[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5054-5055]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the University of 
Louisville Cardinals, who went to a second straight Final Four this 
season and returned home national champions.
  Going into the NCAA tournament, the question was whether the Cards' 
stifling defense would be enough to win it all. Well, we'll never know, 
because the country's best defense became the best offense too, 
shooting 52 percent to a tournament best 79.5 points per game. That's 
more than crazy. It's ``Russdiculous.''

[[Page 5055]]

  They said he never met a shot he didn't like; but during the past 
month, Russ Smith hardly took a shot he couldn't make, setting 
Louisville's new tournament-scoring record and earning the respect and 
affection of a city. The All-American, regional MVP, and defensive 
phenom no longer cares who's scoring, as long as the jersey reads 
Louisville.
  When these guys say the team motto ``Louisville First, Cards 
Forever,'' they mean it. We saw it when the team rallied around their 
injured teammate, Kevin Ware, as he courageously repeated, ``I'm fine, 
just win the game,'' before being carted off the court during the Elite 
Eight. We saw it when they came together to ``Win for Ware.'' But 
before that, the Cards won with Ware. On this team, Kevin was one of 
eight Cardinals to score double figures in a tournament game. That 
doesn't even include the players who set this team off on some of the 
year's most unlikely and electrifying rallies.
  Walk-on Tim Henderson scored six of his season's 22 points in 45 
seconds to cut a late 12-point Final Four deficit in half. All year, 
Stephen Van Treese snatched rebounds from future NBA big men, denied 
them in the paint, and set precision picks strong enough to stop a 
truck. And freshman Montrezl Harrell provided a constant spark off the 
bench, his unrelenting effort the only thing close to matching his 
natural ability.
  Peyton Siva embodies the ``Louisville First'' spirit. Happier setting 
up his teammates than knocking it down himself, Peyton reminded the 
Nation he can also drop 18 points on the Player of the Year in the 
championship game. Unselfish, but a thief, he'll graduate with the 
school record for steals in a season and career.
  Big man Gorgui Deing is unselfish, too. Louisville's record-setting 
shot-blocker and monster rebounder used his jump shot to pull defenders 
and find teammates for six assists in the championship game--three to 
Chane Behanan, who tied Louisville's single-season dunk record, 
officially making him the latest doctor of dunk. Cutting down the nets 
in Atlanta was great, but they should give Chane the backboards because 
he owned them all night.

                              {time}  1030

  This team also showed tremendous perseverance. Wayne Blackshear 
overcame two shoulder injuries to reach the starting lineup. And it's a 
good thing: he hit threes to start the Cards' scoring in both 
championship halves.
  But the Final Four's breakout star was its most outstanding player, 
Luke Hancock, who scored his career-high in the semifinal and then 
broke it 2 days later. Luke didn't use the force; he was a force. And 
nothing would stop him from winning for his father, for Kevin Ware and, 
as always, for Louisville.
  That's what Coach Rick Pitino taught this team, the master motivator, 
who's done everything this week but cartwheels on the Moon, built a 
team and mentored men we should be proud of.
  And like Pitino, Jeff Walz will tell you this isn't about one person 
or even one team. It's about a program and a community. Trust him. That 
mad scientist led U of L's women to four straight NCAA tournament 
upsets, including what is considered to be the biggest upset in college 
basketball history.
  Behind the jaw-dropping plays of Shoni and Jude Shimmel, 
sharpshooting of Antonita Slaughter, tenacity and skill of Sara 
Hammond, Sherrone Vails, and Bria Smith, and the unbelievable toughness 
of Monique Reid and Shelby Harper, the national runners-up crashed 
nearly every party around.
  These players and coaches define an extraordinary program. Only three 
coaches in NCAA history have gone to a men's and women's basketball 
final in the same season. Louisville is the first to add a BCS Bowl 
victory to the mix.
  But if you think it's the last, you don't know Athletics Director Tom 
Jurich. With sparkling new facilities, outstanding coaches, and stellar 
student athletes in competition and class, Tom has every U of L sport 
at the top of their game and climbing.
  The university and the community have thrived along with them, 
continuing a proud tradition that began with Peck Hickman and rocketed 
to the top under the great Denny Crum.
  I'm honored to congratulate the University of Louisville for its 
unparalleled winning streak, capped off by the Cards' third Men's 
Basketball National Championship. Go Cards.

                          ____________________