Bailey, who led the Wolfpack with 15 points in the title game, spearheaded the effort to make the trip. He wrote a letter to the president in which he said, "the one thing that has eluded us for these many years is a chance for the members of our team to visit the White House by invitation of the President of the United States. But my hope is that you will grant an opportunity to a team who truly embodied the definition of what sports should represent."
He also reached out to his friend Utah senator Orrin Hatch, who also wrote a letter to the president.
"The joy and the euphoria of winning a national title against all odds, as well as the pain and devastation of losing members of that family, are important parts of who I am," Bailey said, according to the Wolfpack website. "Contacting President Obama was one piece of our incredible journey that had eluded us for far too long."
