Why a Villanova player cheered for North Carolina from behind the bench
They don’t share blood or the same last name, but they consider themselves brothers just the same and they might face each other for a national title in a week.
Villanova forward Kris Jenkins made for a curious sight Sunday night in the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia sitting behind the North Carolina bench cheering for Nate Britt and the Tar Heels in an Elite Eight game in the NCAA tournament.
Jenkins’ team already clinched a spot in the Final Four next week in Houston and he was hoping Britt’s team could do the same. The Tar Heels beat the Irish 88-74, keeping alive the possibility that these two brothers could meet in the national championship game a week from Monday.
They first became friends when they were 10 playing in AAU basketball. Not long after the friendship started, Jenkins’ parents asked Britt’s parents if they could watch their son. The Jenkins were spending a lot of time on the road and the Britt family was happy to help out.
Britt’s parents eventually became Jenkins’ legal guardians and they played on numerous basketball teams together, including at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C.
They eventually chose different paths in the college recruiting process, with Jenkins going to Villanova and Britt choosing North Carolina, but they have stayed in constant contact during their three years in college. Both are juniors and are now one victory away from the title game, putting their parents and a whole lot of friends and family members in the awkward position of not knowing whom to root for in that game.
Britt’s parents have treated Jenkins like their own son. They have seen as many Villanova games this season as they have North Carolina games. Britt and his UNC teammates will have to get by Syracuse in a national semifinal game on Saturday and Jenkins and his teammates will have to overcome national player of the year candidate Buddy Hield and the Oklahoma Sooners to reach the championship game.
We’re bound to learn much more about this unique situation and Jenkins and Britt families over the next week, especially if their dream comes true and Kris and Nate get to go head-to-head on the ultimate stage.
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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
