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Siblings star in NCAA Tournament: 'My sister is here with me on this stage? That is a blessing'
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- Siblings star in NCAA Tournament: 'My sister is here with me on this stage? That is a blessing'
It only took one season of Angel and Julian Reese playing on the same team for their mom, also named Angel, to realize it was a terrible idea.
"Oh my gosh, never again," mom Angel, who played in college at Maryland-Baltimore County, told USA TODAY Sports. "At the time, Angel's skillset was a little more advanced and she was more aggressive, so she took charge. Well Julian wanted to shoot more, and have her shoot less. They were bickering nonstop. It was unbearable."
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From that point on, mom decided to schedule around tip times for two teams.
That's the case this weekend, too, as both Angel, a 6-foot-3 sophomore forward for the third-seeded LSU women, and Julian, a 6-foot-9 sophomore forward for the Maryland men, play in their respective NCAA tournaments.
Angel is a double-double star for the Tigers who averages 23.4 points and 15.5 rebounds. Julian moved into a starting role this year for the No. 8 seed Terrapins, averaging 11.2 points and 7.3 rebounds. Mom is hoping to fly to Birmingham, Alabama, to watch Julian first, then head to Baton Rouge, where LSU is set to host.
"This time of year, I live out of a suitcase," she said. "But it's worth it."
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She's not the only one. Basketball bloodlines are a common storyline throughout the history of March Madness with dads coaching sons, mothers coaching daughters and siblings taking turns in the tournament spotlight. But it's rare for a brother and sister to star at the same time.
This month there are at least three sets of siblings in the Big Dance. Besides Angel and Julian Reese there's Cass Prosper, an early enrollee for the Notre Dame women and older brother Olivier-Maxence "OMax" Prosper, a junior forward who averages 12.4 points and 4.6 rebounds for the No. 2 seedMarquette men, a Final Four favorite. Cass ,a freshman guard for the third-seeded Irish ,has played in just 19 games, averaging 4.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20 minutes per game.
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Perhaps most rare of all are the Jaquez siblings, who both play at UCLA. Senior guard/forward Jaime Jr. (13.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists) was the Pac-12 player of the year, while little sister and freshman Gabriela comes off the bench for the fourth-seeded Bruins, averaging 6.4 points.
Gabriela joked that her parents spent so much time at Pauley Pavilion this winter, they might as well have moved in. With the UCLA men and women playing at home alternate weekends, the Jaquez family — which lives just 45 miles west in Camarillo — doesn't have to go far to see Jaime and Gabriela. Until this weekend, at least: The fourth-seeded women host games Saturday and Monday, but the second-seeded men tip off Thursday in Sacramento.
UCLA women's and men's basketball players Gabriela Jaquez, left, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. pose at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Aug. 23, 2022.
The Bruins actually have a history of sibling stars : Ann Meyers, one of the greatest women's players of all time, and her brother Dave both won national championships in Westwood (Ann in the AIAW, Dave in the NCAA) though they did not play at the same time.
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The Jaquez siblings know the Meyers set a high standard. It's one they're eager to meet.
"My brother wanted to come to UCLA to bring UCLA back to what it was, and I wanted to come here and do something that's never been done before," Gabriela said.
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Competition everywhere
With multiple Division I athletes in the family, competition abounds — on and off the court.
Jaime boasted that he's the chef in the family, and makes superior pasta. Hearing this, Gabriela sighed deeply.
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"I'll give him that," she conceded. But she's the stylish one. When Jaime has to dress up for an important occasion — like an awards ceremony or a date — "he calls me and asks, 'does this outfit look good?' I'm the fashion consultant." She's also quick to brag that she's beat Jaime a few times in pickleball.
The Reese siblings compare drip, sister Angel said, taking note of each other's wardrobe and sneaker collection. When Julian flew to South Carolina with his mom for the Tigers' showdown with No. 1 South Carolina in February, Julian "looked like a million bucks," she grudgingly admitted.
When they were both playing at Maryland in the 2021-22 season, Angel Reese said she went to all her brother's games and "yelled the whole time."
Meanwhile in Canada, a years-long Monopoly battle in the Prosper household continues. Everything is a competition when both parents played college basketball (mom Guylaine also played for the Canadian national team.) Mom, Cass and OMax agree, is the most competitive Prosper, evidenced by her decision to run up the Monopoly score when the kids were little.
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"Of course we didn't just let them win," Guylaine said. "They had to learn how to be competitive!"
During the COVID lockdown, when Cass and OMax were home and only had access to their driveway hoop, they played daily games of two-on-two, kids vs. parents.
"We usually won because, you know, the cardio factor," Cass said.
"It wasn't pretty for them," Omax added.
When their parents tired, Cass and OMax switched to one-on-one, where the only rule was no dunking.
"If he tries that, I just foul him hard," Cass said.
Chided OMax in response, "I don't need to dunk to beat her."
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Watching and cheering for each other
It can be hard for siblings both playing Division I to watch each other. DVR helps, but whenever they can attend in person, they do.
When Angel and Julian Reese were both at Maryland last season Angel "went to all his games and yelled the whole time," she said. Most of it was encouragement, but she didn't shy away from sharing constructive criticism, too.
When they were younger, Cass Prosper (second from left) said her older brother OMax (far right) gave her feedback on her game “whether I wanted it or not,” a favor she now returns.
In high school, Cass got frequent feedback from OMax "whether I wanted it or not," a favor she now returns.
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"After a loss, I read the stat sheet and figure out why they lost and then let him know what he needs to do better, even if the doesn't want to hear it," Cass said.
Wisecracks aside, it's not lost on any of the sibling sets that their situation is special.
"Playing in one of the biggest sporting events in the world, that's something you can only dream of," OMax said. "And now my sister is here with me on this stage? That is a blessing."
He's got no doubt that she'll shine in her first NCAA Tournament. The bracket he filled out is proof.
"I'm picking Notre Dame to the Final Four," OMax said. "I know they have undefeated South Carolina in the way, but it's March, anything can happen. And I'll bet on my little sister any day."
Follow Lindsay Schnell on Twitter at @Lindsay_Schnell .
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness boasts siblings including UCLA's Jaime, Gabriela Jaquez
