Saint Peter's Coach Shaheen Holloway Says 'Purdue is a Great Team' Ahead of Sweet 16
PHILADELPHIA — After making it this far in the NCAA Tournament, a Sweet 16 matchup against Purdue basketball is just another game for Saint Peter's.
The Peacocks are looking to become the first No. 15 seed to ever make the Elite Eight after taking down Kentucky and Murray State in the first weekend of March Madness. Matt Painter and the Boilermakers are just the next set of obstacles.
If Saint Peter's wasn't affected by the national spotlight before Friday, the team won't be against Purdue come tipoff at the Wells Fargo Center.
"We don't feel any pressure," Saint Peter's junior guard Matthew Lee said. "We're just here to play basketball. It's something we've been doing our whole career. Even though there's a bigger stage, at the end of the day, it's just basketball."
There's mutual respect between the two programs. Purdue isn't concerned with the number next to their opponent's name, and Saint Peter's made it to this point by playing winning basketball.
It's put together a formula for coming out on top despite being the perennial underdog. That mindset hasn't wavered for the Peacocks, especially with having extra time to prepare for the Boilermakers before the second weekend of NCAA Tournament play.
"Purdue is a great team. Very well-coached. Great players. It's hard, you've got to pick and choose your poison," Saint Peter's head coach Shaheen Holloway said. "They've got two very good big guys down low, they've got great guards. You've got to do what you do, make some adjustments, some tweaks without trying to give up too much.
"But just guard them and play basketball. Do what we've been doing the whole year. We think we have a good scouting report in place for them."
Now in the postseason, Holloway said that Saint Peter's is playing with more confidence. It's a team that started the season 12-11 before a nine-game winning streak propelled it through the Metra Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament without a blemish.
The league tournament victory is what punched the Peacock's ticket into March Madness. The mid-major program from Jersey City, New Jersey, has stood up to college basketball powerhouse Kentucky and a Murray State group that boasted a 21-game winning streak before being knocked out in the second round.
For them, the Boilermakers are no different. Just another team to gameplan for, step onto the court with and compete against. Both teams are eyeing the same destination, but only one can move on.
"There's no pressure at all. I think that there's nothing to be scared of, there's nothing really that's different now," Saint Peter's junior guard Doug Edert said. "We've been playing basketball this whole season, we had our ups and downs. We're just going to look forward to keep executing the game plan and just keep doing what we've been doing."
Saint Peter's has shown it won't back down from anyone, including Purdue, and that's the main reason why the program has made it this far.
"It's just basketball, you know? I don't think you should go into any game being intimidated by anybody," Saint Peter's senior forward KC Ndefo said. "As a person yourself, I don't think you should be intimidated by anything. We're just trying to execute the game plan. Go into it with the same mindset of beating these guys. Just taking it one step at a time."
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- PHOTO GALLERY: The Purdue Boilermakers have arrived safely in Philadelphia and spent some of Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center, the site of this weekend's NCAA Tournament East Regional. Purdue plays Friday night against No. 15 seed Saint Peter's, the Cinderella of the tournament. Here's our photo gallery from practice and their media session. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE MEETS SAINT PETER'S IN SWEET 16: Purdue basketball is preparing for its Sweet 16 matchup with Saint Peter's on Friday. The Peacocks are looking to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight, but the Boilermakers stand in their way. CLICK HERE
- 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 IN NCAA TOURNAMENT: 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 TO KNOW ABOUT 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
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