WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is paying tribute to a young University of Kentucky men's basketball team for winning the NCAA championship last month. It wasn't the team he had picked to win.

At a White House ceremony Friday, Obama told the team he thought they were good enough to make the NCAA finals. But he noted that a year ago several starters were still in high school.

Still, he conceded, sometimes talent overcomes experience. Kentucky defeated Kansas to win the championship.

Obama saved a man hug for team center Anthony Davis, who is from Obama's hometown of Chicago and won the Most Outstanding Player award at the Final Four.

An avid basketball fan, Obama picked North Carolina to beat Kentucky in the title game. North Carolina was eliminated in the quarterfinals.