Coach Kareem Richardson and former team meet the President

The University of Missouri-Kansas City’s men’s basketball coach, Kareem Richardson, headed to the White House today. Richardson, along with the rest of the University of Louisville Cardinals men’s basketball team and coaching staff, met with President Barack Obama in celebration of their 2012-2013 National Championship.

CBS Sports reported that Obama joked with the team, saying, “[Louisville] always played hard, worked together and worked on one singular goal: to bust my bracket.”

Richardson served the team as an assistant coach under legendary coach Rick Pitino. Richardson became UMKC’s head coach in late March. During a recent press conference, Richardson said he has high expectations for UMKC’s upcoming season.

“There’s no reason we shouldn’t be a mid-major household name,” Richardson said. “The team we put on the floor will be tough, well-disciplined, and high-character men who do it the right way. And we will play an exciting style.”

That style will be fast and defense-oriented, he said, featuring multiple full-court-press techniques similar to the Louisville style.