It’s official: everyone in America is filling out a March Madness bracket.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama unveiled his picks for the NCAA tournament, continuing a tradition from throughout his presidency. The President is a big-time hoops fan, having played in high school and maintained an interest beyond.
But does his knowledge of the game give President Obama an edge in this year’s bracket? In 2013, he picked a solid bracket, landing himself in the 74th percentile in the ESPN bracket challenge, but he hasn’t picked the national champion correctly since 2009 when he tapped the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Let’s take a look at the top man in the Oval Office’s picks for the 2014 March Madness tournament.
[sc:MarchMadness ]President Barack Obama’s March Madness Picks
Round of 64
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The President–perhaps to avoid accusations of favoritism–picked amongst the fewest upsets of any of the experts’ brackets we have looked at here at Top Bet. The only underdogs he has predicted will make it to the second round are No. 9 Pittsburgh, No. 12 North Dakota State, No. 9 Oklahoma State, No. 10 Arizona State, and his alma mater No. 12 Harvard. The top-four seeds in each region advance in Obama’s bracket.
Round of 32
The President’s love for the Tar Heels hasn’t faded over the years, as he has them surviving not just a tough Providence match up in the first round, but also a No. 3 Iowa State team that many have playing into the Final Four. For the rest of the Round of 32 the President again follows the chalk.
Sweet 16
The real dance begins in the Sweet 16 in the President’s bracket. In the Midwest, he has No. 4 Louisville to upset No. 1 Wichita State, and No. 3 Duke to best No. 2 Michigan while in the East he has No. 4 Michigan State to beat the No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers.
Elite 8
If you were participating in a national election every two years (counting the mid-terms), you’d pick as few surprises as the President did at this point, don’t forget. President Obama has top seeds Florida and Arizona coasting to the Final Four out of the South and West, respectively, but in the East and Midwest he has No. 4 Louisville and No. 4 Michigan State to win their regions.
Final Four
We’d be critical of President Obama’s Final Four, except that we picked it too. While we had many, many more early-round upsets, his reasoning is sound going into the later rounds, and now we’re sweating how bold we were early on.
Our flawless bracket aside, in Arlington, Obama sticks with his 4’s and picks Michigan State and Pitino’s Louisville Cardinals to face off in the final, beating their No. 1 competition. And in the winner’s circle? No. 4 Michigan State.
Was the President right? Who do you think will run the table in 2014?
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