The first ever 8 seed vs. a 15 seed matchup in the NCAA Tournament (men’s basketball) is set to take place. It’s David vs. Goliath, with a ticket to the Final Four on the line: 15-seed Saint Peter’s vs. 8-seed North Carolina.
It’s been a magical stretch for first-year head coach Hubert Davis and UNC. Since the calendar flipped to Jan. 24, the Tar Heels are 15-3, including wins over Duke, Virginia Tech, Baylor and now UCLA.
North Carolina’s comeback 73-66 win over UCLA was a wild affair. Once again, sophomore guard Caleb Love was explosive with his shot-making: 30 points (6-of-13 3PA), including 27 in the second half.
— chris (@dadgumboxscores) March 26, 2022
The improbable run from Saint Peter’s is the story of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Now, following wins over Kentucky, Murray State and Purdue, head coach Shaheen Holloway finds his team in the Elite Eight.
Currently, KenPom projects UNC as an 8-point favorite over Saint Peter’s. Meanwhile, Bart Torvik has North Carolina in a similar range: -7.5 points.
Of course, if UNC gets by the Peacocks of Jersey City, and Duke is able to defeat Arkansas in San Francisco, it’ll setup a scenario that’s never happened before: UNC vs. Duke in the NCAA Tournament, with the Final Four on the line.
Before that, though, UNC has business to take care of in the Keystone State. Here’s everything you need to know, ahead of UNC-Saint Peter’s.
- Date: Sunday, March 27
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- TV Network: CBS
- Broadcast Team: Ian Eagle, Jim Spanarkel, Jamie Erdahl
- The winner of 8 UNC and 15 Saint Peter’s will advance to play:
- The winner of 2 Duke and 4 Arkansas
- Saint Peter’s
- Record: 22-11 (14-6 MAAC)
- KenPom
- Offense: No. 216
- Defense: No. 24
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Following wins over Auburn and Iowa State, Miami moves to the Elite Eight as well