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SAN DIEGO*— Unlike many of his teammates anxious to perform well Friday night with President Obama expected to sit courtside, North Carolina point guard Kendall Marshall isn't all that worried about what the Commander in Chief thinks of his game.
In fact, Marshall would have preferred a different celebrity had received an invitation aboard the ship instead.
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"Playing in front of the president would be a big deal to some people, but I kind of wish Will Ferrell or someone like that was going to be here," Marshall said. "When I think about San Diego, I think about Anchorman and of course Will Ferrell. I think I'd be a lot more nervous if he were here."
Several of Marshall's North Carolina teammates got a chuckle out of his comment,* but most of the Tar Heels were eager to play well with the president in the audience. They know its a rare opportunity to play in front of Obama, who last attended a college game when Georgetown hosted Duke in Jan. 2010.
Dexter Strickland plans to brag to his kids one day that he played in front of the president. Harrison Barnes hopes the Tar Heels play well enough to influence the president when he fills out his NCAA tournament bracket next March. And John Henson admitted he wants to leave a good first impression.
"I don't want him to go back talking about that sorry kid from North Carolina," Henson quipped. "Hopefully I can put on a good performance."