Men's Basketball Opens NCAA Tournament Against Tennessee

CHARLOTTE, NC. - The Saint Peter's Men's Basketball team returns to the "Big Dance" Thursday night at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The No. 15-seeded Peacocks square off against No. 2 Tennessee Volunteers in round one of the 2024 NCAA March Madness Tournament. The game is scheduled for a 9:20 PM tip-off and will be on TNT. 

Bashir Mason
In his second year at the helm, Saint Peter's Head Coach Bashir Mason led the Peacocks to their second NCAA Tournament berth in the last three years. Before the season, Mason and the coaching staff overturned the roster and brought in eight new players. On Tuesday, Mason was named a finalist for the Ben Jobe Award, presented annually to the top minority head coach in Division I college basketball.

Defensive Culture
Saint Peter's is ranked 12th in the nation in scoring defense. The Peacocks have held opponents to 63.4 points per game this season. In the 2024 MAAC Tournament, SPU's opponents scored an average of 57 points per game.
            
Corey Washington
The SPU sophomore had a breakout season for the Peacocks. Washington led the team in scoring and rebounding with 16.5 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. The 6-6 forward scored 20+ points in 10 games and tallied four double-doubles. Washington was named to the All-MAAC First Team. The last Saint Peter's Men's Basketball player to make the All-MAAC First Team was KC Ndefo for the 2021-22 season.           

Latrell Reid 
Reid was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. The SPU senior averaged 11.4 points per game and 4.2 rebounds per game (third in the MAAC) in the regular season and anchored SPU's defense. Reid started every game for the Peacocks this season and tallied two double-doubles. This award marks the fourth year out of the last five that a Saint Peter's student-athlete has been named MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. Ndefo won the award three consecutive times (2020-2022). 

2024 MAAC Tournament Champions
The Peacocks went through a gauntlet of competition in Atlantic City. No. 5 seed Saint Peter's defeated No. 4 Rider 50-48 on Thursday, Mar. 14, in the MAAC Quarterfinals. Michael Houge scored a season-high 20 points and eight boards during the MAAC Quarterfinals. On Friday, Mar. 15, the Peacocks pulled out a thrilling 62-60 buzzer-beater victory over No. 1 Quinnipiac. Mouhamed Sow tallied 15 points, six rebounds, and four blocks in the MAAC Semifinals. Washington caught fire in the MAAC Tournament Championship and scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half. Saint Peter's held their opponents to an average of 57 points per game in the 2024 MAAC Championship Tournament. Sow and Houge were named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team, and Washington earned All-MAAC Tournament MVP honors.

Looking Ahead to Tennessee 
No. 2 Tennessee boasts a high-powered offense that averages 79.5 points per game. The Volunteers' Dalton Knecht headlines Tennessee. The fifth-year guard averaged 21.1 points per game and made the AP All-American Team. Tennessee's Zakai Zeigler is the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Additionally, Zeigler is the half-brother of SPU freshman Armoni Zeigler. The Vols are currently ranked sixth in the AP Top 25 Men's College Basketball Poll, which was released on Mar. 18.
                                    
March Madness History 
We all remember the famous 2022 run when the Peacocks became the first No. 15 seed to make the Elite Eight after they defeated No. 2 Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State, and No. 3 Purdue. Saint Peter's is making its fifth appearance in the "Big Dance" and is 1-0 against SEC schools in the NCAA March Madness Tournament. Only 11 No. 15 seeds have ever reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 
                                                                    
The Peacocks' all-time record in NCAA March Madness is 3-4. The details:
1990-91 Dayton, OH                             L Texas -  73   | Saint Peter's - 65 
1994-95 Albany, NY                              L UMass - 68 | Saint Peter's - 51 
2010-11 Chicago, IL                              L Purdue - 65 | Saint Peter's - 43
2021-22 Indianapolis, IN-                      W OT Saint Peter's - 85 | Kentucky -
                                                              W Saint Peter's - 70 | Murray State - 60
             Philadelphia, PA                       W Saint Peter's - 67 |  Purdue - 6
                                                               L  UNC - 69 | Saint Peter's - 49

--
For continuing coverage of Saint Peter's University Athletics, visit SaintPetersPeacocks.com and follow the Peacocks on X, Instagram, and Facebook.