Double team

Marcus Morris is a 6-foot-7 sophomore. Markieff Morris is a 6-foot-8 sophomore.

Other than that inch, not much separates the twins, both of whom play for the Prep Charter Huskies boys’ basketball team.

Unless the 15-year-olds are standing side by side, separating the two can be quite confusing.

Prep Charter coach Dan Brinkley noticed after two weeks that Markieff had puffy cheeks. When the brothers aren’t in uniform (Marcus wears number 41, Markieff, 42), the coach distinguishes them by their on-court style. Marcus, a guard and small forward, tends to dribble the ball a lot more than his power forward-center brother.

However, it took Brinkley no time to recognize that the towering twins are a strong addition to Prep Charter.

Marcus is averaging nine points per game, while Markieff is tallying 11.1 points a contest.

But there’s no rivalry here.

"I wouldn’t say he is better and I wouldn’t say I am better because we play two different positions," Marcus said while watching his teammates warm up for last Thursday’s non-league game against Lincoln (N.Y.), which Prep Charter lost, 85-61.

After scoring a team-high 20 points in a win over GAMP and 27 points in a loss to Franklin Learning Center, Markieff still isn’t bragging.

"He works on his game, and I work on my game," he said.

The North Philly brothers are both getting their first taste of varsity basketball competition after spending freshman year on the Neumann junior-varsity squad.

They were in for a varsity perk last Thursday, when their names were announced over Widener University’s public-address system at the Scholastic Play-by-Play Classic.

Brinkley noticed the Morrises’ potential on the summer Amateur Athletic Union circuit with the Hunting Park Warriors. Seven games into the Public League season, both athletes are key contributors to Prep Charter’s success.

"Markieff has a little more energy," Brinkley said. "Offensively, Marcus has the total package. Defensively, I would like to see him hustle more and fight for loose balls."

The varsity rookies credit senior teammate Jason Dogan for helping them adjust to the demands of Prep Charter. Dogan, who entered the season with 595 career points, has stressed the importance of academics over athletics.

"Jason is a mentor," said Marcus, whose favorite subject is chemistry. "He is someone we look up to. He doesn’t get bad grades."

Both brothers are aware that they can’t afford to slack off in the classroom.

"Academically, it’s hard. That’s why we are here," said Markieff, who prefers geometry. "Neumann was a challenge, but here you have to study. You can’t just show up."

The twins are fitting right in with their new teammates, but they’re not above using their near-identical looks to trick them.

After Marcus challenged a teammate to a shooting contest and lost, he denied any involvement.

"It wasn’t me, it was my brother," he said.

To add to the confusion, Markieff chimed in, "It wasn’t me."

But being mistaken for each other also has its disadvantages.

During a summer game, a referee called a foul on the wrong brother, Brinkley said. Marcus, who was in foul trouble, shot a three-pointer for the top of the key, but the referee called an offensive foul on Marcus, which was meant for Markieff. The referee apologized to Brinkley after the game.

The brothers now want to help the Huskies make the postseason cut. It would be a first for the Prep Charter program, now in its fourth season.

After winning a total of seven games in their first two years, the Huskies finished with a 12-10 mark last winter. This time around, the South Philly squad is considered one of the favorites in the AA classification to advance to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Association state tournament. With Tuesday’s imbalanced 106-23 win over Saul, the Huskies improved to 6-1 in Division C play, trailing only Franklin Learning Center in the standings. The top two AA schools will qualify for the state tournament.

Markieff is confident his squad has what it takes to make it to the playoffs — and beyond.

"If we play as a team, I know we can win a Public League championship," he said.

Brinkley envisions a bright future for the sophomores, who are just starting to showcase their skills on the Public League scene. He also believes the Morrises will continue to be a double threat in college.

"It’s just a matter of how hard they want to work," Brinkley said.