Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MANCHESTER
UNITED
Manchester United in KC Soccer superstars to play friendly match against Wizards. PAGE 27
WEDNESDAY,JULY 21,2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Jayhawk track star dies National champion runner Dick Wilson was 78. PAGE 31
PAGE 25
BOND OF BROTHERS
Family over everything
Twin basketball players spend a rare summer apart
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
F-O-E.
Those three simple letters are a staple in the Morris family. They make up the second tattoo Marcus and Markieff each-put on their arms. No amount of women and money could match it. Even when separated, the twins only care about one thing: "Family over everything."
"We cherish each other a whole lot." Markieff said. "We always think about family first. That's how we are."
If the Jayhawks have a veteran superstar, it's Marcus Morris. He earned invitations to camps hosted
by NBA All Stars Amare Stoudemire and LeBron James. In those camps, he bonded with buddies Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly from Kansas State, among other talented collegians.
Now Marcus is one of 20 college players invited to practice against the USA Men's basketball team. In other words, he gets to practice against the country's greatest NBA players. It would be perfect except for one thing - he's going alone.
It seems now "the twins" are becoming "Marcus" and "Markieff," a sign the two are defining themselves as individuals. "I really don't like it that wav."
way，”
Marcus said. "I love being the twin.I love being Markief's brother."
The twins are usually a package deal. They take all the same classes. They both get punished in practice when one messes up! And you don't have to worry about identifying them because they are always together.
Ever since Marcus' breakout season, in which he averaged 12.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, all the attention is on him. Yet the siblings regard it as mutual success.
"We're always going to share the spotlight, no matter what," Markieff said. "Neither one of us would soak without the other."
Markieff said he would love to be with his brother when he went to one of those camps, but it would be at the expense of school and his own workouts. All he'd be able to do is watch.
SEE MORRIS ON PAGE 26