'Disappointed' Shaheen Holloway brushes off Seton Hall talk as Saint Peter's run in NCAA men's tournament ends

PHILADELPHIA — About an hour after Saint Peter's charmed March run sputtered to an end against North Carolina, coach Shaheen Holloway emerged from the Peacocks' locker room. As he walked toward the team bus with his oldest son, Xavier, Holloway wore a backpack with an oversized yellow tube of Wet Ones sticking out of the open pocket on the bag's left side.

The trappings of a return to reality surrounded him. The din of arena carts echoed through the hallways. Saint Peter's supporters grabbed signs with the school's name from the walls near the locker room. The Peacocks' run to history had shifted to just that — history.

Holloway looked subdued, wearing the familiar ornery grimace he wore on the sidelines, as he left the arena «really disappointed in myself» for not adjusting better in the game.

«I really thought we were going to win this game,» Holloway said. «I'll be honest with you. No disrespect to them. I just thought we could match up with them.»

After consecutive thrilling wins over No. 2 Kentucky, No. 7 Murray State and No. 3 Purdue, No. 15 Saint Peter's failed to muster much of a fight against No. 8 North Carolina. The Tar Heels restored world order, advancing to their record 21st Final Four with an authoritative 69-49 victory.

All along this Saint Peter's run, Holloway spoke of not wanting to wake up from the dream, as Saint Peter's became the first No. 15 seed in NCAA tournament history to reach the Elite Eight. By falling short of the Final Four, a laughable notion just two weeks ago, the Peacocks now exited the arena to an uncertain future.

Holloway is considered the prohibitive favorite for the open job at Seton Hall. No other candidates have been publicly identified in the search, and it's an industry-wide