March Madness: Best mid-major NCAA Tournament moments of the past decade

Saint Peter’s (2022)

Yes, 15’s beating 2’s does seem to be happening with more frequency. A 15 beating a 2, then pulling off two more substantial upsets to make into the Elite 8? That had never happened before. Until last March.

Shaheen Holloway’s Saint Peter’s Peacocks weren’t even expected to be playing in the NCAA Tournament. The Peacocks compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, and the MAAC Tournament had become the Rick Pitino invitational ever since he took the Iona job.

Iona was a heavy favorite headed into last season’s MAAC Tournament, but the Gaels were stunned by Rider in the quarterfinals. This opened the door for a new MAAC team to get into the Big Dance and make some noise.  The Peacocks took the opportunity and flew with it.

With a hard-nosed, fearless approach to the game the Peacocks became college basketball’s darlings for a two-week stretch last spring. Saint Peter’s got a brutal opening draw, faced with a Kentucky Wildcats group that many were expecting to be prime favorites to go all the way and win a National Championship.

What ensued was a classic NCAA Tournament game, with both teams hitting some ridiculous shots towards the end of regulation to push the game into overtime. The Peacocks shockingly took control of the game throughout the extra five minutes and wound up securing a shocking 85-79 victory over one of college basketball’s ultimate bluebloods.

Saint Peters’ dazzling run was extended into the second weekend after the Peacocks came away with narrow upsets over Murray State in the Round of 32. The Peacocks then became the first 15-seed to ever make it into the Elite 8 after they stunned Purdue 67-64 in the Sweet 16.

Shaheen Holloway parlayed this magical run into the job at his alma mater, Seton Hall. Multiple other Peacocks entered the transfer portal, but what this group did during the 2022 NCAA Tournament will never be forgotten.