2:16 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! (Applause.) Please have a seat. Welcome to the White House. And let's give it up for Coach Pitino and the National Champion, the Louisville Cardinals. (Applause.)
Now, I have to start by recognizing a proud graduate of the University of Louisville, Senator Mitch McConnell, who is here. (Applause.) We've got a number other members of Congress who are here. We've also got Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer in the house. (Applause.) We've got Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway in the house. (Applause.) And I gather we have a whole bunch of fans everywhere. (Laughter and applause.)
Today we're here to celebrate a Louisville team that always played hard, that always worked together, that stayed focused on one singular goal, and that is to bust my bracket. (Laughter.) I've been having a tough time lately on my brackets. (Laughter.) This year I was close — I had the Cardinals in the title game. But I guess I discounted the motivational power of making your 60-year-old coach promise to get a tattoo if you won. (Laughter.)
Now, we're not going to ask Coach to show it here at the White House — (laughter) — but I have to hand it to you, Coach, you did not chicken out. You kept your word. And in return, you’ve got something that will stay with you forever — a shirtless picture of you on the Internet. (Laughter.) That will never be erased. (Laughter.)
But even if the rest of us don't have a tattoo on our shoulder to serve as a reminder, I think we all agree this is a team we will not forget. It had a swarming defense and, as a consequence, the Cardinals were able to capture their school’s third national title, but their first since 1986. They ran off 16 straight wins to end the season. They captured the Big East Tournament title. They sailed through the first four games of the NCAAs.
In the Final Four, they needed a pair of three pointers from walk-on Tim Henderson to mount a late comeback. Go ahead and give Tim a big round of applause. (Applause.) Mounting a late comeback against Wichita State to make the title game. And then against Michigan, they treated us to one of the best championship games that any of us have seen in a very, very long time. Luke Hancock led the way. (Applause.) Luke! At one point scoring 14 points in a row, including four straight 3s, before helping to ice the game with a pair of free throws in the final minutes. And that made Luke one of the first — I believe the first player ever to come off the bench and win the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player. So …read more