 22 rebounds in the opening
half for his sixth consecutive double-double and 10th in the last 11
games dating back to the regular-season. Sophomore forward Brady Manek had 19
points, eight rebounds in helping the Tar Heels reach the Final Four for an
NCAA record 21st time, their first since 2017. They also became the
third Atlantic Coastal Conference (ACC) squad seeded No. 8 or worse to reach
the Final Four since 1979.
Bacot also became the first player with 20
points and 20 rebounds in the Elite 8 or later since Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon,
then named Akeem Olajuwon did it for the Houston Cougars in the 1983 National
Semifinals. It was Bacot’s 29th double-double of this season, tied
Hall of Famer Tim Duncan’s, who went to Wake Forest University, single-season
ACC record.
For St. Peter’s it was a rough end to a
glorious Cinderella run in the NCAA Tournament, which saw them compile the most
wins all-time by a No. 15 Seed with three.
When asked during his postgame presser,
what he will remember the most about these magical few weeks, Coach Holloway said,
“That a group of guys that came in here. No one gave a chance to them. No one
believed in them but the people in that locker room. The people that’s in our
program. The administration, you know. Us.”
“They made history. They shocked the
world. You got guys that’s going to be remembered for things that they can tell
their kids and grandkids. It’s a story within a story, and I’m super proud of
these guys. So, they came in and made history, point blank, period. No one in
our area had done it, have done it….St. Peters made it to the Elite 8, great
story.”
While the Peacock’s made history, it still
does not take away from the sting of coming up short against the Tar Heels, who
outrebounded the Peacocks 49-33, including 14-7 on offensive glass and held
them to 30 percent shooting from the field (18/60), including 4/16 from
three-point range.
“It was definitely a sadness, you know. We
expected to win this game,” Senior forward KC Ndefo, who had 10 points and
seven rebounds in defeat said postgame. “I felt like we didn’t compete as well
as we were supposed to. So, this is a brotherhood and we love all our brothers.
So, we stick together through it and there was definitely emotions in the
locker room of sadness.”
Junior guard Daryl Banks III shared those
same feelings saying how he and his teammates are all “competitors” and that
they “expected” to beat North Carolina and while they came up on the short end
Coach Holloway preached to them that they should keep their head high because
they did something that has never been done before.
“So, we’re going to walk out of here with our
head high,” Banks III said.
In a tweet early Sunday night, junior
guard Doug Edert, whose mustache became famous during this tournament; has had
his name printed and has landed two endorsement deals said, “Thank you everyone
for your love and support.”
To put into clearer context the kind of history, they are as the No. 15 Seed the lowest seeded University to reach the Elite 8, when the previous lowest seed was No. 12. They are first team since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985 to a field of 64 to win two games as a double-digit underdog in a single tournament run. The Peacocks earned two of their three wins over Associated Press Top 10 opponents by a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) team in their conference’s history.
That is not bad for a team that one time
played a game at 6 a.m. just to have their game played on television. Another
time, Coach Holloway hid the team’s facilities from recruits because they still
had to pull the bleachers out at their gymnasium. Their weight room was next to
a classroom, which meant the players had to keep their noise level down during
their workouts.
To show their thanks and support for what St.
Peters University’s run did for the state of New Jersey, Jersey City Mayor Steven
Fulop (D) tweeted @StevenFulop that the Jersey City Police Department came to
Philadelphia to give the school escort service back to Jersey City on Sunday
night with signage on the New Jersey Turnpike for their drive that displayed “SPU
Proud!”
Mayor Fulop also said in a tweet, “Today’s
game changes very little for us. We couldn’t be prouder of @PeacocksMBB+we’ll
100% do a parade/keys to the city for this team to say THANK YOU properly from
all of us in #JerseyCity+NJ. You showed the best of our city and we love you
for that.”
Mayor Fulop also said about St. Peter’s run
in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, “Everybody sees a little bit of themselves in this
team [Peacocks]. These are kids that maybe weren’t recruited that heavily. Play
with a little chip on their shoulder. They’re neighborhood people. And for them
to run up against some of the best college players is really significant.”
