NCAA Tournament 2022: 5 biggest storylines from 1st weekend games
By Bryan Mauro
Saint Peter’s
The Peacocks have turned into the tournament darling as they are heading to the sweet 16. They are heading to the sweet 16 from the 15 seed line and become only the third 15 seed to ever make a sweet 16 since the tournament expanded to 64 teams. However, Saint Peter’s is the third 15 seed to make the sweet 16 since 2013. The Peacocks join Florida Gulf Coast in 2013 and Oral Roberts in 2021. Saint Peter’s likely has the best win of all those teams as they beat Kentucky, who was very close to being a one seed.
The Peacocks hail from the MAAC conference, which is typically a one-bid league, and the league almost always receives anywhere from a 14-16 seed in the tournament. The Peacocks are the first MAAC school to ever qualify for the Sweet 16, as the conference had only won seven games in the NCAA tournament prior to this run by Saint Peter’s.
The MAAC is always known for its tough play and given that the schools are in the New Jersey and New York area it makes sense. The Peacocks are gritty and tough and play just as you would expect them to from Jersey City, NJ. The team also reflects their coach perfectly.
Shaheen Holloway was a star at Seton Hall and was one of the young and upcoming coaches in the game before this tournament run. This run has made his name a very hot commodity on the coaching market and a power five job is all but assured, and likely at his alma mater.
If this will be your first time watching Saint Peter’s here is what to expect. Expect a team that is going to play hard and is going to play great defense. The Peacocks have one of the nation’s leaders in blocks in center KC Ndefo. Ndefo doesn’t score more but he protects the rim and rebounds, he is a huge asset to their team.
They also have three guards who take and make a ton of threes. Daryl Banks and Doug Edert are both on fire from deep in the tournament. Matthew Lee is the point guard who is setting up his teammates perfectly and making the perfect passes without turning the ball over. T
he Peacocks still being alive in the tournament is what makes this tournament great, it is the only college sport that legitimately gives every team a chance to cut down the nets. Enjoy it Peacocks, this has been a fun run.