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Saint Peter’s has become the darling of this year’s NCAA Tournament after two stunning upsets to advance to its first Sweet 16.
Former Giants quarterback Eli Manning said he’s been on the Peacocks bandwagon for years, though.
Manning took to Twitter on Thursday to share a photo of himself repping a navy blue Saint Peter’s T-shirt. He was pictured standing in front of a toy basketball hoop, holding a basketball in his right hand.
“What? I have been cheering for Saint Peter’s for years,” Manning tweeted. “They are my local New Jersey basketball team. Go Peacocks!!”
The two-time Super Bowl champion spent his entire 16-season NFL career with the Giants, having played home games at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey — which is about seven miles away from Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City.
The underdog Peacocks have become the Cinderella story of March Madness.
Saint Peter’s, a No. 15 seed, had the biggest upset of this year’s tournament when it beat No. 2 seed Kentucky, 85-79, in the first round. Then the Peacocks knocked off No. 7 seed Murray State, 70-60, to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. Next up is No. 3 seed Purdue on Friday night.
All eyes have also been on Peacocks coach Shaheen Holloway, a Queens native and former Seton Hall star, whose motto throughout the tournament has been that his team fears no one.
“I’ve got guys from New Jersey and New York City,” Holloway said after Saint Peter’s topped Murray State last Saturday. “You think we’re scared of anything?”
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