The nucleus that held Saint Peter's together during its magical NCAA Tournament run last month is quickly falling apart at the seams. Daryl Banks III and Doug Edert, two of the team's leading scorers, have hit the transfer portal, according 247Sports. A third player who averaged nearly 30 minutes per game during March Madness, Matthew Lee, also entered the portal. Their departures come just days after Peacocks coach Shaheen Holloway left the program to accept the same position at Seton Hall, his alma mater.
The mass exodus means Saint Peter's is about to lose at least four of its top five scorers from the 2021-22 team with defensive stalwart KC Ndefo, a senior, likely also gone.
All love for Peacock Nation🙏🏻❤️ pic.twitter.com/qYrZPd1mwJ
— Doug Edert (@DougEdert2) April 5, 2022
Saint Peter's made history during its NCAA Tournament run by becoming the first No. 15 seed to advance to the Elite Eight. The Peacocks stunned No. 2 seed Kentucky in the first round as an 18.5-point underdog, handled a talented No. 7 seed Murray State in the second round and then held off No. 3 seed Purdue in the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual national runner-up North Carolina. The run prompted national attention for a program that had not won an NCAA Tournament game until this year, and Edert was able to cash in with an endorsement deal with Buffalo Wild Wings after his surprising star turn.
"They shocked the world," Holloway said of his Peacocks after falling to UNC. "You've got guys that's going to be remembered for things that they could tell their kids and grandkids. It's a story within a story. I'm super proud of these guys. They came in and made history. Point-blank, period. No one has done it. The last team to do it was P.J. Carlesimo's team. . . Saint Peter's did it. Period. Saint Peter's made it to the Elite Eight. Great story. You guys write about it."
