Baller-in-Chief

This is not the time for vague news talk, so please excuse my informality as it is only an effort at clarity.

To be frank, it is still not known for certain whether President Obama will attend tomorrow’s men’s basketball game against Oregon State. It was reported to be “confirmed” by an anonymous and nonspecific source at 4:02 this afternoon, but 28 minutes later Director of Athletics Jack Kvancz told me he still had not heard any definite word one way or the other. At 4:52, Shin Inouye, the White House’s Director of Specialty Media, e-mailed me in response to a phone call to say there still were no updates on the president’s weekend schedule.

But what do we know?

We know that preparations are being made should Obama choose to attend. Kvancz told me Tuesday that GW “better have a Plan B because Plan B might become Plan A real quick,” which is to basically say that they are going about things as if Obama will be there. Kvancz seemed to indicate that he personally expects it to happen, given the extent of the security proceedings that were being undertaken. We also know that the president met the Oregon State team today and that junior guard Calvin Haynes said that Obama “said he’s coming. We really didn’t have to ask him.”

And then there are the security measures already apparent around Smith Center tonight. Photo Editor Viktors Dindzans snapped this photo of a sign announcing an emergency parking ban outside the building between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. tomorrow and this image of a guard rail already being placed outside the G Street entrance.

I know it may not seem like much and it’s not particularly juicy info, but all indications from officials are that although preparations are in place, nothing is official. Be sure to stay tuned for all available updates as soon as we get them, as well as coverage of the game itself.