Double Dribble: Sophomores Paxton and Quentin Ochs are identical twins on the JV basketball team that grew into the game together

As identical twins on the JV basketball team, sophomores Paxton and Quentin Ochs constantly get asked the same questions.

“Who’s better?”

“How do people tell you apart on the court?”

“Can you read each other’s minds?”

The first question is tricky. While they’re both athletic freaks — 6 foot 4 dunkers who are still growing — they have vastly different roles on the team. Quentin is more of a power forward, using his strength to drive in for a lay-up, and Paxton is more balanced, playing on the perimeter and shooting from further out.

“I’m way more focused on getting to the rim, and I use more of my athletic side, where he just dribbles,” Quentin joked.

The second question is a little simpler. Though after a decade of basketball they’ve grown used to switched names and awkward pauses from coaches, their current teammates and coach Andrew Gagnon have learned to tell them apart by voice or face structure after playing the last few seasons together. New teammates are prone to the “check their shoes” strategy, or they’ll yell to see which one looks.

“Usually there’s a lot of confusion on the court from our opponents,” Paxton said. “Most of our really good friends can easily tell us apart but I would say a lot of people think we look the exact same. That’s kind of an advantage in basketball. I guess most defenders don’t really know who they’re guarding.”

As for the third question, listening to their fast paced near-telepathic whispering in the halls and wordless synergy on the court might give the impression that they really can read each other’s minds.  But despite spending most of their time together in the same sports  — football in the fall, track in the spring, basketball year-round — their teamwork has nothing to do with shared thoughts.

“They do flow well together, and maybe you can attribute that to them playing so much basketball together, “ Gagnon said. “But I joke around that they know what each other is thinking. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but sometimes it seems like that.”

Their love for the sport started like most basketball players — through elementary rec-basketball teams. Throughout their time at Corinth Elementary, they joined four different leagues with friends, including one in 6th grade coached by Gagnon.

“[After games] we’d get to talk about the game, and some of the really early memories were having Capri-Suns and orange slices together, making jokes about the game and plays we had together,” Quentin said.

When the pair reached middle school, they shifted from rec-leagues to school teams, playing an undefeated season on Indian Hills’ A-team, a 15-3 season on the Freshman team and a 13-3 run so far on JV this year as sophomores. They’re hoping to make varsity and win a state title before they graduate.

“We both want the same thing, which is to both make varsity next year and play together,” Quentin said. “But it does get competitive sometimes, which is good. It motivates both of us to keep playing hard.”

The secret to their success? All the extra practice they get outside on their driveway. Though school practice is only for a few hours, six days a week during the winter, the two play everyday throughout the year out on their hoop. From catch-and-shoot drills to one-on-one, having an identical twin that loves the game just as much pushes them to train harder.

“We get a lot of extra practice, which is helpful,” Quentin said. “You always have someone who can rebound for you or you can play with when friends are out of town.”

But there’s more to Paxton and Quentin than the tall, competitive basketball twins — to their teammates and friends, they’re the smiling, easy-going duo that can always be counted on to crack a joke.

“They’re really competitive on the court, but they’re really chill and nice guys to talk to outside of basketball,” teammate and small forward Stephen Hlobik said. “I can always joke around with them and have a laugh.”

Though they love hanging out with their teammates, the reason they’ve stuck with basketball since kindergarten is each other. Throughout every practice and every game, they’ve been together for every pass, shot and steal.

“The best memory is just that we haven’t played separately yet,” Paxton said. “We’ve been making the same team ever since I can remember.”

So when people ask “who’s better?”, it doesn’t matter. After growing into the game together, the important thing about basketball for the Ochs is seeing each other on the court — and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I always have some type of built-in friend,” Quentin said.” I don’t get too nervous because I have him out there. It’s pretty fun having a sibling out there, especially a twin.”