Derrick Gordon came out to fans on his Instagram account with the statement, “This is the happiest I have ever been in my 22 Years of living…No more HIDING!!!” (Photo via FlashGordon Instagram)

Derrick Gordon will be the first openly gay Division I men’s basketball player to play in the NCAA tournament, according to USA Today. 

Formerly a player on the University of Massachusetts Minutemen, the 24-year-old transferred to Seton Hall as a member of the Pirates. His sophomore year, Gordon reached the NCAA tournament with the Minutemen but was still in the closet at the time. He came out as gay in 2014 while still on the Minutemen’s basketball team,

The transfer has proven to be a success thus far for the basketball player who has averaged 7.9 points and 3.3 rebounds according to USA Today.

When Gordon transferred to Seton Hall, coach Kevin Willard told USA Today Sports that Gordon’s sexuality shouldn’t be relevant.

“For us, the fact that he’s gay is an old story. These kids know about Derrick, they’re on social media and are very informed,” Willard says. “This generation of athletes are much more educated on the gay athlete. I think the attention is brought on by adults. We make it a bigger deal. Some of these kids can teach us a lesson on how to handle this type of stuff.”