Who is Saint Peter's? Meet the No. 15 seeded Peacocks, who upset Kentucky and now reached the Sweet 16

After No. 2 seed Kentucky's shocking loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, coach John Calipari was asked what the Wildcats struggled with against No. 15 seeded Saint Peter's. 

"Give Saint Peter's credit," Calipari said. "I watched the tape of them before the game. These guys can play." 

Indeed they can. The Peacocks (21-11) busted brackets everywhere Thursday by taking down No. 2 Kentucky in a first-round overtime thriller. They weren't done there, though, knocking off Murray State on Saturday in the second round to reach the Sweet 16. Saint Peter's joins Oral Roberts (last year) and Florida Gulf Coast (2013) as the only No. 15 seeds to ever reach the second weekend of March Madness. 

Here's everything you need to know about the darling of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Where is Saint Peter's?

Saint Peter's University is a private Jesuit university in Jersey City, New Jersey. It has roughly 2,500 undergraduate students, helping to fit the definition of a mid-major. 

How did Saint Peter's make the NCAA Tournament? 

The Peacocks won the MAAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference tournament, beating Monmouth in the league title game. Saint Peter's was the second-best team in the MAAC in the regular season behind a Rick Pitino-coached Iona team that was the favorite. Saint Peter's had never won a tourney game until Thursday, having previously lost in the first round in 1991, 1995 and most recently 2011. 

Who are the stars of Saint Peter's?

Daryl Banks III was the key player for the Peacocks, dropping 27 points against Kentucky. On the season, the junior guard averages 11 points. Junior Doug Edert came off the bench with 20 points while hitting a barrage of clutch shots against the Wildcats. On the season, he averages 9.3 points a game. 

Who is Saint Peter's coach?

Shaheen Holloway took over the program in 2018 and is in his fourth season. The 45-year-old played college basketball at Seton Hall in the late 1990s and was an assistant at his alma mater from 2010-18. 

What's the Peacocks' secret for more bracket-busting? 

Holloway said in a TV interview after the game, "I’ve got guys who have a chip on their shoulder. I’ve got guys who think they can play for Kentucky.”

We can look at the X's and O's all we want, and if we did that, Kentucky was the odds-on favorite to win on Thursday. But the key ingredient may be how poised this group was in pressure situations -- determined to pull off a win without fear against an elite program. That's the type of mindset that Sweet 16-caliber No. 15 seeds have shown in the past, Oral Roberts being the latest to do that last year. 

Another thing to note: Saint Peter's plays great defense, ranking sixth nationally in field-goal percentage defense. It also has smart and patient ball-handlers who are unfazed by power conference teams' ability to apply ball pressure. It was clear that didn't work for Kentucky. 

Lastly, why are they called the Peacocks?

According to the university's handbook: With the rebirth of Saint Peter's in 1930, Rev. Gannon named the Peacock the official mascot of the college, reflecting the spirit of “resurrection and eternal life.” The peacock also ties the college to the settling of Jersey City, originally called “Pavonia,” or “Land of the Peacock.”

Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.