Recognizing the University of Kansas Men's Basketball Team

Floor Speech

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Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. President, I am here today to talk about the extraordinary accomplishments of the University of Kansas's men's basketball team. As the Nation saw on Monday night, KU beat the University of North Carolina in the NCAA championship game, doing so in a historic fashion.

The game started strong for the Jayhawks, taking an early 7-0 lead, but after some back and forth, North Carolina seemingly broke the game open, ending the first half on an 18-3 run to go up 15. This deficit proved to be the largest ever overcome in an NCAA championship game. Going into the locker room, one could only imagine the sense of determination running through their minds. To win this game, they literally needed to pull off the biggest comeback in championship history in front of thousands of Kansas schoolchildren who look up to these young men as role models and student-athletes. How would they respond to this adversity?

This question was answered as the referee handed the ball to a Tar Heel player and he looked up to see a Jayhawk in his face. The Jayhawks had a look of champions in their eyes. This game meant too much to everyone back home to give up. They stormed out of the locker room after inspirational words from power forward David McCormack, who started the half by giving Jayhawk fans back home something to cheer about with an electrifying, signature Jayhawk alley- oop. That play ignited a 20-6 run that brought the Jayhawks within 1 point. In true Kansas fashion, the Jayhawks ramped up their defense and began executing the fundamentals of basketball Kansans learn in the front driveway and haymounds across the state. The game became a slugfest at that point with KU and North Carolina trading body blows back and forth until McCormack sank one last shot to take the lead with just over a minute left. That shot ultimately sealed this KU team's spot in the history books, brought KU its fourth NCAA national championship, and added to their lead as the winningest basketball program in NCAA history.

For all of us who saw the game, it was clear that this championship lived up to the March Madness hype. Every Kansas basketball fan will remember this team for their ability to share the ball--or as Coach Self says, ``to not let the ball stick.'' Each game during this tournament seemed to have a different hero, but in this historic championship game, every player was a hero, and everyone's contributions were necessary to win. This Jayhawk team made us all proud to be Kansans and delivered the greatest final game comeback ever.

This group should relish in that fact, and I hope they also understand the enormity of the impact they have made with this title on so many fans, young and old alike. This team gave us hope and entertainment to distract us from a challenging past couple of years. They showed up every day and did their job. With this title, current KU students now have the experience of a lifetime, alumni and fans everywhere are connected forever through this one game, and every little girl and boy across Kansas has learned what hard work, teamwork, and a never-give-up attitude can accomplish.

To the players graduating or heading to the draft,I wish you the best of success and happiness in your future endeavors. To Coach Self and everyone else returning, I look forward to current and future generations of Kansans cheering you on and celebrating the tradition of Kansas Basketball. ``Rock Chalk!''

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