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SALT LAKE CITY -- March Madness is in full swing and Jimmer Mania continues to sweep the nation, spreading every where from the White House to Lawrence, Kansas.
In his annual Presidential Bracket Reveal with ESPN.com, President Barack Obama appears to be a big fan of BYU senior guard Jimmer Fredette.
The President's NCAA Tournament picks show he has the four top seeds -- Kansas, Ohio State, Duke and Pittsburgh -- going to the Final Four. He predicts that BYU will win the first two games reaching the Sweet 16 before falling to Florida.
While speaking to the president, ESPN.com senior college basketball writer Andy Katz said, "Let's go down to the southeast; BYU against Florida. I know you've been extremely busy. Have you had any kind of chance to see Jimmer Fredette from BYU?"
Pres. Obama said, "Unbelievable. Best scorer obviously in the country. Great talent."
Pres. Obama said, "Unbelievable. Best scorer obviously in the country. Great talent."
While President Obama was quick to point out the shooting ability of the All-American point guard, others are praising his hard work.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, star power forward Marcus Morris of the Kansas Jayhawks praised Jimmer for his dedication.
"Jimmer works hard too," said Morris, who was Jimmer's roommate in Las Vegas at the USA camp. "He was doing push-ups and sit-ups every night. And I was like, ‘Man, that's a hard worker.'"
Morris, who will face off against Boston University on Friday evening, said Jimmer didn't get caught up in the Vegas night life.
"He just read his Bible. Maybe he went out to eat with his friends, but he came right back in, and he went to sleep early. He was over 21, and he didn't gamble, anything like that. We were in Vegas, and he went to sleep early. But that's just the type of guy he is — he doesn't change for anybody."
It turns out that the head coach of Louisville Rick Pitino also admirers the way Jimmer carries himself.
In a press conference earlier today, Pitino recalled a story of how one of his friends approached Fredette in a New York gym last year sometime. The friend of Pitino said he was impressed with Jimmer's humility.
Patino added on his own thoughts of what impressed him about Jimmer's ability on the court.
"I obviously watched him a lot this year on television. Big fan of his. He is a young man that really understands how to play the game. He's really very difficult to stop because he's so crafty and uses both hands so well, has great range."
Story written by Jake Welch with contributions from Andrew Adams.
