They did it: Brothers Nate Britt and Kris Jenkins to play for national title

Two young men who have been close friends since they were 10 years old, shared the same home in high school and consider themselves brothers will compete against each other Monday night in the national championship game.

Kris Jenkins, a junior forward, scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in leading Villanova to a historic win over Oklahoma on Saturday in one national semifinal. Junior guard Nate Britt played a less substantial role in helping top-seed North Carolina beat No. 10 seed Syracuse.

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Jenkins and Britt first began discussing the possibility of playing against each other for the national title when the NCAA bracket was released three weeks ago and they noticed it was a possibility since they were on opposite sides of the bracket.

In the time since, their story has gained substantial attention. Jenkins actually sat behind the North Carolina bench during an Elite Eight game last week, rooting for his dear friend to reach the Final Four after he and his Villanova teammates already had punched their ticket.

Jenkins and Britt played together at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. and were highly recruited. Britt’s parents became Jenkins’ legal guardians, which makes their brotherly bond even more substantial.

They went their separate ways for college but will be reunited on the court for the first time in college on the biggest stage Monday, capping a fascinating season with a fun story no matter who wins.

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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