In a shocking 85-79 win over Kentucky, Saint Peter's got the lead late in overtime on a layup by Drame. (0:28)
The 15th-seeded Saint Peter's Peacocks shocked the March Madness world in the first truly shocking upset of the tournament, ousting the Kentucky Wildcats in overtime in Indianapolis.
37 of the 54 people on the panel had Kentucky reaching the Final Four, with a selection of them picking the program to win its ninth national title. The absence of one of the perennial blue bloods in the NCAA tournament in the year 2022, will throw into question what is perceived to be a wide-open East Regionbracket and cause an off-season of major questions for head coach John Calipari and his program.
With the historic loss now in the books, the team of Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway and Joe Lunardi reflected on the reasons for and meaning of the Kentucky loss, projecting how far the Peacocks can go. You can check your March Madness brackets by following this link.
The battle was on the perimeter. Kentucky's guards offered very little offense, with Ty Ty Washington Jr. shooting 2-for-10, Kellan Grady being 1-for-9, and the decision to go zone at key times preventing them. The offense was too focused on throwing the ball to Oscar to create his own offense in the low post, and he was not at his best trying to create his own offense in the low post. Kentucky shot 4-for-15 from 3. Saint Peter's made nine 3-pointers and shot 53% from behind the line. Doug Edert and Daryl Banks III played with a lot of confidence and were able to get shots off.
Kentucky had plenty of chances to win, but the nail in the coffin was free-throw shooting in overtime. After getting out to a four-point lead in the opening minutes, the Cats failed to extend their lead in the extra period, shooting 1-for-6 from the stripe. Saint Peter's made nine of its 21 free-throw attempts in overtime.
This is the top shocking upset. Kentucky head coach John Calipari was perfect in the round of 64. In the round of 32 in 2004, the Cats lost to UAB as a top seed. The Christian Laettner shot that propelled Duke over UK in the 1992 Elite Eight is legendary, but losing to a No. 1 seed is not the same as falling to a 15 seed. Kentucky fans have stories of heartbreak, but the Cats have performed well in relation to their seeding in the past. Losing to the Peacocks has to be considered one of the worst NCAA tournament upsets.
Woah. I never thought we would have to think about this after the first round. I would call the school if I knew that UCLA and Purdue felt confident about their chances of reaching the Final Four. The sleepers in this region are more interesting now. The Murray State-San Francisco winner can be counted on.
Pick the winner of the games in the NCAA tournament from the Sweet 16 to the championship. The tournament challenge had a second chance.
Kentucky was different. It had the most dominant force in the sport and it had the Wooden Award winner in the paint. Kentucky was an offensive-rebounding monster that could turn those second chances into key opportunities for the SEC's most efficient offense. I think the rest of the region is full of flawed teams, so I think the Bears have a better chance of making a return trip to the Final Four. By a lot, I think.
They need an opponent from the Murray State-San Francisco portion of the East brackets. That is tomorrow's story. Saint Peter's is looking to become the third No. 15 to ever reach the Sweet 16.
Why not? Is the Peacocks any more of a threat than Oral Roberts? ORU did the same trick last year. The Golden Eagles had to defeat Florida. The Peacocks will not be facing a team that overwhelms them physically, and they will not be afraid after going toe-to-toe with a much stronger 2-seed than ORU did with Ohio State.
I would give Saint Peter's at least one chance to advance. If San Francisco is the opponent, maybe one chance in three depending on the status of Yauhen Massalski.
With the extra year of eligibility due to COVID, it is almost impossible to tell what teams will look like in a month. Washington is a likely lottery pick and Tshiebwe will be drafted if he leaves this season. They are gone as well because they are seniors. The big question is if Shaedon Sharpe, arguably the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2022, will enroll at the University of Kentucky after graduating early. He would be a top 10 pick if he left. A lineup without Sharpe would include returning starters Wheeler, Keion Brooks Jr., Chris Livingston, Jacob Toppin, and Daimion Collins. At least two or three players will be reloaded by Calipari and he will make another run.
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