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Barack Obama and other celebrities predict Alabama to make deep March Madness run

Barack Obama and other celebrities predict Alabama to make deep March Madness run

USA Today20-03-2025

Barack Obama and other celebrities predict Alabama to make deep March Madness run
Former President Barack Obama unveiled his 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket picks for March Madness on Thursday, as did various other high-profile figures.
It's an annual tradition for the 44th president, who has made his bracket predictions public since his first year in office in 2009. As for where Obama sees Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide in March Madness?
Obama has Alabama making a second straight run to the Elite Eight and reaching the East Regional final against the No. 1 seed Duke Blue Devils. Obama picked Duke to beat the Crimson Tide in the Elite Eight in Newark, N.J.
The former president picked Duke to beat the Florida Gators in the national championship game on April 7 in San Antonio. Obama is riding high on the SEC entering March Madness and has two other conference teams reaching the Final Four: the Auburn Tigers and Tennessee Volunteers.
Obama wasn't the only high-profile figure to release a bracket ahead of March Madness 2025. Here are some other celebrity predictions for the NCAA Tournament.
New York Yankees legend picks Alabama to win first NCAA Tournament, national championship
Former New York Yankees pitcher and World Series champion CC Sabathia has Alabama not only making a return trip to the Final Four this year, he picks the Crimson Tide to win their first national championship. Sabathia has Auburn, Tennessee and Rick Pitino's St. John's Red Storm joining Nate Oats' team in the Final Four, with Alabama beating St. John's for the title.
Boston Red Sox, MLB star predicts Alabama-Auburn rematch in March Madness national championship game
Boston Red Sox infielder Alex Bregman, a former LSU baseball star, has Alabama reaching the Final Four along with Auburn, Florida, and the UCLA Bruins. Unlike Sabathia, Bregman took Alabama to lose in the national championship game -- to rival Auburn.
Alabama football great picks Auburn to reach Final Four over Crimson Tide
Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl champion DeVonta Smith didn't let ties to his alma mater affect his NCAA Tournament bracket. The former Crimson Tide receiver and 2020 Heisman Trophy winner picked Auburn to reach the Final Four over Alabama, who he sees losing in the Elite Eight to Duke.
Smith has Duke and Bruce Pearl's Tigers joining Houston and UConn in San Antonio. He predicts that Dan Hurley's Huskies will win their third straight NCAA championship.
What channel is Alabama NCAA Tournament game on? Time, TV information
Alabama, the No. 2 seed in the East Region of the bracket, opens the NCAA Tournament Friday against No. 15 seed Robert Morris at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:40 a.m. CT. The game will be televised on truTV.
RELATED: Alabama basketball's full NCAA Tournament history, record under head coach Nate Oats
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.

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