USA – President Obama keeps faith with Tar Heels in NCAA Tournament prediction

WASHINGTON D.C. (NCAA) - United States President Barack Obama took a short break from his duties on Wednesday and filled out an NCAA Tournament bracket on ESPN.

Obama, who played high school basketball while growing up in Hawaii and is still a keen player, showed he is swept up in the March Madness that always grips America and predicted that the University of North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Louisville and Memphis would reach the Final Four.

He then said for the second year in a row that Carolina would cut down the nets, something that didn't happen in 2008 when Kansas knocked off the Tar Heels and then defeated Memphis in the title game.

"I'm going with experience and, I think that (Ty) Lawson is going to be healthy," Obama said in the White House.

"I think having an experienced point guard who can control the game and make free throws at the end, that's going to be the difference."

Lawson, the Atlantic Coast Conference MVP, sat out the ACC Tournament with a toe injury and wasn't expected to be ready for Thursday's opener against Radford.

Obama showed his sense of humor before saying North Carolina would beat Louisville in the title game in Detroit on April 6.

He turned around, looked around the room and said: "Is there a drum roll around here? No drum roll?"

Obama then announced: "I'm going with the Tar Heels."

At the start of Final Four weekend, Obama will be at the NATO summit in France during a March 31-April 5 trip to England, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.

"We're going to be watching it, but it will probably be 2 in the morning where we are," said Obama. "I'm not going to be able to watch any game the whole way through, but we're going to be checking the scores."

If he is on his plane in transit, though, there’s a good chance he’ll be watching a game.

"Air Force One does have Direct TV," he said.

Obama spoke directly to the Carolina players, whom he practiced with once during his campaign.

"The Tar Heels that are watching - I picked you all last year, you let me down,” he said.

“This year, don't embarrass me in front of the nation. I'm counting on you. I still have those sneakers that you gave me."

The Tar Heels and all of the teams will no doubt borrow on Obama’s campaign slogan and think, “Yes we can.”

FIBA