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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Entertainment
Jelani Scott

Banchero Shares Candid Response When Asked About Country Music Star Eric Church

Ahead of Saturday’s historic Final Four matchup against UNC, Duke star Paolo Banchero fielded an interesting question about one of the Tar Heels’s most famous fans.

The ACC Player and Rookie of the Year was asked to comment on country music star Eric Church’s decision to cancel his concert in San Antonio so he and his family could attend the Duke-UNC game. Banchero’s candid response suggested he’s not exactly familiar with the North Carolina native’s music. 

“Yeah, Eric Church, I don’t know who that is but shout out to him, though,” he said, drawing a wave of laughter from the media in attendance. “Even though he’s supporting the other team, you know, shout out to him coming to watch. His fans, I’m sure, will have another show.”

Church, a lifelong Tar Heels fan, made the announcement on Tuesday, apologizing to his supporters for the sudden change before thanking them for allowing him to watch the big game. Church eventually made it up to his fans by announcing earlier Friday the concert will be rescheduled for September.

As Church and the rest of the sports world prepare for Saturday night, Duke enters New Orleans looking to end North Carolina’s season on a sour note in coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final meeting against the program’s most storied rival. The game is scheduled to tip-off at approximately 8:49 p.m. ET.

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