"I like MSU," President Obama tells Andy Katz of ESPN during their sixth White House "Barack-etology" predictions for the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
President fills in his predicted Final Four winner Wednesday morning at the White House.
Marking his choices on a display board with a marker Wednesday morning in the White House, the president selected Michigan State to defeat defending champion Louisville in the NCAA men's tournament title game.
"Tom Izzo is a great tournament coach," Obama said. "I've got Michigan State going all the way. .. . He know how to motivate folks and he knows how to coach.
"My pick: Michigan State. Bring it home for me. It's been a while since I've won my pool."
Besides the fourth-seeded Spartans and Cardinals, President Obama also selected No. 1 overall seed Florida and top seed Arizona to reach the Final Four in Arlington, Texas.
"I know these are not imaginative picks, but I think they're the right ones," Obama said of his Final Four picks.
Commenting on the Spartans, he noted: "They know how to win. They're getting healthy. . . . I think they've got a great chance of winning it." Obama said he's encouraged that guard Keith Appling and center Adreian Payne "now are healthy."
MSU's first test comes at Thursday afternoon in Spokane, Wash., against Delaware. Their first-time matchup will be shown at 4:40 p.m. on TNT.
The president is an avid fan of the college game and his hometown Chicago Bulls, ESPN notes.
