How did Saint Peter’s surprise us all? Breaking down the March Madness underdog

Saint Peter’s is many issues at this very second after having pulled off one other monstrous upset within the NCAA event, knocking off No. 3 seed Purdue 67-64 Friday evening to advance to the Elite Eight.

It’s arguably the best March Insanity underdog of all time, turning into the primary No. 15 seed (or 13-16 seed) to play for a spot within the Closing 4.

It’s arguably the perfect underdog story in staff sports activities historical past — and we’ll be capable of make that declare extra firmly if the Peacocks take down a second blue blood on this event in No. 8 seed North Carolina, which edged previous UCLA 73-66 Friday evening.

Relying on what occurs Saturday evening within the Duke-Arkansas West regional remaining in San Francisco, Saint Peter’s very nicely may very well be the one factor standing in the way in which of an historic Duke-North Carolina matchup within the Closing 4 that ought to have felt preordained from the second Coach Okay introduced his retirement final summer season (the Blue Devils and Tar Heels have in some way by no means performed within the event).

After all, as tantalizing as Tobacco Highway planting itself in New Orleans subsequent week could also be to some, it could be nauseating to simply as many.

However Saint Peter’s — Saint Peter’s, the Jesuit college throughout the East River from Manhattan in Jersey Metropolis with 2,600 undergraduates! — could have a say. The Peacocks have confirmed they’ll beat this surging North Carolina staff, already having despatched residence No. 2 seed Kentucky, No. 7 seed Murray State and the Boilermakers.

Saint Peter’s was a 13-point underdog to Purdue, an especially aggressive Large Ten program which has not made a Closing 4 since 1980. And but the Peacocks, who performed in solely three NCAA tournaments till this one, are one sport away.

In a single event, they’ve gained extra video games in opposition to top-three seeds (two) than Gonzaga has in twenty years (one).

Right here’s how they’ve made historical past and the way they’ll hope to maintain their dream — what’s now America’s dream — alive: