From The Backyard To Boston College

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. -- Brothers have a unique relationship with one another. They don't choose each other, but they spend their entire lives engaged in a friendly competition against one another. They battle, fight, one-up and otherwise spend their entire lives trying to beat each other at their own games, but it's done out of a unique love and respect. As hard as they fight, they are united by blood.

That whole explanation can be summarized in one question posed to Jared and Jairus Hamilton: if you have a chance to dunk on your brother in practice, would you take the opportunity?

"Oh, of course," Jairus said with a laugh. "I'm taking it. I'm going to trash talk him all day long."

Jared took a different approach. He tilted his head, smirking a little bit. "I'm the big brother," he said. "I have to keep him in (his) place."

Ladies and gentlemen, the Hamilton brothers.

When Boston College visited DePaul earlier this year, it was more than the Eagles' final road non-league game of the season. It represented the first time the Hamilton brothers ever suited up as members of the same basketball team. Though both had careers spanning middle school, high school and during the AAU circuit, they had never played on the same team until that game.

"I was filled with emotion," Jared said. "It was in Chicago, which is where we grew up, so we had family there. I was very excited and I wanted to do everything that I could to help my team."

"It's what you dream about," Jairus agreed. "We never had the opportunity. We missed the chance in high school by going to different schools. But having the chance now, it's something we can cherish for the rest of our lives."

Having the brothers on the same team doesn't just tug the heartstrings and create a nice story because there's a basketball element. The duo paid immediate dividends for the Eagles and fed off one another for a breakthrough. Against Virginia Tech, Jairus played 31 minutes and scored 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting. Jared pitched in 29 minutes of his own, scoring eight points while contributing a block defensively. Combining for seven rebounds, they became impact players on the court with one another.

"It's interesting because they're brothers but have only played three games together since Jared's been eligible," head coach Jim Christian said. "It's unique and fun for them. It's a very close family and those two guys can support each other."

Coming to BC became a version of the Hamilton family destiny and it represents something of an end game of their Chicago-based childhood. Jairus committed to BC during the spring signing period last year as a consensus Top 100 recruit by every major college basketball recruiting service. ESPN rated him as the 15th best power forward, and Future150 had him just outside its Top 50. He finished his prep career as the No. 2 scorer at the Cannon School with over 2,500 points in three seasons.

Jared took a different path. He played for a number of different schools as a prep standout before matriculating to Jacksonville State. After averaging nine points and 4.9 rebounds in 30 games in the Ohio Valley Conference, he transferred to Georgia Southern. Playing as a redshirt sophomore, he averaged 19 minutes per game. He decided to transfer midyear, arriving in Chestnut Hill in time for the spring semester. It forced him to miss two semesters' worth of basketball, but it allowed him to play the second half of his junior season with Jairus.

"(Playing together) was a big factor," Jairus said. "Basketball was always our life. We were always active in sports and we played them our whole life together. It's just great being a little more grown up and having the chance to do it at the college level."

"I've been able to persevere and overcome obstacles," Jared said. "So I've been able to bring something from each place that I've played and adapt to the role that I have for BC."

It creates an atmosphere where they continue to compete with one another even as they celebrate the opportunity. Off the court, the brothers are roommates, helping each other through the academic and social rigors of being college students. On the court, they share the same mentality but remain players with different skills. They are two of the same person right up until they're not.

"They're (each) a little different," head coach Jim Christian said. "Experience levels are different. Jared's been through a lot more. When Jairus does something, it's for the first time. Playing in his first-ever conference game - on the road - at Virginia Tech, the terminology, how we are guarding things, you stay positive and patient because he's such a unique talent.

"We have a guy in Jared who is athletic and can guard and give us energy," he said. "He's done a great job in his short time doing that. And then Jairus is just a unique talent. He's still shaping himself into a player and that happens every time he's in the lineup."

So when the Eagles take the court against No. 4/1 Virginia on Wednesday night, it will be more than just a basketball game for the Hamilton family. It will be a family reunion every time the whistle blows and a celebration of those backyard, childhood basketball games - even as the two brothers will likely compete to determine who did more to help BC win a game.

"It's crazy to look back in a game and see your brother (on the court)," Jairus said. "You make a play and you're like 'Wow, that happened.' But it's a blessing too."

"Going from the backyard to the biggest stage in college basketball is a real accomplishment," Jared said. "This has been a fun ride."

Boston College hosts No. 4 Virginia at 9 p.m. on Wednesday night in Conte Forum. The game can be seen on national television on ESPNU and on streaming video via the WatchESPN app. The radio broadcast can be heard locally on WEEI 850 AM and via the TuneIn app on mobile devices.

Players Mentioned

Jairus Hamilton

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