BRISTOL, Conn. — Barack Obama is picking North Carolina to defeat Louisville for the NCAA championship, a relatively safe pick for a trailblazing president.

Obama spent part of Tuesday making his tournament picks for ESPN, which posted his completed bracket online Wednesday and showed the First Fan filling it out with Andy Katz on the noon edition of "Sportscenter."

The president had top-seeded Pittsburgh join the No. 1-seeded Tar Heels and Cardinals in the Final Four, but chose second-seeded Memphis to beat Connecticut in the West Regional.

"Here's what I like about Carolina: experience and balance," Obama said.