Growing up, brothers Josh and Jeremy Brown spent several hours playing pick-up games on the basketball court in Oak Harbor’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One thing the duo never got a chance to do, however, is play together on an organized team.

A three-year age difference meant the closest they ever got to sharing time on the court was in 2001, when Josh competed as a senior on the Oak Harbor High School varsity team and Jeremy was on the freshman squad.

In an unexpected twist, a special opportunity arose for the brothers this year.

Jeremy, 19 and a 2004 OHHS graduate, was recruited out of high school to play basketball by Skagit Valley Community College in Mount Vernon.

Josh, 22, had just returned home from his two-year church mission in Mexico City.

The two never dreamt, or even discussed playing together on the same court, but with Jeremy already at Skagit, Josh figured he would tryout for the team.

SVC head coach Roger Valentine beat him to the punch.

One day during the fall, Jeremy brought Josh to an open-gym scrimmage. Valentine observed the play of a 6-foot-4 kid he had never seen before and knew right away he would be a great fit to his team.

“Jeremy brought Josh to the gym with him one day and I thought this guy’s got some great athletic ability,” Valentine said.

Valentine immediately asked Josh if he was going to tryout and the rest is history.

“It’s pretty exciting, we’ve never done it before,” Josh said of playing on the same team with Jeremy.

Not only has the experience been rewarding for the brothers, but it’s working out well for the Cardinals, who are 4-1 in league.

Jeremy, a guard, and Josh, a forward, have started every game this year. In 16 contests Jeremy has averaged close to 12 points, six rebounds and leads the SVC in steals with 37. Josh has scored just under 11 points and snagged seven rebounds a game.

“They’re two real good ones,” Valentine said.

Although he is no doubt pleased now, Valentine was a bit concerned with how quiet the brothers were at first — in particular Jeremy.

“I almost misunderstood him at first,” Valentine said. “I kind of thought he was trying to separate himself from the team, but it was just his shyness that was overriding.

He’s quite funny when you get to know him and he’s a real good teammate.”

Jeremy and Josh still live in Oak Harbor with their parents, while taking SVC courses over the Internet. Every day the two travel together to practices or games in Mount Vernon.

The Brown family, who sat on the Cardinal Nest of Honor couch Wednesday and watched Jeremy score a career-high 16 points and Josh drain the winning basket in a one point win over Whatcom Community College, are loving the experience.

“It’s a dream come true for us as parents,” mother Nancy Brown said. “It’s just so very much fun.”

As for if they will get another year of playing together, only time will tell. Jeremy, who has yet to go on his Mormon mission, is weighing his options for next year.

“I’m still deciding,” he said.

Whatever the case, the brothers both have aspirations of playing basketball at a higher level, possibly Division II or III.

And who knows, if things continue to go well on the court and if the timing hits just right, they might just end up playing together again.

“We’re going to try,” Josh said.