President Obama, America's basketball-fan-in-chief, brought British Prime Minister David Cameron to Dayton, Ohio, this evening to take in one of America's favorite sporting events: the NCAA basketball tournament.

Obama and Cameron, dressed casually in slacks and jeans, respectively, watched courtside as Western Kentucky defeated Mississippi Valley State in the opener of the men's tournament at the University of Dayton.

The president chatted with fans in the not-quite-full arena between plays and, from afar, it looked like the president was explaining aspects of the game to the prime minister as they sat huddled next to each other, according to pool reports.

Obama and Cameron also enjoyed another great American tradition: hot dogs.

The quick trip to the swing state was intended to showcase the "close" relationship between the two nations, according to the White House.

"What makes our relationship special - a unique and essential asset - is that we join hands across so many endeavors. Put simply, we count on each other and the world counts on our alliance," the president and prime minister wrote in a joint op-ed in the Washington Post today.

The outing, part of Cameron's official visit to the United States, also gave the president another opportunity to visit the key battleground state.

While Obama carried the Buckeye State in 2008, recent polls show him in a tight race for Ohio with GOP front-runner Mitt Romney.