Friars depart for Sweet 16, fans send them off with celebration

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) – Hundreds of fans cheered, with the Friars men’s basketball team greeting them on campus, before taking off for Chicago and the Sweet 16 on Wednesday afternoon.

Head coach Ed Cooley addressed members of the media about their game against Kansas on the sidewalk outside the Ruane Friar Development Center, during the spirited sendoff, around 2:30 p.m.

“We’ll be ready, you know, we had some great preparation practices, now we just got to get out there, you know, we got to get out there. But, a sendoff like this is what college athletics is all about,” Cooley said.

Following the event that lasted about 15 minutes, the team boarded the bus for T.F. Green International Airport.

“This team is incredible, and they’ve just molded and they’ve jived, and I’m just really happy,” Friars fan Bethany Parker, said. “Especially this year, because the last few years with COVID.”

Assistant coach LaDontae Henton told ABC6 News, he’s confident the Friars have a good shot of making it past this weekend to the Final Four.

“I think we could beat anybody, we just play the game, our game, play Friars basketball, stay together,” Henton said. “I think we could beat anybody in the country.”

Tip-off for Providence vs. Kansas is 7:30 p.m. on Friday.