Obama Fills Out NCAA Tournament Bracket, Picks North Carolina To Win

President Obama has made his pick for the 2012 NCAA Tournament. The President filled out his bracket today with ESPN and picked North Carolina to come out on top at the end of March Madness.

Obama has been filling out a NCAA tournament bracket with ESPN since he took office four years ago. (He has filled out a women’s bracket for the last three years.) Obama said:

“I love it because it’s one and done… You never know what’s going to happen and then it makes it exciting that every one of these teams is imagining themselves being the Cinderella team. … You can’t beat it.”

Obama also gave a few pointers on how to pick a good bracket. The president said that he likes to pick teams who are hot at the end of the year. He also likes teams with good point guards. Obama said:

“I am big on momentum, especially in a tournament like this. So whoever is looking hotter at the end of the year, those are the teams that I tend to be a little more inclined to pick. I like teams with good point guards because I think the ability to control the game and limit turnovers, I think that’s a big difference. Being able to make free throws, that ends up counting a little bit. Other than that, it’s all throwing darts.”

Obama said that he likes pushing for the underdog, but he just doesn’t see any Cinderella teams this year. Obama’s sweet 16 has one team (North Carolina State) who is seeded below 10th, his elite eight is comprised of all number 1, 2, and 3 seeds, and his final four is made of number 1 and 2 seeded teams.

Obama said:

“I am generally somebody who is rooting for the underdog, but this year when I look at the Big Ten, when I look at the Big 12, at some of the conferences, there are just a lot of excellent teams that are pretty balanced. I think that is going to get them through.”

Obama has Kentucky and North Carolina in the title game and believes that UNC will win the tournament.

Obama said:

“They are an older team, a more experienced team. I think Kentucky is unbelievably talented. But I think Marshall’s play, [Tyler] Zeller’s play, I see North Carolina winning it all.”

Here’s a look at President Obama’s bracket.

How do you think the president will do this year?