Sophomore Omaha South forward Aguek Arop already has plenty to be excited about regarding his basketball future, as the 2017 prospect became the first in-state high school player to verbally commit to Nebraska since 2003 this past August.

However, he might have something even more special to look forward to before he heads to Lincoln.

While nothing is set in stone just yet, there's a very strong possibility that Arop could be playing alongside two of his brothers on the Packers' varsity basketball squad next year for the 2015-16 season. His older brother, Makoor, is already on the team as a junior guard. His younger brother, Akol, is a 6-foot-3 eighth grader who some say might end up being the best player out of all his siblings when all is said and done.

For a family who fled a tumultuous political and social climate in South Sudan in 2003 and moved to the United States with the hope of providing a better life for their children, the past month has been a dream come true, and the future looks to only be getting brighter.

"It's actually very exciting," Aguek said. "It would be pretty special for all three of us to be able to play together. I know my parents are very proud and very happy to watch us play. I'm not sure they fully understand what it means, but I think they kind of get it. It motivates me a lot, because I know how much they sacrificed for us. The least I can do is make sure I make them proud."

Makoor is a 6-foot versatile athlete who also plays strong safety and Wildcat quarterback for the OSHS football team, and he recently reeled off a 78-yard touchdown run during the Packers' 46-45 win over Omaha Northwest last weekend. But basketball is definitely his No. 1 sport, and said he's already been attracting interest from colleges like Nebraska, Creighton, Penn State and Northern Colorado.

Akol is just starting to develop his game, but with his older brothers pushing him on a daily basis both on the court and in the weight room, the 2019 prospect has made significant progress far earlier than any of elder siblings.

"It'll be interesting," Makoor said. "(Akol) just needs to work more and get stronger. He's already like 6-3 as an eighth grader. It's crazy. I'm personally jealous, but there's nothing I can do about that. Both of them are taller than me."

It's a bit too early for Akol to be garnering much serious college interest, but he's already caught the attention of schools around the region, including Nebraska. Makoor, Aguek and Akol were all on NU's campus for an unofficial visit on Saturday, which was the first time Akol was able to meet head coach Tim Miles and his staff in person.

After seeing Aguek make headlines by becoming the Huskers' youngest ever commit, Akol's natural reaction was to make it his goal to one-up his older brother.

"It pushes me to work even harder," Akol said. "I know (Aguek) was the youngest player to ever commit to Nebraska as a sophomore, and now I want to beat him by doing it as a freshman."

It will be another year until the Arop brothers have the chance to help lead South back to the Class A state tournament, but when the time comes they all agree that the biggest reward won't come from on the court, but in making their parents proud. Their mother and father try to make it to as many of their games as possible, even if neither are very big basketball fans.

Should three of their sons suit up together, though, their basketball interest should undoubtedly pick up in a big way.

"We all just want to make them proud, because they've done a lot for us," Makoor said. "If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here."

[rl]