A JOINT RESOLUTION HONORING THE DUKE BLUE DEVILS ON WINNING THE 2015 NATIONAL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.
Whereas, on April 6, 2015, the Duke University men's basketball team won the 2015 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Championship by defeating the University of Wisconsin by a score of 68‑63; and
Whereas, this championship gives Duke University its fifth Division I NCAA title for the men's basketball program, adding to the championships won in 1991, 1992, 2001, and 2010; and
Whereas, the Blue Devils have achieved an outstanding record during their NCAA tournament history, which includes being selected 13 times as a No. 1 seed and appearing in 39 tournaments with 11 championship game appearances, 16 Final Four appearances, 20 Elite Eight appearances, and 24 Sweet 16 appearances; and
Whereas, the Blue Devils finished the 2014‑2015 season with a record of 35‑4 and were ranked No. 1 by the USA Today Top 25 men's basketball coaches' poll; and
Whereas, much of the Blue Devils' success can be attributed to the leadership of head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, a Hall of Fame coach, who during his 35 seasons at Duke has led his teams to a record of 945‑251; and
Whereas, Coach Krzyzewski along with his coaching staff of associate head coach Jeff Capel and assistant coaches Nate James and Jon Scheyer guided the Blue Devils to an 11‑2 record against nationally ranked opponents, including a 6‑1 mark against top 10 foes; and
Whereas, Coach Krzyzewski maintains the record for the most number of NCAA tournament wins, capturing his 88th NCAA win during the 2015 tournament, and with five championship titles he owns the second most championships in NCAA history; and
Whereas, Duke's historic run also saw Coach Krzyzewski become the first NCAA Division I men's basketball coach to amass 1,000 career victories with the monumental win coming by virtue of a 77‑68 triumph over St. John's at Madison Square Garden on January 25, 2015; and
Whereas, many individual team members were recognized for their efforts during the year and throughout their college careers, including Jahlil Okafor, who was a consensus first team All‑America, National Freshman of the Year, and became the first freshman in ACC history to be named conference player of the year; and
Whereas, senior co‑captain Quinn Cook earned second team All‑America and All‑ACC honors after posting career‑bests in scoring, field goal percentage, free throw percentage, three‑point field goal percentage, and three‑point field goals; and
Whereas, freshman Tyus Jones was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player and was selected to the All‑Tournament team along with teammates Grayson Allen and Justise Winslow. Tysus Jones was also the South Regional MOP with Justise Winslow and Matt Jones earning spots on the South Regional All‑Tournament team; and
Whereas, each year Duke University is recognized as one the nation's best academic institutions and its basketball program continues to have one of the highest graduation rates for its athletes. In 2015, the Blue Devils placed five members (Grayson Allen, Tyus Jones, Amile Jefferson, Marshall Plumlee, and Justise Winslow) on the ACC All‑Academic team for the first time in program history; and
Whereas, these accomplishments reflect favorably on the basketball tradition that began in 1906 when Duke alumnus Wilbur Wade "Cap" Card established the sport of basketball at Duke University (then Trinity College); and
Whereas, these extraordinary accomplishments bring great honor and distinction to the State of North Carolina and deserve recognition by the State; Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
SECTION 1.  The General Assembly expresses the appreciation and admiration of the people of North Carolina to Duke University's men's basketball team for winning the 2015 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Championship.
SECTION 2.  The General Assembly especially recognizes the achievements of team members Grayson Allen, Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson, Matt Jones, Tyus Jones, Sean Kelly, Sean Obi, Jahlil Okafor, Nick Pagliuca, Marshall Plumlee, and Justise Winslow along with assistant coaches Nate James and Jon Scheyer; associate head coach Jeff Capel; and head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
SECTION 3.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Wilbur Wade "Cap" Card for his contributions to the basketball program at Duke University.
SECTION 4.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to Duke University President Richard H. Brodhead, Vice President and Director of Athletics Kevin White, and all of the individuals honored in this resolution.
SECTION 5.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.