CHAPEL HILL -- Of all the ties North Carolina's players have to the military, only one has actually been to the military base where Friday's game will be played - technically speaking, anyway.
In 1992, Harrison Barnes' mother Shirley was pregnant when she visited her brother Ransom, who was stationed at San Diego's North Island Naval Station at the time. That May 30, she had a son, who is now a sophomore forward for the Tar Heels.
Barnes said he had to ask his mother about any connections he might have to the military as North Carolina prepares to play Michigan State on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson on Friday, but a team spokesman confirmed the details of the visit.
That isn't Barnes' only connection to the military. Like many of North Carolina's players, his ties run deep. A great-uncle fought in Korea and Vietnam. Another uncle served in the Marines. One cousin was killed in a service accident and seven others have also served.
For him, and the other North Carolina players with and without military ties, Friday's game is about far more than just basketball.
"It'll be a great experience, especially since we're the first people to do it," Barnes said. "Us against Michigan State, two great teams going against each other. But it's not about UNC vs. Michigan State, it's about paying tribute to our soldiers that are out there, giving them credit for all the things that they do. Sometimes, I feel like what they do deserves more attention, but it's just nice to say thank you."
Barnes is far from alone. Both of Leslie McDonald's parents were in the Army. Eight of John Henson's cousins are on active duty. All told, North Carolina's players have 16 cousins or uncles serving in the military, and that doesn't include the coaching staff, like Jerod Haase's two brothers - one an F-16 pilot in the Arizona National Guard - or Joe Holladay's son, an Army Ranger who did a tour in Iraq.
As the game approaches, construction continues on the 7,000-seat stadium on the flight deck, as well as a smaller, contingency stadium indoors on one of the carrier's hangar decks. (There is a chance of rain in the forecast.) President Obama is still expected to attend, along with thousands of servicemen.
Both North Carolina and Michigan State will be wearing camouflage uniforms, and even the typically dapper Williams has promised to don special attire in honor of the occasion.
"At the tipoff, and until the final buzzer, I'm going to be concerned absolutely with the basketball game," Williams said. "But every moment up until then and every moment immediately afterward, I just hope that I'll focus on the smiles that perhaps we'll see on the faces of our military personnel. To me, it's a way of honoring our military."
Kendall Marshall understands what that means. His father spent three years in the Army and his grandmother retired as a lieutenant colonel after 26 years in the Army. He grew up listening to their stories, held himself to their standards. When he talks about service and sacrifice, he knows what they mean.
"I think what they do is so much more important than what we do," Marshall said. "We're out here playing for fun. This is almost like a hobby for us. This is every day, they're putting their life on the line. I definitely have much more respect for what they go out there and do day-to-day, as opposed to us playing basketball for fun."
When the No. 1 team in the country takes the basketball court, no matter where that court may be, that team is unavoidably the center of attention 99 percent of the time. This is the other 1 percent. On this Veterans Day, the stars will surround the court.
