NCAA Basketball: Reflecting on the upsets from 2022 NCAA Tournament

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 19: KC Ndefo #11 of the St. Peter's Peacocks celebrates with teammates after defeating the Murray State Racers 70-60 in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 19, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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Saint Peter’s Doug Edert Ncaa Basketball Ncaa Tournament Saint Peter S Vs Purdue In Sweet 16 Saint Peter S At Purdue /

First Round

Saint Peter’s over Kentucky

Very few people penciled in Saint Peter’s defeating Kentucky in their bracket, even less did so seriously and those that did were still surprised when the Peacocks defeated the Wildcats 85-79 in overtime. Should we have seen this upset coming though? Prior to facing Kentucky the Peacocks’ best victory was in the MAAC Championship game when they defeated Monmouth, who was possibly a top 150 team.

On the season Saint Peter’s averaged 67 points per game but showed signs of scoring prowess. The Peacocks scored 83 versus Quinnipiac and 77 points versus Manhattan, but those are two teams that would not be considered in the conversation of top 200 schools.

One thing everybody should have known was that the Peacocks were going to get to the free-throw line. Teams who get to the free-throw line a lot have a host of positive by-products. As a top 50 team in free-throw attempts, the Peacocks were able to attempt 21 uncontested points. Granted the Peacocks connected on an unimpressive 70 percent of their free throws on the season, but while shooting 70 percent still accumulated 10 or more points from the free-throw line in all but two games.

To provide more evidence, the Peacocks made twenty free throws or more in seven games and almost made it eight games by going 18 for 21 versus Kentucky. When it comes to the 23-35 Kentucky shot in the loss, it does not come as a huge surprise. The Wildcats failed to attempt double-digit free throws six times this season and failed to connect on ten in a game nine times. We should have seen this coming.

Another glaring red flag was the fact that Kentucky averaged 11 missed three-pointers per game, the exact amount that they missed when they went 4-15 versus Saint Peter’s. The Wildcats, however, averaged six made three-pointers, two more makes from behind the arc would have prevented overtime. Leading up to the first round of the NCAA Tournament the Wildcats connected below their average in five of the last six games.

Saint Peter’s – who did not crack the top 100 in three-point percentage – made 9 of 17 versus Kentucky, an effort that extended their streak to three consecutive games of surpassing their average.

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