Born 22 months apart, Champ and Styles McCorkle learned early in life the value of being teammates.
The siblings began the tradition in elementary school on soccer fields, continued it through middle school and high school, and are now members of the Wabash College men’s basketball program.
Currently sporting a 12-4 record, the Little Giants are on pace to eclipse 20 victories for the third time in the last four non-COVID-shortened seasons (the 2020-21 squad finished 6-6).
Wabash College hosts Wittenberg tonight at 7 p.m.
And while it’s true athletes from the same family have been known to choose different paths after high school in order to form their own identities, that’s not the McCorkles.
Both were significant contributors to the Greenwood Christian Academy teams that were 40-12 and Class A sectional champions over the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.
“We kind of agreed beforehand that we were going to be teammates in college,” Champ McCorkle said. “I enjoy hanging around Styles on and off the court, and we’re able to pick each other up if one of us is struggling.
“We are also able to build off each other’s successes. We definitely have good chemistry, and know what the other likes to do on the basketball court.”
The brothers, similar physically (both are 6-foot-5, 190 pounds), benefit the Little Giants in different ways.
Champ, a junior forward who has started 10 of the 16 games, is more of a presence beneath or near the basket as evidenced by averages of 8.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. This includes his 10-board performance off the bench earlier this month in a victory over Hiram.
His skillset contradicts that of Styles, a sophomore wing who has made good on 10 of his 30 attempts from behind the 3-point stripe — seven of which have been delivered over the last six games — and includes three made treys in a December win against Rose-Hulman.
Both excel in the classroom, as well.
Champ owns a 3.905 grade-point average while carrying a double major of financial mathematics and philosophy. Styles, a philosophy major, is at 3.613.
Their impact, however, goes beyond numbers.
Last season, the Little Giants advanced all the way to the semifinals of the Division III national tournament with the McCorkles utilized primarily as backups.
In that time, the brothers forged a close relationship with coach Kyle Brumett’s son, Monte, now 10, who sat on the bench with the reserve players during games.
Monte gravitated to the McCorkles, and continues to do so.
“Both Champ and Styles are still growing as players. They bring a lot of energy to our program, and are just great kids,” coach Brumett said. “We don’t have any seniors, so everybody in our group is trying to find their role.
“They fit our group well because they work hard and care about our team.”
What’s now a duo is expected to become a trio next school year, as Kage McCorkle, a senior at Franklin Community High School and the youngest sibling, plans to attend Wabash College starting the 2023-24 school year.
Unlike his brothers, however, Kage will be exclusively a student. His interest in sports videoing, however, could make him part of the program in a different capacity.
For the remainder of this season and all of next, though, no fewer than two McCorkles will be part of the Wabash College roster.
“It’s really special to be able to play basketball with your brother,” Styles McCorkle said. “Champ will tell me what I need to hear. He’ll tell me how I’m playing, whether it’s good or bad.
“I think my parents (Scott and Amy) have done a really good job of raising us to look out for each other. I know Champ is always going to have my back, and I’m going to have his.”
