The Guardian (Charlottetown)

TWICE AS NICE

UPEI Panthers excited to reel in identical twins from Montreal for men’s hoops squad

- BY JASON MALLOY

UPEI Panthers fans will be doing a double take when they get their first look at their men’s basketball team this season.

Nudy and Judy Georges are identical twin brothers from Montreal who have joined the squad and are looking to make an immediate impact on the rebuilding program.

“We’ve always played on the same team. I kind of know what he’s going to do,” Nudy said prior to a recent practice. “If I grab a board, I know he’s going to be running, so I know where to pass the ball.”

That unique intuition the twins have has helped the six-foot-three guards become known across the country.

The Georges twins played three seasons at Dawson College and were looking for opportunit­ies to play at the next level, either in Canada or the United States. One thing was clear: they came as a package deal.

“Even my mom didn’t want us to separate,” Nudy said. “Everyone knew we were going to stay together.”

“We know each other’s game, so being able to play together makes us better,” added Judy.

UPEI head coach Darrell Glenn said assistant coach Rami Arabi first saw the twins play in July 2017 and “was blown away by

their athleticis­m”.

The coaches kept in touch with them and went to see them play a couple of times in person. The twins visited the campus in April and committed in August.

“They really loved the Island, and the rest is kind of history,” Glenn said.

He is excited by the potential the players bring both on and off the court. He said they’re good

players but also humble kids willing to work hard and be part of everything the team is doing.

“What they bring to the table for us is explosiven­ess and their athleticis­m both on the offensive and defensive end,” Glenn said. “Our primary concern was our inability to contain the ball last year and we feel they really help us do that.”

The 20-year-old twins are coming to Charlottet­own with three years of Cegep experience at Dawson but retain five years of U Sports eligibilit­y.

“We’re the freshmen here, but we’re like older than second-year players,” said Judy, who is 15 minutes older than Nudy. “It helped us become more prepared for this next level.”

The Georges are both studying business.

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 ?? JASON MALLOY/THE GUARDIAN ?? Identical twin brothers Judy, left, and Nudy Georges are two of the recruits for the UPEI Panthers men’s basketball team this season.
JASON MALLOY/THE GUARDIAN Identical twin brothers Judy, left, and Nudy Georges are two of the recruits for the UPEI Panthers men’s basketball team this season.

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