Olander Brothers Move Game from Family Driveway to XL Center

This article was originally published on the UConn Today Web site on December 21, 2011.

By: Kenneth Best

Like most brothers growing up, Tyler Olander ’14 (CLAS) and his big brother Ryan had a competitive sibling rivalry when playing sports, often playing with or against each other in baseball, hockey, and football. But the rivalry was especially intense playing on the basketball court in the driveway of their Mansfield, Conn. home, a natural outlet for the two tall youngsters.

“We played a lot of one-on-one when we were younger,” says Tyler, now the 6-9 sophomore forward for the Huskies’ men’s basketball team. “But those games didn’t last long because we were both really competitive. I love to win and he couldn’t let his little brother win. If he got up, I would start to fight. If I got up, he would start to fight. That’s how the game would end. My dad would come running out of the house to break it up.”

With three NCAA officials on the floor of the XL Center at 7 p.m. on Thursday, there will not be any such disagreements when Tyler and Ryan, now a 7-foot center in his senior year for the Stags of Fairfield University, meet for the first time wearing different uniforms as key members of their respective teams. While they may play different positions, both expect there will be times they will face off against each other during the game.

The brothers say their busy academic and athletic schedules have not provided time for them to think much about the game or even discuss it during their regular phone or text message chats.

“As cool as it is to be playing against my brother, it’s more important that we win and play hard,” says Tyler. “I can’t really be thinking about that, but it’s going to be really weird seeing him on the floor and guarding him.”

“It’s going to be strange,” adds Ryan. “I’m going to try and treat him like another player, as hard as that’s going to be, and after the game we can be brothers again. But for those 40 minutes, I’m going to have to treat him as an opponent.”

The Huskies will take the floor with a 9-1 record, and the Stags arrive with a 7-4 mark under first-year coach Sydney Johnson, the former Princeton coach. Tyler averages playing 26.2 minutes per game, scoring 7.5 points, and is the Huskies’ leading rebounder, with 6.4 per game. He has also 19 assists, the most for ’s big men, and 10 blocks. Ryan plays 28.4 minutes per game and is the Stags’ second leading scorer, averaging 11.9 points and 4. 1 rebounds. He also has 20 blocks on the season. He was a Second Team All-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference selection last season.

“Tyler’s improving and he continues to improve,” says Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun. “He’s strong, he’s smart, and has a great feeling for the game. He is probably 100 percent improved over last year. If he does that over the next couple of years, he’ll be a heck of a player. I trust him with the ball, I trust his passing ability. He has one or two assists a game. I just think he needs to believe in Tyler. That’s the biggest thing right now. To me, he’s [going to be] a major league player, once he really believes he is.”

Adds associate head coach George Blaney: “When you have a guy who understands the game and is easy to play with, guys like to play with him because he knows how to get open, how to pass, and he knows the plays really well. He does all the things a good basketball player does.”

Ryan witnessed his younger brother’s diligence in working to prepare for his sophomore season after Tyler played an increasing role during of the Huskies’ run last year to a third NCAA Championship.

“He worked very hard this summer,” says Ryan. “He really dedicated himself to getting stronger and getting in better shape, focusing on his game. He’s playing at a very high level and it’s a testament to his hard work.”

In their one-on-one games as youngsters, Ryan was taller and stronger than Tyler, which meant that the younger brother had to work at developing other skills to compensate for his lack of size.

“He couldn’t outmuscle me all the time or go over me because I was bigger,” says Ryan, who plays as a post with his back to the basket. “That’s where he developed his skills set to become a face-up player. He expanded his game and I definitely see that helping him today.”

The Olander family is embracing the unique opportunity to see the brothers – who played as teammates in the gymnasium at , adjacent to the UConn campus in Storrs – play in a Division I NCAA game. Their father, Skip, says about 30 relatives, including his wife Tracy and daughter Morgan, currently a basketball player at E.O. Smith, will be seated together at the XL Center for Thursday’s game. They will be wearing a special shirt with “FairConn” on the front, each son’s number on a different sleeve, and an inscription on the back that reads: “Olander – Either Way We Win.”

“We just hope that each of them does well,” says Skip Olander. “We’re not bigger than the game. The game is the most important thing. I think it will be fun. We’ve gotten a ton of calls because people are just interested in it. I think it’s good for the state.”

Tyler says he is looking forward to creating some unique family history.

“I guess playing against each other is something you don’t think about, because we’ve always played together,” he says. “It’s something I’ll never forget. It will be real memorable for my whole family.”

Read more about the Olanders on Patch.com