The Morris brothers are out for vengeance.
The twin coaches of Mass Street’s Kansas alumni team — Marcus is technically the head coach and Markieff the assistant, though they’ll tell you it doesn’t matter much — remember very vividly what it was like to lose last time they coached in The Basketball Tournament.
Their fourth-seeded Team FOE (Family Over Everything) made it all the way to the finals of its Philadelphia regional in 2017 and led Syracuse alumni team Boeheim’s Army by 25 points in the second half before conceding a 40-10 run and taking what Markieff Morris still calls a “heartbreaking loss.” In doing so, they fell one game short of TBT’s Final Four.
The Syracuse student newspaper wrote at the time that Marcus Morris “stood with a blank stare looking across the aisle” as Boeheim’s Army took a late lead.
“We’re trying to get some revenge for that,” Markieff Morris told reporters Thursday. “Just getting back to Kansas, you never know. (Coaching) might be a career for us after we’re done playing.”
The 33-year-old brothers are coaching in TBT because they are current NBA veterans and so cannot play. (“We would dominate,” Marcus said.) Marcus is still under contract with the Los Angeles Clippers, while Markieff, who last played for Dallas, is a free agent but said he has a new team in mind.
Coaching a team of Jayhawk stars gives them a chance to apply their hard-won knowledge, from 13 years each in the NBA, to a common pursuit.
“We just wanted to try something new,” Marcus Morris said. “We’ve been around the game for so long, and having two like minds, we wanted to put it together and see how we do. And there’s nothing better than coaching for your alma mater.”
Mass Street’s roster currently includes Marcus Garrett (playing in the NBA Summer League at present), Keith Langford, Dedric Lawson, Mitch Lightfoot, Mario Little, Thomas Robinson, Tyshawn Taylor, Jamari Traylor, Lagerald Vick and Kevin Young — several players have joined or dropped off the list in recent weeks.
The team takes on We Are D3, a returning TBT squad, in the first round Wednesday night in Wichita. Three wins could get them back to the Elite Eight and a prospective matchup with the Wichita State alumni team, the Aftershocks.
“We can’t wait to get down to Wichita to get that Kansas feel again,” Markieff Morris said. “We’ve watched Wichita State a bunch of years, we watched them in the tournament. We’re excited to get there and see what all the hype is about.”
Despite Mass Street’s relative lack of experience playing as a unit, the coaches said they believe the players will succeed and jell well as long as everyone is in shape.
“We look at it like once a Jayhawk, always a Jayhawk,” Markieff Morris said. “For the most part all of the guys that’s playing now are professionals or still active playing … It’s a simple game, man, we’re coming to win, we’re coming to play to win.”
Taylor previously told reporters that the coaches had consulted with Bill Self and planned to use some of his plays, but the twins are playing it close to the vest when it comes to gameday strategy.
“You know what, I think we keep it a surprise,” Marcus Morris said. “Just know the Jayhawks are coming loaded. Mass Street is coming loaded, and it’s going to be great to see our past Jayhawks come back together.”
He did say that the team will focus on spacing the floor to make room for its numerous shot creators, and run a pro-style offense featuring high pick and rolls.
Fans in Lawrence will get the first chance to see the team on Sunday afternoon when they meet up for an open practice at Cutting Edge Performance on Clinton Parkway.
“Guys’ll be happy to be back in Kansas,” Marcus Morris said. “The first practice, there’s no real pressure … it’s just more for the fans to be able to see the former Jayhawks. It has been a while since all of us have been to Kansas together. I think it’s going to be a sight to see.”
Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris, left, shakes hands with his twin brother Los Angeles Clippers forward Marcus Morris Sr., right, before Game 1 of a NBA basketball Eastern Conference finals playoff series between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, Tuesday, May 17, 2022, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)