President Barack Obama is relying on North Carolina to take home the trophy for the best team in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
After two consecutive years of choosing the wrong team, Obama correctly chose the Tar Heels back in 2009 when the team went on to win the championship game against Michigan State, winning 89-72.
In the past, Obama has gone with the favored team as the tournament proceeds. This year, the biggest upset in his bracket comes in the first round as Obama has Virginia Commonwealth University, No. 12 team in the South, beating No. 5 seed Wichita State.
The president has the Georgetown Hoya’s, No. 3 in the Midwest, falling to North Carolina State, No. 11 in the region.
In his final four, Obama chose North Carolina (No. 1 in the Midwest region), Missouri (No. 2 in the West), Ohio State (No. 2 in the East) and Kentucky (No. 1 in the South).
And in the championship game hosted on April 2, Obama has North Carolina beating Kentucky. “I am just a sucker for the Tar Heels,” he told ESPN. “I think it will come down to the wire. But in the end, I think it goes back down to Chapel Hill,” NPR reported.
Reigning champions are the University of Connecticut Huskies who beat Butler University in 2011, 53-41.
Skeptics are likely to say the president’s pick is motivated by his desire to win the Tar Heel State in the November election — in 2008 he narrowly defeated John McCain with a .3 percent margin of victory in the state.