President Obama picks UB to win against West Virginia on Friday

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Well, the University at Buffalo men’s basketball team has one fan pulling for them Friday – and it just so happens to be the President of the United States.

President Barack Obama picked the Bulls to upset West Virginia in his annual NCAA Tournament bracket. Obama revealed his picks on ESPN’s SportsCenter Wednesday morning.

“I liked Bobby Hurley,” the President said. “Seeing Hurley, how tough he was because he was not a big guy, but he was tough and scrappy and that’s reflected in his team.”

Obama already knows the Bulls. He visited UB’s campus in 2013 – the first time since 1853 that a sitting U.S. president spoke at the university.

In his initial remarks the president said, “Hello Buffalo! Hello Bulls! It is good to be back in Buffalo!” He announced a plan he said would make college more affordable for middle-class students.

UB takes on West Virginia on Friday in Columbus, Ohio, at 2:10 p.m. ET on TNT.

So should UB fans sleep well knowing the President is on their side? Last year, Obama’s bracket finished in the 72.9 percentile overall, according to ESPN. His best finish since becoming president was in 2011, when he was in the 87.4 percentile.