Saint Peter's Upsets Purdue; All Hail March Madness' Ultimate Bandwagon Team

March Madness is the best time to jump on a bandwagon in sports. In the history of the NCAA tournament, never has a team been more hidden than Saint Peter's.

All hail the Peacocks.

The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference won the men's tourney after upsetting Kentucky and Murray State. Saint Peter's became the first No. 15 seed to advance past the Sweet 16.

Jaden Ivey's potential game-tying shot at the buzzer clanged off the front of the rim. One of the most famous games of March Madness was sealed by the heartbreaking loss of Purdue.

All hail the Peacocks.

This is not a time for revisionist history.

Iona looked like the class of the MAAC, finishing 17-3 in conference play and carrying a 25-6 record into the league tournament. The Peacocks lost to Iona by eight and nine points. Iona was on many potential Cinderella lists.

Rider defeated the Gaels in the MAAC tournament. Saint Peter's took full advantage of the upset, downing three other teams to get the automatic NCAA bid.

We did not expect Kentucky to allow the Peacocks to fly. You probably did as well.

They brought a defense to the Big Dance. The offensive efficiency of the squad kept them off the radar. The Sweet 16 of Saint Peter's was ranked 238th in offensive rating and 263rd in effective field- goal percentage.

The Peacocks had a 0-4 record against Quadrant 1 and 2 opponents. There was no evidence that they were capable of doing what they have done.

That is the reason to pile onto the bandwagon, one that cannot possibly become too full.

They made history.

Neither Florida-Gulf Coast nor Oral Roberts made it to the Elite Eight. Nerds like me will always remember the night Saint Peter shattered the ceiling.

They are great for the narrative.

The fourth-year head coach is a local product who has guided this school of 2,355 undergrads to the Elite Eight. Not since 2000 has a New Jersey program made the Sweet 16.

Doug Edert, the mustachioed guard, has been endorsed by Buffalo Wild Wings. The name, image and likeness frenzy was created for players like him.

Love them for the chaos.

Saint Peter's has provided the biggest upsets of the year. The night before the Peacocks took the floor against Purdue, your brackets were probably busted. What is another X on the sheet?

Buy in. Be a part of the merchandise rush and show off the new Peacocks gear. This championship hype is sudden. They weren't supposed to stay around this long.

Just embrace the driving force of leaping aboard this bandwagon and love them for any combination of reasons you want.

All hail the Peacocks.

The writer of Bleacher Report, David Kenyon, can be followed on the social networking site.