Virginia Commonwealth guard Brandon Rozzell and East Carolina guard/forward Jamar Abrams had a few days off from basketball last week.
They spent part of their Christmas break hanging out at Abrams' house, watching reruns of their games at Highland Springs High and their 2007 state championship.
"We were laughing at each other," Rozzell said, "looking at how each of us has grown."
Rozzell and Abrams have been best friends since they were 5, when they became teammates on a youth-league basketball team.
"Our families are real close," Rozzell said. "My dad was the coach, and (Abrams') mom was the team mom.
"If you go through the photo album, there's a picture for every age. We've always been on the same team, in AAU, middle school and high school."
Tonight, though, the former Springers will be on opposite sides for the second time during their careers. Rozzell will be trying to help VCU (7-2) beat ECU (5-7), and Abrams will be trying to accomplish the reverse, in a 7:30 game at the Siegel Center that marks the return of Pirates coach Mack McCarthy, who coached the Rams from 1998-2002.
