St. Andrew School Alumnus Honored At White House For NCAA Championship

Ryan Arcidiacono, a member of the NCAA champion Villanova Wildcats and a St. Andrew School alumnus, was honored by President Barack Obama Tuesday alongside his team.

The championship-winning Villanova Wildcats paid a visit to the White House, earning praise from President Obama, who even cracked a joke about his trouble pronouncing Arcidiacono's name. “Barack Obama is tough but, man, that’s a lot of vowels in there so we’re just going to call him Arch,” Obama said to laughter from the crowd.

But, jokes aside, Obama applauded the team for their efforts in both athletics and academics.

"This is a team for the ages, on and off the court," Obama said, noting the team's academic achievements and community service as well as, of course, the huge NCAA Championship win in early April.

The East Room at the White House was filled to max capacity for the event, Villanova Athletics Tweeted.

The mood was lighthearted, attendees report. According to an account shared by Villanova Athletics, the president made note of head coach Jay Wright’s style and called players Daniel Ochefu and Kris Jenkins by their nicknames, “The Chef” and “Big Smoove."

"Congratulations to the wildcats for an unbelievable season," he said.

The team honored Obama with a Villanova jersey, FOX29 reported. The team was given a tour of the White House before the ceremony.

In an unforgettable matchup, Villanova took down the University of North Carolina by a final score of 77-74, thanks to an incredible buzzer beating three-pointer from Jenkins. It was Villanova's first championship since 1985 and its second in school history.

No one could deny it was a memorable game. With just four seconds remaining and the game tied, Villanova's Ochefu sent an in-bound pass to Arcidiacano, who sent a pass to Jenkins, who launched the game winning shot as the buzzer sounded.

You can watch some of Obama's comments here: