040214_NEWS_Obama_MRM_09.JPG

Michigan Wolverines senior Jordan Morgan waves as President Obama mentions him as he give a speech at the Intramural Building during a visit to Ann Arbor on Wednesday, April 2, 2014.

(Melanie Maxwell | The Ann Arbor News)

A contrite President Obama apologized to more than a 1,000 University of Michigan students during a speech at the Ann Arbor campus Wednesday, saying he shouldn't have picked Michigan State to win the NCAA tournament.

In his NCAA bracket the Commander in Chief picked the Spartans to win the tournament by besting Louisville in the final game.

"My bracket is a mess," Obama said.

The president was in town Wednesday to talk about raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, up from the current level of $7.25. But his policy message didn't stop him from talking about his favorite sport: basketball.

Obviously Wolverine fans weren't pleased with his pick of Michigan State, which shattered last weekend when Michigan State fell to the University of Connecticut 60-54 in the East Region final.

Michigan also did not advance to the Final Four, losing agains Kentucky in a Elite Eight matchup.

"I understand Jordan wanted me to talk about my bracket," Obama said at the beginning of his speech as fifth-year basketball player Jordan Morgan looked on. "I've learned my lesson. I will not pick against the Wolverines. It's not going to happen."

Obama spoke at the U-M's Intramural Sports Building on Wednesday at about 2:30 p.m. to a crowd of 1,400 people, mostly students.

President Obama speaks to an audience of University of Michigan students at the Intramural Building during a visit to Ann Arbor on Wednesday, April 2, 2014.

Obama praised the Michigan basketball team — calling out Morgan, Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III, all of whom where in attendance. Obama also highlighted basketball coach John Beilein.

"These guys were outstanding this year," Obama said to applause.

"You guys had a great run. That last game was as good of a game as we've seen the entire season," he continued, referring to Michigan's 75-72 loss to Kentucky in the final moments of the game. "If you’d had five more seconds, it would have been helpful."

Obama also drew some ire, albeit playful, from the crowd when he insinuated that Stauskas will make a lot of money in the NBA when he leaves Michigan, hinting at speculation that the Wolverine's star player won't be returning to the school next year.

Michigan sophomore Nik Stauskas and senior Jordan Morgan react to a few students chanting "two more years" to Stauskas as they sit in the audience before President Obama visit at the Intramural Building during a visit to Ann Arbor on Wednesday, April 2, 2014.

"I'm not telling you to leave," he joked.

The president drew cheers when he praised Morgan as a star student athlete, noting that Morgan completed his undergraduate degree in engineering and is now enrolled in a masters program — all while playing for the Wolverines.

"I want to congratulate Jordan for playing more games at Michigan than any other player in history [and] not only earning an undergraduate degree in engineering, pursuing a graduate degree in engineering as well," Obama said. "That's the kind of student athlete we're talking about."

Morgan said seeing Obama speak was "at the top of the list" in terms of his experiences at U-M.

“It’s crazy. This doesn’t happen for everyone,” Morgan said before Obama's speech. “He’s been here twice since I’ve been here, which is something special already, and this time I’m going to get the opportunity to see him.”

Obama in his speech rallied for support of an increase in minimum wage. He wants the federal government to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, up from the current level of $7.25 an hour.

Sophomore basketball player Robinson said Obama's message of raising the minimum wage resonates with him.

“We know people like that, people working on minimum wage,” Robinson said. “Most of our families are like that, so for today we are just regular students, regular people also and this is important for us.”

Kellie Woodhouse covers higher education for the Ann Arbor News. Reach her at kelliewoodhouse@mlive.com or 734-255-5303 and follow her on twitter.