The magic ride came to a sudden and disappointing end Sunday in Philadelphia. After a stirring run to the Elite Eight, Saint Peter’s was sent home by North Carolina, ending the longest March run by a 15th seed in NCAA Tournament history. A lot of unanswered questions face the Peacocks now. The Post’s Zach Braziller provides some answers:
Q: Will Saint Peter’s have a new coach next year?
A: Almost certainly. Shaheen Holloway, who emerged as a big star during this run for his inspirational messages during press conferences and sharp in-game coaching, is expected to take over at Seton Hall, where he was a star player and assistant coach under former coach Kevin Willard. The Big East school hasn’t spoken to any other candidates since Willard left for Maryland a week ago, and can offer Holloway a mammoth raise. It’s about when, not if.
Q: Who will replace Holloway?
A: The smart move would be to elevate top assistant Ryan Whalen, who has been with Holloway since he took the job in 2018 and helped him build this team. Rutgers assistant Brandin Knight and Seton Hall assistant Grant Billmeier are also expected to be candidates.
Q: Can the new coach keep this core together?
A: In the era of the transfer portal, when players don’t have to sit out the first time they switch schools and tampering has become routine, it won’t be easy. Whalen would have the best chance at keeping this team intact. He recruited many of the players and is a respected figure, sources said. Guards Matthew Lee, Doug Edert and Daryl Banks III are very close. If one leaves, the others could follow. The star, KC Ndefo, entered the portal last year and ended up returning. After seeing how well he performed this March, a lot of bigger schools who passed on him — including a few locally — had to be kicking themselves.
Q: How will this run impact the program overall?
A: There’s no question it will help. It put Saint Peter’s on the map. Whenever a low seed pulls off a big upset, the Peacocks’ run will be recited. Whoever is the coach can use this March’s run as a recruiting pitch. Even before this team won the MAAC Tournament and upset Kentucky, it was headed in the right direction. It had put together three consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 2004-06 and played in the renovated Run Baby Run Arena. The last two weeks only added to that.
Q: What can we expect out of Saint Peter’s next season?
A: There are a lot of question marks, from who is hired to replace Holloway to which players return. But on paper, Saint Peter’s can be very good. All 10 contributors have eligibility left and 6-foot-10 forward Jerry Ngopot could help after sitting out the season as a redshirt. If the Peacocks return a majority of the roster, they could make the tournament again next year. They would at least be the MAAC favorite entering the season.