First the basketball nation celebrated the Duke Blue Devils. Then President Obama called to congratulate Coach K and the team for winning a fourth national title.
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives paid notice.
Rep. David Price (D-NC), a Duke political science faculty member, has introduced a congressional resolution honoring the men's team for its exceptional year, which ended in an exciting 61-59 victory over Butler for the NCAA title. The resolution was introduced Wednesday and a vote is expected Thursday evening or Friday. See C-Span video of the resolution below. (Friday morning update: The resolution unanimously passed Thursday evening.)
"This improbable end to the season underscores that anything is possible in both politics and basketball," Price said in introducing the resolution. "It is also a testament to what a team should be: greater than the sum of its parts. This is an idea Duke teams have long exemplified."
He also paid particular tribute to coach Mike Krzyzewski. "Coach K's success is about mentoring young men, coaching them to succeed not just on the court but also in the classroom and in life. His teams uphold a high standard of academic excellence, achieving a graduation success rate of 92 percent and boasting a strong tradition of Academic All-Americans."
Price noted that it was the second year in a row that he introduced a similar motion: His district also covers the Chapel Hill home of last year's NCAA champion UNC Tar Heels.
Resolutions like these are usually routine measures, requiring 25 co-sponsors to move to the full House. They change no laws. But Politico, an online news service covering Capitol Hill noted that Price expected some pushback from some congressional basketball fans who are jealous of Duke's success.
But as Price introduced the resolution, it drew support even from Butler fans, including Rep. Mike Pence (R.-Ind.) who praised both teams and stated his admiration for Coach K and Duke.