NCAA tournament game pits President Obama against Joe Biden

SPOKANE — Loser has to make coffee for a week in the Oval Office?

Thursday’s East Regional game pitting No. 4 Michigan State and No. 13 Delaware is more than just a basketball game.

It’s also comes with high-level bragging rights.

President Obama, in his annual bracket selection with ESPN, picked Michigan State to win the national title.

To do that, the Spartans will have get get past Delaware, the school once attended by Vice President Joe Biden.

Delaware Coach Monte Ross said Biden called him recently to wish the team good luck.

“He’s not jumping on the bandwagon,” Ross said. “He is Delaware through and through.”

Biden, before he became vice president, was the longtime senior U.S. senator from Delaware.

Ross said Biden originally tried to call him before Delaware’s win over William & Mary in the Colonial Athletic Conference Tournament.

Ross doesn’t take phone calls on game day and pressed “ignore” on the call from the 202 area code.

Later, listening to his messages, Ross learned the call was from Biden.

“Bad move to ignore the vice president,” Ross joked. “Really bad move.”

Ross said he eventually spoke with Biden by phone while the vice president was in Chile attending a state dinner.