Saint Peter’s became the greatest Cinderella in the history of the NCAA Tournament, with the Peacocks making an historic run to the Elite Eight as a No. 15 seed.
Now, as the Peacocks’ coaching search drags into a second week, the exodus is on.
Five members of the rotation entered the NCAA’s transfer portal, and sharpshooting guard Doug Edert is first to exit, committing to defending Northeast Conference champion Bryant during a visit there Saturday, as widely reported and confirmed by USA TODAY Network New Jersey.
Saint Peter’s had a chance for a smooth transition after coach Shaheen Holloway returned to alma mater Seton Hall — a move everyone saw coming well in advance. But the obvious step, promoting top assistant Ryan Whalen (whom Holloway hailed as a “coach in waiting” last month and who had the strong backing of the players), has not materialized as Saint Peter’s brass opted for a national search instead. A second local candidate who would have taken the job with Holloway’s stamp of approval, Seton Hall associate head coach Grant Billmeier, never received an offer and followed former Pirates coach Kevin Willard to Maryland.
GOING HOME: Seton Hall rejoices after Holloway returns as new coach
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The result for Saint Peter’s: Edert is gone, and fellow guards Daryl Banks and Matthew Lee and forwards Hassan and Fousseyni Drame remain in the NCAA transfer portal. Whalen, meanwhile, remains at Saint Peter’s in an interim capacity while the search slogs on.
On March 31, the day he was introduced as Seton Hall’s head coach, Holloway made it clear that he thought the Peacocks’ core could be kept intact — and that he wouldn’t be bringing his former payers with him to South Orange.
“I’ve got to make sure we handle this the right way,” Holloway said. “That team needs to stick together because I think they’ve got some more history to be made.”
Story continues
Daryl Banks III (5) and Doug Edert (25) are among the Saint Peter’s players to enter the transfer portal after their NCAA tournament run.
By the time the dust settles, some 2,000 college basketball players are expected to enter the NCAA’s Transfer Portal, after more than 1,700 did it a year ago.
Here’s a look at Saint Peter’s departing players:
New destination
Doug Edert to Bryant: The 6-2 Bergen Catholic product, with two years of eligibility left, hit some huge shots during the Peacock’s magical March Madness run, producing three straight double-digit scoring games, including a 20-point performance against Kentucky.
In the portal
Daryl Banks: The 6-3 guard via the Patrick School, with two years of eligibility remaining, averaged 11.3 points for the Peacocks, including a 27-point outburst against Kentucky. He scored 14 points in their Sweet 16 upset of Purdue and was one of their top defenders.
Matthew Lee: The 6-0 point guard ran the show for the Peacocks, averaging 6.8 points, and was a dogged defender on the ball. Lee has two years of eligibility remaining.
Hassan Drame: The 6-7 junior forward from Mali (twins with Fousseyni) averaged 6.0 points and 5.3 boards in 21 minutes per game. He shot 50% from the field. Like his brother, he’s an excellent student.
Fousseyni Drame: The 6-7 junior forward averaged 7.0 points and 6.4 boards in 22 minutes per game. He shot 55% from the field.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Saint Peter’s, other NJ college basketball players hit transfer portal
