    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book I)]
    [June 3, 2008]
    [Pages 747-749]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Honoring the 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Champion University of
    Kansas Jayhawks
    June 3, 2008

        The President. Please sit down. Welcome. It's an honor to welcome
    the 2008 NCAA men's basketball champs, the Kansas Jayhawks. So when
    Kansas fans come to the Rose Garden, they don't come to admire the
    flowers--[laughter]--they come to ``wave the wheat.'' I just wish Big
    Jay and Baby Jay could have come with you. Barney was looking forward to
    meeting them. [Laughter]
        I want to congratulate this team. You brought new glory to one of
    our Nation's

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    most storied basketball programs, and you gave your fans all across
    America one more reason to chant, ``Rock Chalk Jayhawk!''
        I appreciate Bob Hemenway, the
    chancellor, and his wife Leah. Thanks for
    coming. Head coach Bill Self, Cindy; daughter Lauren, and son Tyler: We're sure glad you all are here.
        I called Coach after the championship. I think
    I might have woke you up.
        Bill Self. By a hair. [Laughter]
        The President. Yes. I said, ``Would you like to come to the White
    House?'' He said, ``When?'' [Laughter] And I'm
    glad you're here, Coach, and congratulations.
        I want to thank all the folks who represent KU: the personnel,
    coaches, and players.
        Proud to welcome the United States Senators from Kansas--Senator Pat
    Roberts, honored you're here; KU
    Law School alum Senator Brownback--Sam
    Brownback--and Mary, who happened to be a KU
    undergrad and law school. KU undergrad and law school alum Jerry
    Moran; KU undergrad alums Dennis Moore and Stephene--thank you all
    for coming; Doug Lamborn from the great State
    of Colorado--KU undergrad and law school alum; Senator Bob Dole, one of the great KU citizens.
        This team got off to an incredibly fast start. They won their first
    20 games. They managed to beat Yale, my alma mater. I don't--
    [laughter]--I'm not sure how you did it, but nevertheless--[laughter]--
    it was a great victory. You won the Big 12 title. You were the number-
    one seed in the Midwest region. God, blew through the competition early,
    and then you won a thriller against Davidson, which propelled you to the
    Final Four in San Antonio, Texas. By the way, to my fellow Texans on the
    team: Nice to see you. [Laughter]
        The interesting thing about the tournament in San Antonio was that
    all number-one seeds made it to the Final Four. That's never happened
    before. It meant the competition was pretty tough. And this championship
    team gave America an unforgettable show, it really did.
        In the semifinal matchup against North Carolina, you took a big
    lead, and you held on. It was a team effort, but you got to note that
    Brandon Rush did score 25 points in the
    game. [Laughter]
         In the finals, you made a great comeback against Memphis. You
    overcame a 9-point deficit. Mario Chalmers, of course, hit the 3-pointer to send you into overtime.
    The guy is known as Super Mario. [Laughter] Then he became known as MVP.
    [Laughter]
        I know you got to be excited about winning an incredibly tough
    tournament. And your fans are excited, and I'm excited to welcome you to
    the Rose Garden. It's a big deal, as far as I'm concerned, to welcome KU
    to the Rose Garden.
        Most of the players on this team have little or no memory of the
    last time Kansas won a national title, which would be 1988. As a matter
    of fact, I'm sure some of the players weren't even born yet. It's really
    hard to envision when you're an old guy like me and Roberts. [Laughter] The 1988 team became known as
    Danny and the Miracles. And, Danny Manning,
    welcome back to the White House.
        This 2008 team will be remembered a little differently. More than
    any one player, Americans will remember the way you played as a team.
    They'll remember stifling defense. They'll remember the way seven
    different players led your team in scoring during the course of the
    season. Teamwork is a testament to the
    leadership of six seniors. It's a testament, as well,
    to a coach. Bill Self has proven himself to be one
    of the finest coaches in the land. And I'm sure--[applause]--and I am
    sure KU fans are delighted to know that he's going to keep coming back
    for a while.
        Good move, Chancellor, good move.
    [Laughter]
        The greatest testament to this team is also the character it showed
    not only on the court, but off. It turns out--I often

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    say this when I welcome championship teams here to the White House, but
    character matters a lot in order to become a champion. This is a team
    that when teammates lost loved ones, they had players-only meetings to
    help to rally their friends through a difficult time.
        It's a team that reached out to others in need. Coach Self set the example by launching a foundation to help
    children in Lawrence build healthier and more wholesome lives. During
    the holiday, players purchased gifts for needy families. You signed
    hundreds of balls for charity auctions. You ran free basketball clinics
    for children. And I'm very thankful that you went to Walter Reed to
    spend time with America's real heroes, our courageous wounded warriors.
        I wish those of you going to pro ball all the very best. Some of us
    are going to be out of work soon. We may be looking for loans.
    [Laughter] I welcome you to the White House. Good luck next season. And
    may God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:06 a.m. in the Rose Garden at the White
    House. In his remarks, he referred to Cindy Self, wife of University of
    Kansas men's basketball head coach Bill Self; Mary Brownback, wife of
    Sen. Sam D. Brownback; Stephene Moore, wife of Rep. Dennis Moore; former
    Sen. Robert J. Dole; and Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers, guards, and
    Danny Manning, assistant coach, University of Kansas men's basketball
    team.