DeLAND, Fla. – On Wednesday, the city of DeLand — including residents, fans and students — gave a send off to Stetson University’s men’s basketball team to its first-ever NCAA Tournament.
The team will make its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament after winning the Atlantic Sun Championship.
“It’s really exciting. I love to see the spirit and how it’s brought this community together, and it’s just made us one big team,” said Head Coach Donnie Jones.
The DeLand Police Department escorted the team through downtown and to the airport at 2 p.m.
The Stetson Hatters, the No. 16 seed, are set to take on the No. 1 overall seed and defending champion UConn Huskies at 2:45 p.m. Friday in Brooklyn.
[RELATED: What’s a Hatter? Spotlight shines on Stetson University thanks to March Madness]
DeLand residents and Stetson fans lined Woodland Boulevard to “send them off to victory!”
“A lot of people are on the bandwagon because this is the first time in the history of the school,” said Margaret Jones.
The moment made many alumni like Jones reflect on how far Stetson has come as a university since their time as students and as an athletic program since it first got to D1 status in 1971.
“It’s like night and day,” Jones said. “I’ve been a Stetson fan for a long time now having been a golf coach here. When I was here — I graduated in 65 — we weren’t Division 1, and there were no women’s sports, but we had a good intramural program, but they really have advanced quite a bit.”
Go Hatters!
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