2022 NCAA Tournament Elite 8: Saint Peter’s vs. North Carolina
How to Watch:
- Date: Sunday, March 26
- Time: After No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 10 Miami (tip-off at 2:20 p.m. ET)
- Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
- TV: CBS
- Live Stream: NCAA.com
Tale of the Tape:
| No. 15 Saint Peter’s | STAT | No. 8 UNC |
| MAAC | Conference | ACC |
| 22-11 | Record | 26-9 |
| 66.9 (332nd) | Points Per Game | 77.5 (40th) |
| 61.8 | Points Allowed Per Game | 71.7 |
| 0.5471 (85th) | RPI | 0.593 (35th) |
| 212th | Strength of Schedule | 54th |
| Automatic Bid | Bid | At-Large Bid |
Can’t Miss Offer From Caesars
Saint Peter’s leaders:
- Daryl Banks III, G, JR: 11.7 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.5 APG, 1.1 SPG
- KC Ndefo, F, SR: 10.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 2.7 BPG
North Carolina leaders:
- Armando Bacot, F, JR: 16.4 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 58.9% FG
- Caleb Love, G, SO: 15.6 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.1 SPG
Elite 8 Odds, Lines, and Past Performance:
- ATS Record: SPU 19-9-1, UNC 16-16-1
- Over/Under Record: SPU 11-18, UNC 19-13-1
The Pick
- This has been pointed out on this site multiple times, but Cinderella Saint Peter’s has been the best team in the NCAA Tournament against the spread this season. How long can they keep it up?
- The Peacocks’ defense has been its backbone throughout this run. They rank 28th in the nation by KenPom’s metrics thanks to a stout interior defense that has opponents shooting just 35.8% in the paint. They’re not a big team, either, which makes it all the more remarkable. That is, to everyone except Saint Peter’s head coach Shaheen Holloway and his now-famous quote: “I’ve got guys from New Jersey and New York City. You think we’re scared of anything?”
- To cancel that out, North Carolina will look to keep with its frenetic offensive attack while remaining wary of the Saint Peter’s interior defense. They rank 38th in adjusted tempo and 54th in the nation in three-point percentage at 36.2%.
For more 2022 NCAA Tournament coverage, visit TailgateSports.com
