Posted April 6, 2018

Thousands of fans gathered in center city Philadelphia as the Villanova men’s basketball team rode buses through the streets to a rally at City Hall thursday, April 5 in celebration of the team’s NCAA national championship. Coach Jay Wright and key players expressed their gratitude for the fans. (Photos by Sarah Webb)

Claudette Renville, from Our Lady of Fatima Chruch in Secane, PA, celebrates at the parade honoring Villanova men’s basketball championship win.

  • Claudette Renville, from Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Secane, holds up a large “V” celebrating the Villanova men’s basketball championship win.

  • Erin McLaughlin, from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Glen Mills, cheers on the Villanova champions at the parade and rally April 5 in Philadelphia.

  • Players ride atop one of the buses in the parade route and take in the excitement of the day.

  • A young fan sits on his father’s shoulder to watch the Villanova championship parade and rally in Philadelphia.

  • The Villanova men’s basketball team celebrates during the parade in Philadelphia on their 2018 NCAA championship.

  • Augustinian Father Peter Donohue, Villanova University president, speaks to the crowd at the rally.

  • Head Coach Jay Wright’s comments gave rise to cheers from the crowd.

  • Donte DiVincenzo, a Wilmington, Del., native, Salesianum School graduate and most outstanding player of the Final Four at the NCAA tournament, enjoys the parade with Augustinian Father Rob Hagan, team chaplain, during the parade.

  • Freshman Collin Gillespie, Warminster native and Archbishop Wood High School graduate, celebrates alongside the national championship trophy.

  • Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, a freshman from Philadelphia and graduate of SS. Neumann-Goretti Catholic High School, and Augustinian Father Rob Hagan, chaplain of Villanova men’s basketball team, throw T-shirts into the crowd during a parade in Philadelphia celebrating the team’s NCAA 2018 championship.

  • Augustinian Father Rob Hagan, chaplain of Villanova’s basketball team, takes a photo of the crowd as Jay Wright, Villanova men’s basketball head coach, thanks the crowd that came out in honor of the team’s championship win.

  • The crowds wait to catch a glimpse of the Villanova players and staff making their way on buses to Dilworth Park at Philadelphia City Hall for the rally.

  • Villanova students had a good reason to travel off their Main Line campus, as they celebrate the university’s second men’s basketball championship in the last three years.

  • Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree (left) of Philadelphia and Collin Gillespie of Warminster, both of whom played against one another in Philadelphia Catholic League basketball games in high school, share the thrill of their national championship as Villanova freshmen. Just last year their high schools battled for the Catholic League championship at the Palestra.