The clock finally struck midnight on tournament darling Saint Peter's over the weekend. With a coveted trip to the Final Four up for grabs, they were simply overwhelmed by blue-blood North Carolina, and lost by 20 points in the East Regional final on Sunday. The improbable and historic run ended with a thud.
But the 15th-seed Peacocks will long be remembered as one of the greatest Cinderella stories in March Madness history. They captivated fans across the country, reached tournament heights that no 13-seed or lower ever reached before, and became a lovable underdog. So much so, that Jersey City plans to honor the team with a parade on campus this coming Friday.
"They were the school to root for, but they didn't get the job done. And that's nothing to be embarrassed about," JR said during Monday's edition of the JR SportBrief show. "What Saint Peter's did was actually admirable. To know that you don't have a shot, that you're counted out, that no one has ever heard of you or believes in you, but to know that you still have a chance. And you don't know how far you can go if you don't try at all.
"I have to give Saint Peter's all the credit in the world. They weren't expected to go far, to win, to be talked about on March 28. What they accomplished is, ultimately, still a win... Find Saint Peter's on a map before two weeks ago. Tell me who their head coach is two weeks ago... Even in losing, Saint Peter's did walk away as winners... Congratulations to Saint Peter's. Yeah, you can always gain a little something, even in a loss. And they certainly did it."
JR's complete thoughts on Saint Peter's tournament run can be accessed in the audio player above.
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