March Madness in New Rochelle: Iona Books Ticket To The Big Dance

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Pandemic restrictions tamped down the celebrations on North Avenue near the Iona College campus in New Rochelle, but the excitement surrounding the school's return to the NCAA Men's Basketball tournament was still apparent. On Saturday, the team secured a place on the storied March bracket by winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) division championship. On Sunday, the team learned it would face number 2 seed Alabama as a 15th seed in the first round of the national championship on March 20 in Indianapolis.

The invitation to the Big Dance is something of a redemption story for the Gaels' new head coach Rick Pitino. The legendary college hoops coach was publicly dismissed form his position at the University of Louisville under the cloud of scandal and vacated victories.

The Gaels and Crimson Tide have met in championship play one previous time. In 1989, Alabama beat Iona to advance in the tournament. The winner of the upcoming Iona versus Alabama game will move to the second round to face the winner of the UConn and Maryland matchup.

This will mark the Iona Men's Basketball program's 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Pitino has previously led his teams to NCAA Championship victories in 1996 and 2013. His teams have made more than a half-dozen Final Four appearances, but this will be his first entry into the March tourney helming the Gael basketball team.