UNC Basketball: What to expect from St. Peter’s in Elite Eight matchup

What should the UNC basketball program expect from St. Peter’s in their Elite Eight battle on Sunday night?

After being doubted for the majority of the 2021-2022 college basketball season, the UNC basketball program is just one win away from making their first Final Four appearance since 2017.

As much as the Tar Heels have been doubted, their Elite Eight opponent has defied the odds even more.

St. Peter’s, a private university in Jersey City, New Jersey, has been the storyline of the NCAA Tournament. Coming in as a No. 15 seed, the Peacocks have pulled off upset after upset, defeating No. 2 seed Kentucky, No. 7 seed Murray State, and No. 3 seed Purdue along their journey.

Most people said the Kentucky win was a fluke.

Then, the Murray State win made people start paying attention.

Their most recent upset over Purdue simply showed the world that this run was not accidental.

In order to become the lowest seed ever to make the Final Four, Shaheen Holloway and his team will have to beat another blue-blood program in the form of North Carolina.

Two teams that no one expected to be here batting for what will be the last spot in this year’s Final Four?

Sign me up!

As we prepare for Sunday night’s tip-off at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, what should the Tar Heels expect from their MAAC opponent?

For starters, prior to the tournament, not many people knew much about the Peacocks as a whole (unless you actually attend the school or are a fan of MAAC basketball in general). However, the likes of Daryl Banks III, Clarence Rupert, and Doug Edert have made themselves into brand names, as they have provided some major contributions to help St. Peter’s get to this point.

Holloway and his team rely on applying pressure throughout most of the game. Expect to see a ton of on-ball pressure, especially while the likes of R.J. Davis and Caleb Love are bringing the ball down.

It will be important that the Tar Heels protect the basketball and don’t make careless mistakes. Those types of mishaps will give St. Peter’s an advantage.

St. Peter’s also utilizes their depth very well, as they typically run a 10-man rotation with all players seeing significant minutes (10+ a contest). This bodes well with their ball pressure strategy, as Holloway mixes and matches in order to keep fresh bodies on the floor.

In order to win this game, North Carolina will have to take advantage of its size. It is vital that Armando Bacot gets going early and often, as he will have a major impact on which direction this game heads.

Most likely, Rupert will be matched up against Bacot, as the freshman forward has done a tremendous job over the last three games. In their opening-round game, Rupert had to deal with  Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky, the National Player of the Year. In their most recent win over Purdue, the freshman had to deal with both Zach Edey and Trevion Williams.

From what we’ve seen, don’t expect Rupert to shy away from the challenge of slowing down Bacot.

If the Tar Heels can get Rupert into foul trouble early, that would be a huge advantage on their end. They will also need Bacot to remain on the floor, as foul trouble of his own could be costly.

The matchup that is the one to watch comes at the other forward spot, as Brady Manek and KC Ndefo will likely be battling against each other.

Ndefo is a guy who can do it all. He is an above-average shot blocker, has shown the ability to pass the basketball at a high level, and is very capable of scoring around the basket.

On the other hand, Manek, as we already know, is a lethal shooter. His ability to stretch the floor is crucial for the Tar Heels’ offensive attack.

North Carolina needs Manek to thrive from deep, as his offensive presence should draw Ndefo away from the basket. This will help the Tar Heels guards drive to the basketball and create some open opportunities.

This is a game that could be easily overlooked by North Carolina. With Duke winning last night, it’s logical to think that everyone has their sights set on Duke/UNC round 3.

However, the Tar Heels need to continue taking things one game at a time. They need to take care of business here first before even thinking about a potential Final Four battle with their biggest rival.

Needless to say, St. Peter’s will give North Carolina everything they’ve got. The question remains: can the Tar Heels be the one to end their Cinderella story?

Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC basketball news, views, and recruiting updates, as well as everything March Madness.