For a couple hours Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis, Jahaad Proctor and Aaron Thompson will be competitors, rivals, adversaries, whatever you want to call it, as Purdue and Butler meet at the Crossroads Classic.
For the better part of their lives, though, they've been "cousins," "god-brothers," whatever they may call it, and their fathers "uncle" and "godfather" to the others' kids.
"It's always been a family thing for me," Jahaad Proctor said of Aaron Thompson and his family. "I call him my cousin subconsciously, because I call his dad my Uncle Tony. I've always considered them my cousins, as well. But I guess officially he's my godfather, so we're god-brothers."
Jahaad Proctor's dad, Joseph, is godfather to Aaron Thompson and his siblings; Tony Thompson is godfather to Jahaad Proctor and his sister, Sabre.
"They're cousins, god-brothers, whatever you'd call it," said Joe Proctor, from the airport on his way to Indianapolis. "The families are real close."
Have been for a generation.
Joe Proctor and Tony Thompson grew up together in Harrisburg, and shared a backcourt for the same Harrisburg High School that Jahaad Proctor starred for years before coming to Purdue, by way of Iona and High Point.
They'd become close as teens, in part because of their sisters, the former Nicole Proctor and Tasha Thompson, being close. Tony Thompson and Joe Proctor have been "best friends ever since," the elder Proctor said.
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Their sons grew up closely connected, as well.
Jahaad Proctor actually spent summers with the Thompsons in Maryland when he was younger, so that he could play AAU on the more competitive DMV circuit.
"This was when I was 6, 7, 8, maybe 9," Jahaad Proctor said.
Now, the kids are much older and about to play against each other for the first time since they were children playing outside, or whatever setting it might have been.
Proctor, who's spending his senior season as a Boilermaker after graduate transferring in, is Purdue's leading scorer. Thompson, a junior, is an outstanding point guard and one of the driving forces behind Butler's 10-1 start to the season.
They may not match up head to head, but they'll have an audience there to see it.
"There were a lot of people from Harrisburg who wanted to come," Joe Proctor said, "but we couldn't accommodate the ticket count."
Had ticket availability been unlimited — Proctor was able to secure a few extras off teammates' allotments — upwards of two dozen might have been en route to Bankers Life Fieldhouse this weekend.
Jahaad Proctor and Aaron Thompson keep in touch. After arriving in Indiana, Proctor visited Thompson in Indianapolis. When Butler hosted Wofford earlier this season, he spent the evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. When Purdue hosted Virginia, Thompson reciprocated.
But, Proctor says, Thompson's presence 60 miles or so down the interstate played no role in him choosing Purdue, saying he didn't move up to the high-major level "to be social," and figured he wouldn't have much surplus time anyway.
"But it's always good to know your family is so close, only an hour away," Proctor said.
Saturday, their paths cross at the Crossroads Classic, on the court, for the first and probably only time ever as rivals, competitors, or whatever you want to call it.
"It's going to be fun," Proctor said, "like an old school rival."
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