“So, you know, from our standpoint we’re
proud and were thankful, and we’re going to recognize them because they’re
champions to us.”
That parade to honor the Peacocks took
place on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. that began at the State of Abraham Lincoln
and concluded on St. Peter’s campus where a rally took place where Jersey city residents,
city officials, dignitaries, and Peacock students gathered to wish the team
well and give their congrats on the Peacock’s historic NCAA Tournament run.
This magical run by the Peacock’s began 22
days ago (Mar. 17) when they took down one of top dogs in all of College Hoops
in No. 2 Seed in the Indianapolis, IN region in University of Kentucky 85-79 in
overtime shooting 50.9 percent from the field (29/57); going 9/17 from
three-point range and 18/21 from the foul line and holding the Wildcats to 42.6
percent shooting (26/61), including 4/15 on their three-pointers.
Two days later, St. Peter’s took down No.
7 Seeded Murray State University Racers 70-60, closing the game on a 11-3 run,
ignited by a three-point by Edert, who finished with 13 points, while Ndefo had
a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds with six block shots, going 7/9
at the charity stripe.
In this contest the difference was that the
Peacocks made their free throws, going 23/31 (74.2 percent), while the Racers
struggled going 16/25 (64 percent).
“I’m just proud that these guys get a
chance to play on a different type of stage, you know,” Coach Holloway said
after win in his postgame presser. “NCAA Tournament is every kids dream, right?
Playing The MAAC is a great tournament I mean. A great league. We play on ESPN+.
We don’t get a lot of TV games. So, these guys get a chance to show their
talent on a big stage.”
The Peacocks with win became the first
MAAC team to reach the Sweet 16 and the third No. 15 Seed to reach the Sweet 16
since the tournament field expanded to 64 schools back in 1985. A MAAC team
that Coach Holloway added in his postgame presser that he has guys from New York,
NY and from New Jersey, meaning that they will take on all comers on any
hardwood at any time, anywhere. They have no problem going toe-to-toe with any
team regardless of which conference.
“You think we’re scared of anything,” Coach
Holloway asked? “You think we’re worried about guys trying to muscle us and
tough us out? We do that.”
The outlook for the Peacocks entering the
Sweet 16 were not in their favor. The last team to reach the Sweet 16 as a No.
15 Seed was Oral Roberts University in 2021 and they lost to the University of
Arkansas Razorbacks by just two points. Eight years prior it was Florida Gulf
Coast University in this same position in 2013 and they lost to in their Sweet
16 tilt to the University of Florida.
The Peacocks used that New York, New Jersey
grit and pulled off the upset taking down the No. 3 Seeded Purdue Boilermakers
67-64, holding the team from the Big 10 Conference to just 42.6 percent shooting
(23/54) including 5/21 from three-point range. While the Peacocks were
outrebounded 37-26 and shot just 38.9 percent from the floor (21/54), including
6/21 on their threes, they went 19/21 at the foul line and forced 15 Boilermakers
turnovers, while committing just eight miscues themselves.
“We just went out there and did our thing,”
Edert said after the win. “We’re making history and we look forward to making
more history.”
Ndefo added to that saying in the postgame
that being the “underdog” is something St. Peter’s “thrives” off of and that
they want to continue with that mindset and continue to do what has helped them
succeed during this tournament.
Guard Matthew Lee echoed those same
sentiments saying that he and his teammates do not “feel” any pressure when
they have taken the hardwood during this tournament and that they are just out
there playing their game.
“Even though this is a bigger stage, at
the end of the day it’s just basketball,” Lee added.
How far did the Peacocks come in terms of how they were viewed across the nation, MGM Bett had them as 6-1 underdogs against Purdue, with betters putting 82 percent of the cash on them straight up and won.
How has the level of respect for the
Peacocks risen during this NCAA Tournament run? Two-time Super Bowl winning
quarterback from the New York Giants Eli Manning dawning a St. Peter’s shirt said in a Tweet
@EliManning after the win versus Murray State, “What?! I have been cheering for
Saint Peter’s for years. They are my local New Jersey basketball team. Go
Peacocks!!”
