The Oregon State University men's basketball team might have felt some additional excitement and pressure to perform when first fan, U.S. President Barack Obama, and family showed up to cheer the team at a tournament in Hawaii, Reuters reported.
Coached by Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama's older brother, the Obama family watched the OSU Beavers on Sunday night. Going into a matchup with the University of Akron Zips at the Diamond Head Classic, OSU held a 6-2 record.
The annual eight-team invitational event saw the the Obamas, with daughters Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12, arrive at their courtside seats just before game-time to muted cheers, Reuters reported.
Joining his group was a boyhood friend of Obama, Bobby Titcomb, members of Craig Robinson's family, and Marian Robinson, the mother of Michelle and Craig. Obama was seen chatting with White House chef Sam Kass, who was sitting nearby, throughout the game.
Obama wore a lilac polo shirt and dark slacks and Michelle Obama wore a red and white striped t-shirt, shorts and sandals. Having coached for two seasons at the Ivy League Brown University before, Robinson is in his sixth season as head coach of Oregon State. He played college basketball with Princeton University from 1979 to 1983.
At half time Akron led the Beavers by 35-34.
Stan Sheriff Center saw an audience that filled about half of the 10,300-seat stadium. Located on the University of Hawaii campus, it is about 17 miles from where the Obama family is renting a vacation home in the upscale neighborhood of Kailua.
The first family arrived in Hawaii late on Friday and has no official events scheduled during their two-week vacation. Obama ventured out on Saturday for a round of golf with Titcomb, Kass and Marvin Nicholson, one of the president's schedulers.
