Barack Obama reveals his NCAA tournament picks
It’s no secret that Barack Obama is a big basketball fan.
Throughout his presidency, he made it a tradition of sorts to reveal his NCAA tournament picks — men’s and women’s. Even with Donald Trump now in the Oval Office, the 44th President has continued to unveil his bracket to the world.
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This year, he has Michigan State, the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, knocking off No. 1 overall seed Virginia in the national title game. Joining the Spartans and Cavaliers in the Final Four in Obama’s bracket are North Carolina, the No. 2 seed in the West, and Villanova, the No. 1 seed in East.
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Obama’s bracket is pretty light on upsets this year. Unsurprisingly, the longtime Chicago native has Loyola-Chicago knocking off Miami in a 6-11 showdown in the South. Other upsets on his bracket include No. 12 New Mexico State besting No. 5 Clemson in the Midwest and Syracuse — provided it moves past Arizona State in a Wednesday night First Four game — defeating TCU, the Midwest’s No. 6 seed.
Beyond a few 7-10 upsets, Obama is sticking with the chalk this year. In fact, the lowest-seeded team to reach the Sweet 16 in his bracket is West Virginia, the No. 5 seed in the East.
Obama picked 10 correct Sweet 16 teams last year, but was 1-for-4 in the Final Four. That one, however, was his correct national title pick: North Carolina.
In the women’s bracket, Obama is predicting a rematch of last year’s thrilling semifinal, UConn vs. Mississippi State, in the final. Like last year, Obama has the Huskies — who enter the tournament with a perfect 32-0 record once again — winning it all, even after MSU (32-1) pulled off the upset last year before falling to South Carolina in the final.
Joining UConn and Mississippi State in the Final Four in Obama’s bracket are Notre Dame (29-3) and Louisville (32-2).
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Oh, and if you were wondering, President Trump opted not to fill out a bracket last year. There has been no indication he will this year, either, though a recent poll shows 38 percent of Americans would like him to do so.
More from Yahoo Sports:
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• Aaron Rodgers posts heartfelt tribute to Jordy Nelson
• How one upset can change everything for a school
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Sam Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
