'They're Riding That Wave': Purdue Meets Cinderella Team Saint Peter's in Sweet 16
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Saint Peter's men's basketball program has been the feel-good story of this year's NCAA Tournament. The Peacocks are a Cinderella team, advancing to the Sweet 16 as a No. 15 seed in the East Regional.
But it wasn't accomplished by some mistake. They're playing at a high level, enough to take down the likes of Kentucky and Murray State in the first weekend of March Madness.
Purdue is next up, and the two programs will tip off Friday night for a chance to move on to the Elite Eight.
"I think anytime you have somebody that's played at a very high level, they're riding that wave," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "They played well against Kentucky, they played well against Murray State, they've won nine straight games. So I think that's the challenge, it's just playing a good basketball team that's playing their best basketball of the year."
The Boilermakers know better than to take any opponent lightly, especially after last season's first-round exit in the first round at the hands of North Texas.
The 78-69 overtime loss still lingers in the back of the players' heads, and the mantra this postseason has been to give every team the respect they deserve. The Peacocks have made it this far by winning. Plain and simple.
"We look at them just as another team in the Sweet 16. Simply because just like we beat people to get here, they had to beat two people as well," Purdue senior guard Eric Hunter Jr. said. "They beat two really good teams in Murray State and Kentucky. I think just those two names alone, they've had great success in the tournament.
"And just in their season, especially this year, to be able to beat two teams like that you gotta be a great team."
After the first weekend of March Madness, Purdue basketball returned to West Lafayette with ample time for practice and self-reflection in preparation for Saint Peter's.
The first two rounds were hectic, especially in the East Region. The Boilermakers are the highest remaining seed in the group after No. 2 seed Kentucky fell round one, followed by No. 1 seed Baylor in the second round.
Now, the team gets to take a step back and analyze its victories over Yale and Texas while diving into the film on its upcoming opponent.
"We got a nice little deep breath," Hunter said. "We took a day off after the long weekend. Then we got into some film with Saint Peter's. They're a good team, they play hard."
The Peacocks are a gritty, hard-nosed team with a deep rotation. During their season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, they were the top defensive team in the league.
And that physical play has transferred to the NCAA Tournament. Saint Peter's held Kentucky to just 42.6% from the field while notching four steals and four blocks. But the team was also efficient on the offensive side of the court.
The Peacocks knocked down nine of their 17 shots from the 3-point line in an 85-79 overtime victory.
Murray State also struggled to score consistently against the stout defense of Saint Peter's, hitting on just 34.6% of its field goal attempts. As a result, in the battle of mid-major programs, it was the Peacocks who came away with a 70-60 win.
"What stands out is the aggressiveness," Painter said. "I think they're very aggressive on the basketball, they take things away and try to knock you out in the post. But they have interchangeable parts. So they have a lot of those kinds of hybrid forwards that can play the 3 and the 4, that are long, that will block your shot, that will contest high. They're just all over the place."
Every year, the NCAA Tournament puts the spotlight on teams that are oftentimes overlooked. The Peacocks have relished in the opportunity and continue to push forward with the hopes of becoming the first-ever No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight.
Purdue recognizes what its opponent has accomplished to this point, and with national title hopes still surrounding the program, it will prepare for the best Saint Peter's has to offer.
"They didn't really have all that hype going into the season, obviously, like a lot of teams in this tournament," Purdue sophomore center Zach Edey said. "So I think they have a chip on their shoulder. They really take pride defending the basketball, they really swarm the ball on defense and make it tough to get good looks, even though they might not have that talent level that a lot of teams do."
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- PURDUE HEAVY FAVORITE OVER SAINT PETER'S: The biggest favorite in the regional semifinals is No. 3 seed Purdue, who's taking on the Cinderella in the Big Dance, the Saint Peter's Peacocks. Here's the opening point spread, and some amazing data on Saint Peter's and their best-in-the-nation performance vs. the number this season. They are on a real heater. CLICK HERE
- HISTORY OF NO. 15 SEEDS: For only the third time in NCAA Tournament history, a No. 15 seed has advanced to the regional semifinals. Saint Peter's, a tiny Jesuit school in Jersey City, N.J., knocked off blueblood Kentucky and 31-win Murray State last week, and now have a date with Purdue on Friday in Philadelphia. Cinderella stories are cute, but they don't usually last long. A No. 15 seed has never won a game in the second week of the tourney. CLICK HERE
- 4 THINGS ON SAINT PETER'S: Here are four newsy nuggets about Saint Peter's, Purdue's opponent on Friday night in NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals in Philadelphia. CLICK HERE
- MORTON STEPS UP: Purdue sophomore guard Ethan Morton scored a season-high eight points for Purdue in an 81-71 victory over Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He finished the game with a plus/minus rating of 18, the most on the team, having his best game at the most important time. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE TRIUMPHS OVER TEXAS: Purdue made 33 of its 46 free throws during its NCAA Tournament win against Texas to advance to the Sweet 16. Trevion Williams recorded a team-high 22 points while Jaden Ivey scored 15 in the second half. CLICK HERE
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D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.