UM 'Canes fan thrilled as team heads to NCAA's Final Four
MIAMI - Some University of Miami basketball fans cheered the Hurricanes as the school's men's appearance earned a spot, for the first time, in the NCAA Tournament Final Four.
"I'm definitely going to buy everybody in here a shot," University of Miami student Catherine Woods said.
The crowd around her at Titanic Restaurant and Brewery enjoyed post-game vibes.
"I'm feeling like I want to go to Houston for both (Final Four and Championship) games," Adam Linn, a UM fan said.
Few, if any, there paid more to see the win than a group from Minneapolis. They wanted to see the game on television in Coral Gables.
Kelly Johnson and her family love basketball. Her son, Ben, convinced his parents to send him to UM, a private school far from home. With Ben's school on the verge of history, his parents and grandparents flew in and even followed him to work so they could share the moment together.
"(I felt) hear palpitations, maybe a little anxiety but also a ton of excitement," Kelly Johnson said.
Some die-hard fans showed up around 3 a.m. to welcome the team as they arrived back in Coral Gables after playing in the Elite 8 in Kansas City. Last year that's where this team's journey ended, this year they could go all the way.
"Last year we made it to the Elite 8 and these guys were determined to take us to the Final Four, not just the basketball team, but the whole university and Miami community, so we hope everyone will cheer us on next week in Houston," said UM Coach Jim Larranaga.
"It definitely was an amazing game. It was absolutely amazing, absolutely amazing, the boys played their absolute hearts out, they're such a great group of guys, they're a very personable group of guys, and it's so nice to see their success and see them get to this point," said UM fan Derek Hart.
The 'Canes took and lost leads several times in Sunday's game until a final surge won it. UM joins Boca Raton's Florida Atlantic University as a semi-finalist. The two south Florida basketball teams could play each other for the NCAA men's basketball championship.
