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

If there is a better moment in sports to jump on a bandwagon than March Madness, we haven't found it. And in the history of the NCAA tournament, never has a more unsuspecting team than Saint Peter's become the newfound love of basketball fans.

All hail the Peacocks.

After upsetting the No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats and No. 7 Murray State Racers on the first weekend of the 2022 men's tourney, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champions weren't finished yet. Saint Peter's shocked the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers 67-64, becoming the first No. 15 seed to ever advance past the Sweet 16.

Purdue star Jaden Ivey—mere seconds removed from a clutch three—launched a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer, but it clanged off the front of the rim. Purdue's heartbreaking loss simultaneously sealed one of March Madness' most iconic games.

All hail the Peacocks.

This isn't a moment for revisionist history.

Rick Pitino-led Iona looked like the class of the MAAC, finishing 17-3 in conference play and carrying a 25-6 record into the league tournament. During the regular season, the Peacocks fell to Iona by eight and nine points. Iona, for valid reasons, found itself on many potential Cinderella lists.

However, the Gaels immediately fell to Rider in the MAAC tournament. Saint Peter's took full advantage of the upset, downing Fairfield, Quinnipiac and Monmouth to secure the automatic NCAA bid.

And still, we didn't expect Kentucky to let the Peacocks fly. You probably didn't, either.

Sure, they brought a sound, pesky defense to the Big Dance. Well-below-average offensive efficiency kept Shaheen Holloway's squad off the radar, though. Saint Peter's even entered the Sweet 16 ranked 238th in offensive rating and 263rd nationally in effective field-goal percentage.

Through the regular season, the Peacocks held an 0-4 record against Quadrant 1 and 2 opponents. There was nothing to convince us they were capable of doing exactly what they've done.

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

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

Love them for making history.

Florida-Gulf Coast (2013) and Oral Roberts (2021) both reached the Sweet 16, but neither one cracked the Elite Eight. Nerds like me will always remember the night Saint Peter's shattered the ceiling.

Love them for the narrative.

Holloway, the fourth-year head coach, is a local product who's guided this school of 2,355 undergrads to the Elite Eight. Not since 2000 had a New Jersey program made the Sweet 16; Holloway was an All-Big East player on that Seton Hall roster.

Junior guard Doug Edert, the mustachioed man, has parlayed his sudden fame into an endorsement from Buffalo Wild Wings. The name, image and likeness frenzy was created for players like him.

Love them for the chaos.

Among the handful of major upsets in 2022, Saint Peter's has unquestionably provided the biggest ones. Your bracket—in all likelihood—was busted the night before the Peacocks took the floor against Purdue. What's another X on the sheet anyway?

Buy in. Proudly be a part of the merchandise rush and flaunt that new Peacocks gear. Dive headfirst into this abrupt championship hype. Sure, it's incredibly unlikely to happen, but they weren't supposed to stick around this long, either.

Love them for any combination of reasons you'd like; just embrace the driving force of leaping aboard this bandwagon.

All hail the Peacocks.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.