The respect that the Peacocks have earned
is in large part to Coach Holloway and how he has instilled confidence in his players
because he knows what they were going through because he was the lead guard for
Seton Hall University in 1991, which was the last time a New York, New Jersey Tri-State
area university reached the Sweet 16 and the first New Jersey school to reach Elite
8 since Seton Hall University Pirates did it under then head coach P.J.
Carlesimo in 1991.
Holloway said last week prior to his squad’s
game against Purdue that he has shared his own experience playing in the NCAA
Tournament for the Pirates but wanted to keep the focus his players and their
experience in this NCAA Tournament. That he wants them to enjoy this moment and
never lose who they are and always working hard.
Guard Matthew Lee said in a presser last
week that Coach Holloway gives the squad “extreme confidence” and the fire and
energy that he brings on game day he brings that same jolt to practice.
Edert, added that to play for Coach
Holloway, it comes down to bringing 100 percent effort to practice and to the
hardwood on game day and being committed to the defensive end of the floor.
“It’s fun playing for him,” Edert, who was
averaging 14.3 points during the tournament said of playing for Coach Holloway.
“He’s a great coach. He believes in his players so much and it gives us belief
in ourselves and each other.
Daryl Banks III said that off the court
Coach Holloway is a “completely different person” saying that he is “one of the
funniest guys you might know.” That he is very “calm” and “goofy.” Banks III
also noted that Coach Holloway has a “switch” that when it comes to preparing
for the game, he is all business.
Coach Holloway in that business approach said
that it is not about tone of what is being said, it’s about understanding the
message that is being relayed to his players.
Holloway also noted that he has spent a
great deal of time with his squad that he not only wants them to succeed on the
floor but off the floor as well.
That appreciation and respect was as
mentioned on full display after the win over the Boilermakers when Coach Holloway
was being interviewed by CBS Sports’ Jamie Erdahl, his team surrounded him.
The players said according to a report
from ESPN’s national reporter Coley Harvey that Holloway’s players saw him
standing alone and they did not want him left out of the celebration.
Holloway said of that moment, “That’s who
we are and that’s what we do. We’re a tight knit family.”
That closeness was also on full display in
the loss versus North Carolina that brought their magical tournament ride to a
conclusion but earned them a high-level of respect from all those that watched
and to the campus and area they represented routed and stood by them from start
to finish.
ESPN “College Gameday” host and college
basketball analyst Seth Greenberg, who has 383 career wins as Division I head
coach called St. Peter’s run in the 2022 NCAA Tournament was “incredible.”
The two-time ACC Coach of the Year (2005,
2008) also said that this run by the Peacocks put every mid-major and low-major
athletic director walking around and asking why that they cannot duplicate what
St. Peter’s did.
“If Shaheen Holloway can do it, why can’t
we?” Greenberg asked adding, “It was so much fun watching how much their team
enjoyed and embraced the ride.”
From the historical perspective, No. 15
Seeds in the NCAA Tournament since field expanded in 1985 to 64 were 9-135 in
First-Round games. That the aforementioned squads of Oral Roberts last year and
Florida Gulf Coast reached the Sweet 16 but never got past it. In total from
1985-2021, No. 15 Seeds had .071 winning percentage in NCAA Tournament with a 11-144 record.
ESPN College Basketball analyst Jay Bilas
said that the magical runs that Oral Roberts had in 2021 NCAA Tournament is how
the likes of junior guard Max Abmas and redshirt junior Kevin Obanor.
Bilas added that we will “remember” St.
Peters and not just Coach Holloway but the players behind their magical run in
the 2022 NCAA Tournament like Edert, Banks III, and Matthew Lee.
“It’s not only historic, its unforgettable,”
Bilas said of the run St. Peter’s had this past NCAA Tournament and the run
Oral Roberts had the year before and what Florida Gulf Coast had in 2013.
