Saint Peter's University is one of the founding members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), which began play in men's basketball with the 1981–82 season.

[5] Saint Peter's first season of basketball was 1930–31 which was the also the same year the college re-opened following its twelve-year closure from the impacts of World War I.

Led by head coach Don Kennedy, Saint Peter's defeated the nationally ranked No.

10 Duke Blue Devils 100–71 in the 1968 NIT Quarterfinals in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,500 at Madison Square Garden.

[8][9] In 1972, Don Kennedy ended his twenty-two year career as the winningest head coach in program history with a 323–195 (.624) record from 1950 to 1972.

In the early 1990s, Saint Peter's began to find success in the MAAC Tournament under head coach Ted Fiore.

On June 17, 2002, Saint Peter's was one of sixteen schools selected to participate in the NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament.

[13][14] From 2002 to 2006, the Peacocks were led by starting point guard Keydren "Kee-Kee' Clark who was one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA Division I history.

On March 4, 2006, Clark became only the seventh NCAA player to score more than 3,000 points in his career; on the next day, he passed Hersey Hawkins to become the sixth-leading scorer of all time.

[17] Clark returned to the Peacocks ahead of the 2022–23 season and is currently Director of Player Development and an assistant coach.

[18] On December 27 and 28, 2005, Saint Peter's played in the Panasonic Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden.

[19][20] On November 17, 2009, Saint Peter's garnered national exposure by hosting the Monmouth Hawks as part of the second annual ESPN's 24–Hour College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.

The marathon of live games across ESPN's networks marked the first day of the college basketball season.

Ahead of the game, the university hosted an 11-hour "all-nighter" of campus activities with free breakfast and a pre-game pep rally.

[23] In 2017, led by head coach John Dunne, the Peacocks went 23–13 and 14–6 in conference to play to finish second in the MAAC.

In the MAAC Tournament, they defeated the Canisus Golden Griffens in the quarterfinals 61–58 before losing to the lona Gaels in the semifinals 65–73.

[24] On July 22, 2020, Saint Peter's announced that through a $5 million lead gift from alum and former basketball player Thomas P. Mac Mahon, they would begin a phased renovation of the Yanitelli Center.

The renovation included the creation of a more modern basketball/volleyball arena with new retractable bleachers with an allotment of chairback seating, a full replacement of the hardwood court surface, updated branding and signage, a reimagined entryway to the facility, enhanced lighting and new video scoreboards.

Mac Mahon, a 1968 graduate of Saint Peter's, and a member of the Saint Peter's University Board of Trustees, decided to honor his former 1967–68 teammates by naming the renovated space the "Run Baby Run Arena" after that team's nickname for its high-scoring offense.

[38] On November 26, 2024, the Peacocks played in a "Battle of the Bracket Busters" rematch against the FDU Knights at Bogota Savings Bank Center that was also televised on the YES Network.

Saint Peter's avenged their 1-point loss the year before with a buzzer beater layup to defeat Fairleigh Dickinson 78–76.

[41] Hurley has credited the "speed and precision" of Kennedy's fast break offense as ahead of its time and the template for the principals he employed as the head coach of the St. Anthony High School Friars in Jersey City.

Hurley used those principles to lead St. Anthony's to become the winningest high school basketball program in United States history.