President Barack Obama picks the Kansas Jayhawks to win the 2010 National Championship.
New York — The First Fan appears to be a big fan of basketball programs from Kansas.
President Barack Obama predicted Kansas University and Kansas State to join Kentucky and Villanova in the men’s basketball Final Four this season, with the Jayhawks defeating Kentucky for the title.
Obama filled out a bracket for ESPN for the second straight year Wednesday.
Last year, Obama correctly picked North Carolina to win the national championship. His bracket ranked 903,125th overall, just above the 80th percentile in ESPN’s online contest.
“He is 1-0, isn’t he?” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “I saw that. Since he was right last year, I think he’s a very wise man. Obviously, he’s a wise man anyway. Hopefully, it’ll play out to be true. I’m sure it’s all in good fun.”
Obama predicted in January that Kentucky would reach the national championship game when he called coach John Calipari to congratulate the program on raising more than $1 million as part of the “Hoops for Haiti” telethon.
Obama said he likes the Jayhawks’ experience, including senior guard Sherron Collins.
“Balanced team. They’ve got Collins in the backcourt. I always like teams in the tournament who’ve got experience,” Obama told ESPN’s Andy Katz. “Terrific guards.”
Kansas sophomore forward Markieff Morris certainly approved of the president’s pick.
“That’s my main man, now,” Morris said. “I smiled a lot. He chose North Carolina last year, and North Carolina won it. And he chose us this year. Maybe he can be right two years in a row.”
If things play out like Obama anticipates, the Jayhawks would have to beat Kansas State for the fourth time this season to reach the national championship game.
Asked if Obama had seen K-State coach Frank Martin and his menacing sideline glare, the president replied: “I have. He’s a scary dude. I could send him up to Congress to get them to vote for health care.
“I’ll tell you what, Kansas State impresses me,” Obama said. “They always play tough. And I think they’re going to be motivated. They get to the Final Four.”
Obama predicted several first-round upsets: No. 13 seed Siena over Purdue, 12th-seeded Cornell to beat Temple and Murray State to upset fourth-seeded Vanderbilt.
“I think it’s cool, man. I’m not sure that’s what the president should be doing all day,” Kansas sophomore Tyshawn Taylor joked. “He picked North Carolina last year. Hopefully, that’s good luck for us.”
Other teams that Obama likes include No. 1 seeds Syracuse and Duke, both of which he has losing in the round of eight, second-seeded West Virginia and No. 3 seed Georgetown.
“We want to go meet him,” Morris said of a potential trip to the White House. “That’s the only way we’re going to meet him is to win a national championship. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
— KU basketball beat writer Gary Bedore contributed to this story.
Comments
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jfcm77 (anonymous) says…
I love football!
youngjayhawk (anonymous) says…
Smart guy, our prez!
labmonkey (anonymous) says…
Damn you Obama....you have cheapened the Tourney for me.
blackfox (anonymous) says…
Doesnt he have more important things to work on? Oh thats right, he has already screwed up the ecconomy and no one wants his health plan. Ok, he has nothing better to do.
g_rock (anonymous) says…
See and I thought that he would have picked a school from a blue state?
jaywalker (anonymous) says…
Cool
autie (anonymous) says…
same final four as mine...hmmm??? Idiot picked Murray State over Vanderbilt. epic fail there.
ralphralph (anonymous) says…
I deem KU to be National Champions.
milehighhawk (anonymous) says…
Blackfox: You're right. He's not very smart and probably spent all week fretting over his picks.
g_rock (anonymous) says…
Maybe he put some money on this and when KU wins, he can help out the economy???
yankeevet (anonymous) says…
rock chalk Obama!!!!!!!!!!!! hoorah!!! Go KU
weegee (anonymous) says…
blackfox--Congratulations on being the first person to make the obligatory inane comment.
calvin (anonymous) says…
This provides proof that any dumb a$$ can figure it out.
kik1958 (anonymous) says…
I wish the prez would get off my band wagon. With his support we could lose!
sundancewierdo (anonymous) says…
He picked UNC last year and they won! I say he knows his basketball...
XEPCT (anonymous) says…
no kidding blackfox ... it's well documented that our president likes to ball, but he isn't allowed to relax a little and fill out a bracket? Lest you not forget, the eventual winners are rewarded with a trip to his home. :D :D :D Rock Chalk!!!!!
camper (anonymous) says…
I knew only by reading the title and before driling in that someone would give the ole' "Doesn't he have anything better to do speach". Blackfox wins the prize.
I think it is possible, even if you are trying to solve a quadratic equation, or even by God, the President, you could walk outside and judge how the weather is. By the same token you could probably make a guess at who will win the NCAA tournament or how many home runs Pujols will hit this year, or albeit what the cafateria will be serving today.
Congratulations dumbfox.
camper (anonymous) says…
Dumbfox say's, "no one wants his health plan. Ok, ".
Actually, the Obama Health Plan is about 50/50 in public opinion. What do you mean when you say no one? God help it if anyone relies on you to be the decision man.
pizzapete (anonymous) says…
This woundn't have happened if Bush were in office.
riverdrifter (anonymous) says…
I'm with Autie: the prez's final four is the same as mine. I need to check the No. 1 Dude's first round picks. That's the sticky wicket.
riverdrifter (anonymous) says…
pizzapete (anonymous) says…
This woundn't have happened if Bush were in office.
You can say that again. He would've picked Texas to win it all.
grammaddy (anonymous) says…
Just for that, he gets my vote (again) in 2012. The haters will commence in 5...4...3... rock chalk!!
chasmo (anonymous) says…
Wow that is spooky.. Me and the Prez pick the same final four and the winner. I hope he is right. I could use the money!
toe (anonymous) says…
If they do not win, he will hold congress in session until a law deeming KU to win is passed. He will do this even if reconciliation is required.
notajayhawk (anonymous) says…
grammaddy (anonymous) says…
"Just for that, he gets my vote (again) in 2012."
Hurray, you finally found a reason!
outtatowntownie (anonymous) says…
Autie: Not so much an epic fail after all, eh?
parrothead8 (anonymous) says…
autie (anonymous) says…
same final four as mine...hmmm??? Idiot picked Murray State over Vanderbilt. epic fail there.
Yeah...epic fail.
XEPCT (anonymous) says…
autie said "Idiot picked Murray State over Vanderbilt. epic fail there."
Who's the idiot? (it's you...)
beatrice (anonymous) says…
autie ... big ouch. I believe you owe the President an epic apology.
1029 (anonymous) says…
Hey, Bush-haters, give it up already. Bush did fill out a bracket. He has the Lakers beating the 49ers.