Standout Doug Edert reaping NIL rewards of Saint Peter’s Sweet 16 run
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (BVM) – As it seemingly happens every March, a Cinderella team in the NCAA Tournament has become the pride of the country’s basketball fans and as with team’s of years past, the star has become the heartthrob. This year, the distinction of Cinderella belongs to the Saint Peter’s Peacocks and the heartthrob belongs to junior guard Doug Edert and his distinct mustachioed face.
Edert has exploded onto the scene for a surprise Peacock team that became only the third 15-seed to make it to the tournament’s Sweet 16 and the first team to ever make it that far in the tournament from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Though only starting seven early games for Saint Peter’s, Edert hasn’t let that stop him from making an impact on the team throughout the season as averaged just over 23 minutes per game scoring 9.7 points per game on 47.4% shooting and 42.5% from deep.
“I always do my best to try to get as many shots as I can so I don’t really have to think about anything when I’m in the game, I just let it happen,” Edert said following the team’s victory over Murray State on March 19.
During the tournament, the 6-foot-2 guard, who can be distinguished by his signature mustache, has averaged 16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 24.5 minutes of action over the team’s first two games. The coming out party for Edert came during the Peacocks shocking win over 2-seed Kentucky where he scored 20 points, shot 100% from the free throw line and 71.4% from the field including going 2-for-2 from 3-point land.
“This is not surprising to me because since our freshmen year, when the game is on the line, Doug would be making shots like that,” Peacocks’ teammate Hassan Drame said. “So to be honest this is not something that is really surprising to me because I know he can make it.”
His performances have helped the junior guard’s stock increase exponentially, especially on social media. As of January 1, Edert’s Instagram page had 1,501 followers according to sports marketing company MarketPryce, following the team’s March 18 upset over the Wildcats, that following number jumped to 5,611, following the team’s second round win over Murray State the number surpassed 15,000 and as of March 23 sits at over 24,300.
If there's one thing we love, it's seeing how big sports moments manifest themselves on social media…and last night is a great example.
Saint Peter's guard Doug Edert had an amazing game against Kentucky, and his Instagram stats prove it. pic.twitter.com/JMzqlkvGl1
— MarketPryce (@marketpryce) March 18, 2022
In a new era of college athletics where standout athletes can earn compensation for use of their name, image and likeness, Edert has capitalized on his sudden surge of popularity. On March 22, Edert posted a sponsored advertisement on his Instagram account for Buffalo Wild Wings, highlighting a new March Madness deal for the company. In addition to that, Edert announced a merchandising collaboration with sports media company Barstool Sports. The Buffalo Wild Wings post had 8,442 likes as of March 23, making it the second most popular post on the guard’s account, while the Barstool Sports post had 2,653, making it the fourth most popular post on the page.
OT + 🍗 + 👨🏻 = 🚀
— Buffalo Wild Wings (@BWWings) March 23, 2022
The growth in media awareness hasn’t only benefited Edert, though he is the most recognizable of the team members. After their upset win over UK, the Saint Peter’s men’s basketball Twitter account made a plea to the social media company to give them a certified blue check mark, which the team received shortly thereafter.
— Saint Peter's Men's Basketball (@PeacocksMBB) March 18, 2022
In addition, between about 7 p.m. on March 17 and 8 a.m. Monday, the Peacocks earned exposure worth close to $71 million according to Front Office Sports. With a trend of increased freshmen enrollment following a small school’s Cinderella NCAA Tournament run, Saint Peter’s University may see even more financial dividends from their basketball team in the near future.
With the Sweet 16 in their sights, the Peacocks will look to continue their bracket-busting run through the NCAA Tournament. For both the school and their standout player Doug Edert, future wins in March could equal future dollar signs.
