[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.