Four Brothers on Basketball Team Give Trailblazers a Sibling Spirit

Basketball is fast and physical. It requires skill, precision and teamwork. But what happens when your brother is one of your teammates? Does it change the dynamic? Do you feel even more pressure to perform?

Let’s ask Demaryon and Dre’yon Thornton—and Sedric and JT Curry—two sets of siblings playing on the UNT Dallas Trailblazers men’s basketball team during the current 2025-26 season. Here’s how they answered when asked, “Do you make each other better or get on each other’s nerves?”

“Both,” said Dre’yon, a freshman. “He’s taking my throws, my points,” he explained with a smile and a smirk.

”It’s my last year, I have to do everything I can,” said Demaryon, a senior. He plans to play hoops overseas after graduation.

“We make each other better every day,” said JT.

“We know each other. We learn new moves together,” said Sedric.

Basketball fans can see those moves and throws on display when the Trailblazers play their last two games of the regular season on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, at 3 p.m., at the Trinity Leadership gymnasium in Cedar Hill. Students, employees, alumni and residents are all invited to cheer on the team - and the women's team, too, which plays two hours earlier on each day. Admission and ticket information below.

How They Got Here

All four young men played competitive basketball in high school. Then they went different directions but all ended up here – for different reasons.

“To be part of the original team,” said Demaryon. He’s been at UNT Dallas since the start of the basketball program in 2021.

“Because of my brother,” said Dre’yon.

“I’m able to do what I’m best at,” said Sedric. “I can do well on a daily basis and contribute to the team.”

“I came in the summer and saw the guys and they were good. I said, "I really want to play with them',” said JT.

Although Demaryon and Dre’yon were born in Chicago, they grew up around the corner in Lancaster in southern Dallas County. UNT Dallas was a logical choice: They could pursue their degrees in business, play basketball, and live at home. Whether one season for Dre’yon or five for Demaryon, the siblings have learned a lot of lessons on and off the court.

“Stay consistent,” said Demaryon. “Give it your all.”

“Don’t take anything for granted,” said Dre’yon.

For Sedric and JT, both juniors, it was not such a direct route. In basketball terms, you might call it a weave. At first, the brothers stayed near home and played at LSU in Baton Rouge, LA. As sophomores, they moved across the state line to East Texas Baptist University. Now, as juniors, they have found a more distant, yet closer place to play.

““It’s a better fit,” said JT. “With an NBA coach (former Dallas Maverick Josh Howard), you pick up different things. He breaks it down.”

Basketball Brothers Boom

Brothers on the same basketball team are more common than you might think. In the NBA this season, there are 12 sibling duos, including three sets of twins. The Thompson twins, Amen and Ausar, made history in 2023 as the first brothers selected in the top five of the same NBA draft. In 2019, the Holiday brothers—Jrue, Justin, and Aaron—became the first trio of brothers to appear in the same NBA game. 

But two sets of siblings on the same team at the same time is unusual, whether professional or collegiate.

'“Each brother contributes in their own unique way. They were recruited for a reason,” said head coach and athletic director Josh Howard, who played 10 years in the NBA, most of them with the Dallas Mavericks. “We leverage their individual strengths for collective success. As they grow and perform at a higher level, so does the entire team.”

Howard has high expectations of his team. When asked, “What’s more important, skills or attitude,” the brothers’ responses reflect Howard’s values. All four said the same thing.

“Attitude,” Demaryon and Dre’yon said in unison.

“Skills matter, but attitude is #1,” said JT. “You gotta be coachable.”

“You gotta have a great work ethic,” said Sedric. “And a great heart.”

Playing for a college coach with NBA experience is challenging. Playing with your sibling is…

“Fun,” said Dre’yon.

“Exciting,” said Demaryon.

“Outstanding,” said JT.

“Remarkable,” said Sedric.

Seniors in the Spotlight

The final game of the regular season, on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, is known as “Senior Day,” where senior student-athletes will be honored, including Demaryon and four others on the men’s team. Four senior women will also be recognized.

All fans are encouraged to turn out in force to support the Trailblazers at the Trinity Leadership gymnasium, 1231 E Pleasant Run Rd, Cedar Hill, TX. Game time for the men’s team is 3 p.m. The women’s team tips off at 1 p.m. 

Admission to the game is free to all UNT Dallas students and employees (with ID). Tickets are available for others at low cost: Adults $7, kids aged 5-14 years old $5, under the age of 5 are free.

As these four Trailblazers and their teammates prepare for their final game of the regular season, with hopes of making the playoffs, they are excited and optimistic. The siblings’ love of the game shows, whether they’re hustling on the court or hanging on the sidelines.

When asked their favorite thing about playing basketball, the brothers keep it real.

“Having fun,” said Demaryon.

“All focus is on the game. Everything else goes away. It blocks everything else out,” said Dre’yon.

“Running on the court,” said Sedric. “It feels good.”

“The poetry of it. The no-look passes, the dunks, the crowd’s excitement,” said JT. “It’s the best thing in the world.”