Two weeks ago late on a Wednesday night for the MAAC Quarterfinals at the Atlantic City Convention Center, St. Peter’s University Men’s Basketball coach Shaheen Holloway entered a press conference room after the Peacocks dispatched Fairfield University on their way to the MAAC semi-finals and eventually the conference championship game.
In the room was my colleague Dave Siroty, who was serving as moderator, and two coordinators of the livestream from ESPN. That was it. No one else. Not a school newspaper or radio reporter, not a wire service, not even the Jersey Journal or NJ.com.
Two people.
Fast forward to this coming week when Holloway and his team will face a mob scene when they head to Philadelphia for their Sweet Sixteen press availability before meeting Purdue on Friday night, and the national spotlight is on the ultimate Cinderella. It will be a packed house from around the country worthy of the Peacocks unprecedented (read Steve Politi’s piece on why this is Cinderella like no other) run.
What won’t change? Holloway’s authenticity and his messaging to his players, and to those following the ride. All through the MAAC tournament when few where following or reporting, through the pre-NCAA pressers and then through the pair of upsets, Holloway’s demeanor remained true and authentic to what he has said all year…we have to expect to play to the best we can be…we have to be reflective of who we are and where we have come from…we have to act with dignity and respect for our opponents…but also, when the moment happens if it does, we have to act like we belong here.
Pretty straightforward, simple, and without much nuance, but it is how the St. Peter’s coach has built his program and his players have stayed on message as well.
In a time when the spotlight is grabbed by the loudest and the flamboyant and those looking to make the biggest social bang, there is something to be said for staying in character and in your comfort zone, even on the brightest of stages. The irony is that when you talk to those who crave the stage one thing that always comes across is authenticity, and Shaheen Holloway is authentic and reflective of his environment and his program.
Maybe that won’t be getting the Peacocks any big NIL deals, as pointed out here, but it has made them continue to grow in stature as the stage gets bigger, and the story is retold. That authenticity is perhaps more valuable than the flamboyance, and who knows how it will benefit those involved down the road.
It all starts with a coach who delivers his message for an audience of millions, or was the case last week…just two. Consistent and on point, delivering just like his athletes did on such a fun and worthwhile wave, from Jersey City to Atlantic City to Indianapolis and now back to Philly, an authentic and fun ride like no other.
Congrats Peacocks players and coaches, it’s what was expected in terms of story, born from a very unexpected results that make March Madness so special, especially this year in The Garden State.
