Philly fans getting used to title parades

Thousands of fans lined up in downtown Philadelphia to celebrate another sports championship with a parade, this time for Villanova University’s Wildcats.

The winners of the men’s basketball tournament rode double-decker buses along Market Street, the heart of the business district, ending at City Hall for a rally. They threw T-shirts into the cheering sea of blue and white and lifted the trophy aloft as confetti fluttered in the air.

“We do this so much in Philadelphia now I thought you guys would be tired of parades,” coach Jay Wright joked to the crowd, referencing the Eagles first Super Bowl win two months earlier.

The Wildcats’ romp through the NCAA Tournament ended Monday with a 79-62 victory over Michigan. It’s their second national title in three seasons.

The recent Super Bowl win wasn’t lost on fans, many of whom talked about how meaningful it was to have a series of champs in the city.

“Not much winning has been done in Philadelphia, at least in my lifetime, so it’s good to see,” said Mike McGovern, a Villanova alum who graduated in 1998. He works in an office along the parade route and was cheering the team with his dad and three young children.

Kansas: Malik Newman has played his last game for the Jayhawks. Newman, a 6-foot-3 redshirt sophomore guard who was KU’s best player during its run to the Final Four, declared for the NBA draft and will leave the program, he announced.

Missouri: He followed his older brother to college, and now freshman forward Jontay Porter has joined Michael Porter Jr. in declaring himself eligible for the NBA draft. Michael Porter Jr. declared for the draft on March 26 and signed with Priority Sports. Jontay is leaving open the door for a possible return, and won’t hire an agent.

West Virginia: Forward Esa Ahmad plans to enter the NBA draft but won’t hire an agent. Ahmad must decide by May 30 whether to stay in school or remain in the draft.