Brad and Brian Wanamaker were inseparable for the first 18 years of their lives. Growing up in Philadelphia, the fraternal twins did everything together, from high school and AAU basketball to going out with friends, and rarely spent more than a few hours apart.

"Whatever I did, he did," Brad said. "And whatever he did, I did."

But when it was time to choose a college they had to go their separate ways. Ironically, it was basketball -- their common passion -- that dictated the separation. Brad was a top 100 basketball recruit and signed with Pitt. Brian, who was not recruited on the same level, signed with Central Connecticut State and now plays at Texas Wesleyan, an NAIA school.

For the past three years they have played college basketball in different states, but they always reunite during the summer months in Pittsburgh. This is the third year in a row that Brian is living with Brad in his Oakland apartment.

"It's great to have him around again," Brad said. "We're apart during the season and don't get to see each other very much. Sometimes when he goes home during the season I can't, or when I can go home he's not there. I get him up here every summer. We work out together, play one-on-one. It's something we've been doing our whole life."

At one point, it appeared that Brad and Brian would be able to attend the same college. When they were juniors at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia, Georgetown offered both players scholarships. But Brian was injured and his recruitment hit a plateau.

Brad, meanwhile, remained on the radar of major-conference teams and signed with Pitt in November 2006.

"After a while we got a sense we were going to different schools, but we didn't want to talk about it," Brad said. "When senior year came around we knew we weren't going to the same school, so we made the most of our senior year. We cherished every moment.

"That summer before we went to college we did everything together. We went to the movies every day. We did something together every single day. When the time came for me to leave, it was kind of hard. I actually cried. I couldn't take the fact that I was going to be away from my brother."

That first year of college was difficult for both. When they could no longer see each other every day they compensated by calling or texting each other several times a day.

"It was tough at first," Brian said. "We had to adjust to new people."

"The first couple of years were tough not being able to see my brother every day," Brad said. "He's my best friend. I was always with him 24/7. We spent a lot of time on the phone talking after every practice and every game. We'd always check on each other.

"Now it's easier. We got a little older. We're used to it. But it's something I'd like to have back. Every chance we get we try to spend time together."

After those early struggles, both players are excelling with their respective teams. Brad is Pitt's most complete player. Last season, he was one of six players in school history to average more than 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists per game. He will be a linchpin on a team that is expected to be ranked in the top 10 of the preseason polls.

After transferring to Texas Wesleyan, Brian has found his niche, too. He averaged 11.5 points per game as Texas Wesleyan advanced to the Sweet 16 in the NAIA Division I basketball tournament.

They have come to realize that separating was the best thing for them.

"Once we got to college we knew we'd play the same position," Brad said. "The one thing we didn't want to do was compete for minutes in college. In that way, it was good that we went to separate schools. We're both very competitive. [Wednesday morning] we played one-on-one and it got physical, and it was just us two in the gym."

By the time Wednesday night rolled around Brad and Brian were smiling again. They had just played on the same team in a summer league game at the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Pro-Am in Green Tree. Afterward, they sat together in the gym and watched the next game, joking around with the other players.

It was just like old times.

First Published: July 2, 2010, 8:00 a.m.