Last night, I had the privilege of attending the St. Peters vs Purdue Sweet 16 Game, where the Peacocks became the first 15 seed in NCAA Tournament History to reach the Elite 8. They did so behind yet another all-in effort from the crew. It’s not just one or two guys going off in these games: they get contributions from everyone on the roster, as all but one Peacock scored last night against a team that was ranked top-10 all season long. Oftentimes, when you see a cinderella team have an impressive first weekend, they’ll cool off after a few days rest, but that was not the case here. The longer they held the game close, the more the crowd started to believe. Chants of “Let’s Go Peacocks” echoed throughout Wells Fargo Center, home of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Anticipation filled the air as Purdue leader and future NBA lottery pick Jayden Ivey got a good look at a potential game-tying three point at the buzzer, but it didn’t fall, and with it, the Peacocks now shift their attention to another top-tier program, the North Carolina Tar Heels, in a Sunday showdown in Philadelphia.
While this game is the largest spread in the Elite 8, in favor of North Carolina, it appears that Saint Peters is finally getting respect, and its become very apparent that this team genuinely has a pretty decent shot at making the Final Four. They’ve taken out the #2, #3, and #7 seeds in the region, and now they get their lowest seed thus far, as UNC is a #8 seed. Now I get it, UNC isn’t your typically 8 seed: They’ve been on fire down the stretch themselves, and in a sense, this is a game of two teams that have been doubted and counted out since the beginning, and I think it’s great that one of them is guaranteed to make the Final Four.
So, how far can St Peters actually go? My attention shifts to the Final Four. Even as a UNC fan myself, I believe the Elite 8 Game is gonna be a close one. St Peters has proven they can win a game like this. Purdue’s size gave me pause last night, but the Peacocks overcame that. Purdue is bigger than North Carolina. There won’t be an issue there. St Peters is going to have to continue to slow the game down, and limit the number of possessions. It’s been their winning formula, and they’re gonna stick with it Sunday.
If they get past North Carolina, they would play either Arkansas or Duke. I feel that Arkansas would be a very winnable game, but Duke concerns me with the way they’re playing right now. There might be a little bit too much firepower on that Duke roster to contend with. If Arkansas beats Duke, I think St Peters can make the wait for it…. Yes… the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
At that point, they would most likely be matched up with either Kansas, Villanova, or Houston. Much respect to Jim Laranaga and the Miami Hurricanes: it’s been an incredible run, they’ve knocked off a 2 seed of their own, but I just don’t see them beating Kansas. They were pretty fortunate to draw Iowa State in the sweet 16, and I think their luck runs out tomorrow. So, can St Peters beat any of those other 3 teams? While I feel that they could hang with any of them, I like their chance the most against Houston. Sure, they’re playing out of their minds right now, but I still see this as their most favorable matchup.
The road for Saint Peters COULD be UNC, Arkansas, and Houston. They’ve already knocked off Kentucky, Murray State, and Purdue. There’s a CHANCE that the Peacocks have already played their toughest opponents. Realistically, the Saint Peters Peacocks COULD become the 2022 National Champions. 24 hours ago, I would’ve said impossible. Now that they’ve topped Purdue, there is a viable path to and through the Final Four, for the Saint Peters Peacocks.