ESPN College Basketball analyst LaPhonso Ellis,
who played for Notre Dame University from 1988-92 and 11 seasons in NBA
(1992-2003) for the Denver Nuggets and Atlanta Hawks said that St. Peter’s run
will be remembered for the “toughness and swag” they played with, especially
defensively because they were do undersized.
As much as America and those that cover
college basketball will remember this magical run made by St. Peter’s, the ones
that will remember this run the most are the students, faculty, and staff of
St. Peter’s University themselves.
St. Peter’s senior Chris Mongayo said to
WPIX 11’s Katie Corrado at a watch party on campus after the loss, “We came out
of nowhere. We beat the three Top 10 teams. We’re fine. We’re coming back next
year. It’s fine.”
Freshmen Aarushi Bhasin said to Corrado
that the Peacock’s Men’s basketball squad put their school “on the map.” That
no one knew who they were and now they are known now.
Eli Valme simply said to WBC 7’s Lucy Yang
after the loss, “We definitely made history. I’m proud of the boys for real. I’m
proud of our men.”
As for the future of St. Peter’s
basketball squad, it will have a different leader on their sidelines because
Coach Holloway accepted the opening as the men’s basketball coach at his alma
mater Seton Hall, where he still holds the school’s all-time assists mark; was
a standout student athlete and was inducted into the University Athletics’ Hall
of Fame in 2012.
“I always knew I wanted to coach. It kind
of happened sooner than I thought,” Coach Holloway said. “I had to take care of
my daughter, so, I stopped playing [basketball].”
“But I think it was always in me, you
know. I think when you’re a point guard, coaching is kind of in you.”
One person who is happy for Coach Holloway
and his new opportunity is Mayor Fulop who said that Holloway “should” get paid
and that if St. Peter’s could not pay what Seton Hall can, he should take the
job at SHU.
“We’re thankful for what he did to St.
Peter’s in Jersey City [NJ] and we wish him the best of luck,” Mayor Fulop told
WABC’s 7 “Eyewitness News’” Candace McCowan.
Whenever someone was asked before what a peacock was, many would say it is the symbol for National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Others might answer a bird with a spotted feathers that fold into a huge tail fan. We people ask about a peacock now, especially in Jersey City, NJ they can say it is the nickname for the small Division I catholic school in Jersey City called St. Peter’s University who went from unknown basketball program with not the best of amenities to magical run in the Elite 8 where they took out two storied programs in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in Kentucky Wildcats, the Big 10 Purdue Boilermakers and the Murray State Racers from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).
Information, statistics, and quotations courtesy of 3/25/2022 4:30 a.m. edition of WPIX 11 “ “PIX Morning News,” With Craig Treadway, Vanessa Freeman, Chris Cimino with Weather, Alex Lee with Traffic, with report from Katie Corrado; 3/25/2022 12 p.m. edition of WABC 7 “Eyewitness News at Noon” with David Navarro, Candace McCowan, Brittany Bell with weather, report from Derick Waller; 3/27/2022 11:35 p.m. edition of EABC 7 “Eyewitness News at 11” with Joe Torres, Sandra Bookman, Sam Ryan With Sports and Jeff Smith with Weather; with reports from weekday sports anchor Ryan Field and Lucy Yang; 3/27/2022 1 a.m. edition of ESPN’s “Sportscenter” from Los Angeles, CA with Ashley Brewer and Stan Verrett, with report from Coley Harvey; 3/31/2022 5 a.m. edition of “WABC 7 “Eyewitness News This Morning” With Ken Rosato, Shirleen Allicot, Brittnay Bell with Weather, Heather O’Rourke with Traffic; report from Candace McCowan; 4/1/2022 5 a.m. WABC 7 “Eyewitness News This Morning” With Ken Rosato, Shirleen Allicot, Heather O’Rourke with Traffic, and Brittnay Bell with Weather; with report from Chantee Lans; https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/mml-official-bracket/2022-04-01; https://saintpeterspeacocks.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster; https://www.tarheeltimes.com/rosterbasketball-2021.aspx; and https://oruathletics.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/2020-21.
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