Perkiomen School rooting for 3 homegrown players on Princeton
PENNSBURG, Pa. (CBS) – They've been the talk of the tournament and they are the last local men's basketball team still competing in March Madness. Princeton University has made it to the Sweet 16.
It's been an exciting run for the whole country and especially for one school in our area.
More than 70 miles from Princeton, no one is perhaps more excited to see the Tigers head to the Sweet 16 than the Perkiomen School in Montgomery County.
Students, administrators and coaches at Perkiomen School cannot get enough of March Madness.
Senior Bobby Rosenberger has committed to playing basketball at Saint Francis, but for the past week, he's been rooting for Princeton in the NCAA Tournament.
"I was jumping out of my couch and everything. I was yelling and cheering just for them, it was great," Rosenberger said. "It's really exciting to see them go on a run like this, they're making history."
Not one but three of their former students are all playing for Princeton and everyone is cheering them on as they compete at this high level.
"Anytime there's a Cinderella story, it's uplifting for all of us," Mark Devey, the head of school, said, "especially exciting that we got three of our boys who are a part of that story."
Princeton has busted brackets, pulling off two upsets during March Madness.
Three of the players competing on the national stage got their start in Perkiomen's gym – Keeshawn Kellman, Philip Byriel and Xavian Lee.
"You can tell with guys of that level pretty early on that they're special," basketball coach Thomas Baudinet said.
He says he knew these three young men were promising as he coached the players at Perkiomen School. Now, he's watching them all play a pivotal role in Princeton's success during the NCAA Tournament.
"It's a proud moment, obviously, to watch them continue to grow and develop, not only as players but as people," Baudinet said.
Devey has been texting the players after each round.
"When they're wrapping up a game, I'm chatting with them about one thing or another and they are right back at me," he said.
All three players have been back visiting the campus since graduating.
It's a family atmosphere at the school and as the young men get ready for the biggest moment in their careers, their former coach says his advice is to treat it like any other game and enjoy the ride.
"It's a 40-minute basketball game," Baudinet said. "Play basketball the way that you've been playing all year and what got you here will take care of itself."
The head of school told CBS News Philadelphia he's heading to Louisville to watch his former students Friday night in the Sweet 16 vs. Creighton University.
