With 2022 run still top of mind, Saint Peter's men's basketball team ready to slay more giants at NCAA tournament
JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- The Saint Peter's University men's basketball team is headed back to the NCAA tournament, hoping to recreate the Cinderella story from two years ago.
CBS New York was on hand for its sendoff on Tuesday.
On the tiny Jersey City campus, something big could be brewing. Fans and students gathered to wish the team well as it heads off to Charlotte, North Carolina, for the first round of the Big Dance.
Players said they know that in March, anything can happen.
"It feels like a dream, honestly. It's something I used to watch on TV when I was little, and finally being a part of that is special," sophomore forward Corey Washington said.
The 15th-seeded Peacocks will be massive underdogs against No. 2 Tennessee on Thursday night. But, for the players, that's nothing new.
"We never thought we would get here. Now that we're here, we're going to show the world why we're here," guard Armoni Zeigler said.
Asked if he's okay with being the underdog, guard Latrell Reid said, "I'm okay with it, fine with it. I got nothing to lose."
Reid was part of the team that had the magical March Madness run to the Elite 8 in 2022, also as a 15 seed.
"Cinderella" and "David and Goliath" metaphors abound. This is looking to rekindle that magic from two years ago.
"It's a big challenge ahead. We want to continue the story. That's the goal and that's the plan," Reid said.
Students said there's a buzz on campus once again. Sophomore soccer player Emma Lopes was in high school the last time the Peacocks went dancing.
"We'd be like, 'Oh, where are you going?' We'd say like, 'Oh, Saint Peter's.' They're like, "THE Saint Peter's?' I'm like, " Yeah, that one.' So I'm definitely hoping for another run like that. It's really cool," Lopes said.
The past is great, but this team is looking at the future and chasing its own history.
The first-round matchup will be a family affair for Saint Peter's. Zeigler has a brother who plays for Tennessee. They're from Long Island and played high school ball in the Bronx.