A question-and-answer breakdown of Saint Peter’s stunning win over Kentucky with The Post’s Zach Braziller:
Q: How unlikely was the upset of Kentucky?
A: Saint Peter’s became just the 10th 15th-seed to defeat a No. 2 seed in NCAA Tournament history. Kentucky entered the game as a 17.5-point favorite. In terms of point spread, it was the fifth biggest upset since 1978. Kentucky was the sixth overall seed in the tournament and was considered a legitimate national championship contender.
It was the first NCAA Tournament win in four appearances for Saint Peter’s, which has an undergraduate enrollment of just 2,355 students.
Q: What is the makeup of Saint Peter’s roster?
A: It has a strong local feel of mostly under-recruited, two-star prospects who have excelled at the small Jersey City school. It is composed of two New Yorkers: Senior forward KC Ndefo from Elmont and freshman guard Jaylen Murray of The Bronx. Junior guard Doug Edert and senior forward Isiah Dasher hail from New Jersey, while international players Fousseyni and Hassan Drame and Oumar Diahame attended high schools in the area as well. Murray is the highest-rated recruit on the roster, rated as a three-star by 247Sports.com. He was ranked 302nd in the country in his class.
Q: What does this mean for coach Shaheen Holloway?
A: The Saint Peter’s coach was already a hot name, but he is now scalding. The 45-year-old Queens native, a former Seton Hall star and assistant coach, would be the heavy favorite at his alma mater if current coach Kevin Willard leaves for the job at Maryland, which is a possibility. Holloway also has been linked to the job opening at Massachusetts. This is his fourth season at Saint Peter’s. He owns a career record of 62-56 and a 44-32 mark in the MAAC.
Q: Where does this win rank locally?
A: Saint Peter’s is the first team from the area to defeat a No. 2 seed since Seton Hall, as a 10th-seed, upset Temple in the second round of the 2000 NCAA Tournament. Those Pirates are the last local team to reach the Sweet 16. The Peacocks are also the first team from the MAAC to win an NCAA Tournament game since ninth-seeded Siena defeated No. 8 Ohio State in the first round in 2009.
Q: How did Saint Peter’s qualify for the NCAA Tournament?
A: The Peacocks won the MAAC Tournament, landing the automatic bid. They were the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and knocked off fourth-seeded Monmouth, 60-54, in the title game in Atlantic City.
