HOUSTON --The University of North Carolina's Nate Britt, and Villanova's Kris Jenkins, are brothers from other mothers -- literally.
Felicia Jenkins, left, and Melody Britt
They met on the courts when they were 10 and quickly became friends. Then in 2007, turmoil in Kris' household forced his birth mother Felicia to make a tough decision. She wanted to find a more stable home for him. The Britts stepped in and adopted him.
"He is the only son in my house and the oldest, so it was hard at the time. But because I knew who I was sharing him with, I was able to sleep at night," Felicia Jenkins explained.
"You know, he fit and it felt like, not that there was a piece missing, but he only added more to our family," Nate Britt said.
The boys breathed basketball. They played on the same high school team in Maryland.
Nate, left, and Kris with their mom Melody Britt
"To basically grow up and go through everything with a brother, he's going through the same workouts that you're going through," Kris said of his brother Nate. "You're doing everything together so it definitely makes it easier."
And don't let a recent selfie on the sidelines fool you. They took it Saturday night when they knew they were both headed for the championship, but haven't communicated since.
Kris Jenkins, left, and his brother Nate Britt
Mom Melody Britt had a shirt made to show she's rooting for two teams Monday night. "It's a win-win," she said.
No matter who wins, the national title stays in the family.
