A resolution commending the University of Virginia men's basketball team for winning the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

Bill: 116-sres-164
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]
Introduced: 2019-04-11
Policy area: Sports and Recreation
Subjects: Athletes

Congressional tributes

Higher education

School athletics

Virginia
Latest action: action_date: 2019-04-11
text: Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote. (consideration: CR S2455; text: CR S2441-2442)

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-04-11
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p>This resolution congratulates the University of Virginia men's basketball team for their performance in the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.</p>

action_date: 2019-04-11
action_desc: Passed Senate
text: <p>This resolution congratulates the University of Virginia men's basketball team for their performance in the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.</p>

tv_txt: III 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 164 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 11, 2019 Mr. Warner (for himself and Mr. Kaine ) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Commending the University of Virginia men’s basketball team for winning the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

Whereas on Monday, April 8, 2019, the University of Virginia men's basketball team (referred to in this preamble as the Virginia Cavaliers ) won the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association (referred to in this preamble as the NCAA ) Division I Men’s Basketball Championship by defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders by a score of 85–77 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers made history by winning the first National Championship in men's basketball for the University of Virginia; Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers were regular season co-champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference (referred to in this preamble as the ACC ), marking the fourth time the team has won this title in the past 6 seasons; Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers finished the 2018–2019 season with a record of 35–3 and as the top-ranked scoring defense in the country, holding opponents to just 55.5 points per game; Whereas Tony Bennett, the head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers, has, along with his staff, established a program built on The Five Pillars — Humility, Passion, Unity, Servanthood, and Thankfulness; Whereas Coach Bennett has, in his 10 seasons at the University of Virginia, been named National Coach of the Year 3 times, placing him second all-time behind legendary coach John Wooden; Whereas for the second consecutive season, Coach Bennett was named ACC Coach of the Year; Whereas De’Andre Hunter and Kyle Guy received All-ACC First Team honors for the 2018–2019 season; Whereas Ty Jerome received All-ACC Second Team honors for the 2018–2019 season; Whereas De’Andre Hunter was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and was named to the ACC All-Defensive Team; Whereas to advance to the Final Four, true freshman Kihei Clark executed a precision half-court pass to teammate Mamadi Diakite, setting up his buzzer-beating tying basket; Whereas the pass from Clark to Diakite was termed the play of the century by teammate Ty Jerome; Whereas De’Andre Hunter finished the championship game with 27 points and 9 rebounds in 44 minutes; Whereas Kyle Guy finished the championship game with 24 points and a 53.3 field goal percentage in 45 minutes; Whereas De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Guy, and Ty Jerome — all part of the Virginia Cavaliers' 2016 recruiting class — scored 67 of Virginia's 85 points in the championship game; Whereas Kyle Guy was 11-for-11 in his final free throws of the tournament; Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers made all 12 of their free throws during overtime of the championship game; Whereas the entire Virginia Cavaliers team will forever be remembered for their resilience in overcoming defeat in the 2018 NCAA Tournament by winning the national championship just 1 year later; Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers represented the Commonwealth of Virginia with remarkable class, sportsmanship, dedication, and teamwork; and Whereas the Virginia Cavaliers brought pride to the Commonwealth of Virginia, the City of Charlottesville, and the greater University of Virginia community: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate— (1) congratulates and honors the University of Virginia men’s basketball team for their performance in the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament; (2) highlights and celebrates the grit, resilience, and commitment to excellence of the players, coaches, managers, parents, and families of the Virginia Cavaliers; and (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to— (A) the President of the University of Virginia, James E. Ryan; (B) the Director of Athletics at the University of Virginia, Carla Williams; and (C) the head coach of the University of Virginia men's basketball team, Tony Bennett.