LOS ANGELES — From the outside looking in, freshman center Evan Mobley and sophomore forward Isaiah Mobley represent many things on the basketball court.
They are the ultimate tag team, the dynamic duo, and two teammates that have helped the USC Men's Basketball team reach its highest seeding in March Madness in over a decade.
But to perhaps the person who knows them best — their mom, Nicol — Evan and Isaiah Mobley are just two brothers following their dreams.
"I used to be in the driver's seat taking them, and now they're taking Eric and me on a ride," she said. "We are super excited to see where it's gonna go."
Their mom will be the first to say that her family is a basketball family. She and her husband, Eric, both played the game and passed that love to their two children.
Evan and Isaiah Mobley have always had the intangibles.
"They've always been tall from babies, off the charts, so the height thing was always there," she explained. "[Then] they are both competitive. This whole household is super competitive. They got it honestly from both mom and dad."
But growing through the game, they became elite. Evan and Isaiah Mobley — separated by just 20 months — were five-star recruits from high school at Rancho Christian.
They both played on one of the top travel ball teams in the country in Compton Magic and have a host of accolades to their names.
While they've always been teammates, Nicol always imagined that would end after high school graduation.
"They had goals, and we had goals for them, like pursue your dreams and see where it takes you," she said. "But you couldn't have told me that they were gonna go on and play basketball together."
And yet, come 2020, that's exactly what happened. Isaiah Mobley committed to the Trojans in 2019, and Evan Mobley followed one year later, both joining their father Eric, an assistant, on the sidelines.
Although they've both been a dominant force on the court, what makes Nicol the proudest is their brotherly bond on full display.
"For the most part, they are each other's greatest fan, influencer, guide, and coach," she said.
Still to come for the two brothers, a trip to March Madness, and the upcoming NBA draft.
The Trojans are a No. 6 seed entering the Big Dance and will take on the winner of a First Four match-up between Wichita State and Drake.
From there, USC will face a tough road through the bracket, but no matter what happens, Nicol said she will savor every minute.
"You'll see me taking some moments because I'll be trying to take it all in," she said. "I keep saying it's here. The boys are going be in March Madness."
"I'm just excited for them and their goals because they have every opportunity ahead of them. The sky's the limit."