Wiesbaden's Joel Idowu and Ramstein's Amari Guishard battle under the basket during a Dec. 17, 2024, game at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

The Alconbury boys basketball roster reads like a law firm: Sheehan, Sheehan, Politis, Politis, Vickerstaff & Vickerstaff.

Those names are attached to three sets of brothers – Anthony and Vincent Sheehan, Leo and Max Politis and Taye and Kai Vickerstaff – who make up half the team.

Heading into this week’s DODEA European championships in Wiesbaden, Germany, that brotherly love has the Dragons (11-2, 10-1) flying high. They are the second seed in Division III and are looking to win the program’s first-ever European crown.

Alconbury’s best finish was as runner-up in 2010.

“We’re all just brothers on the court,” Vincent Sheehan said. “We all have that chemistry. We all have that same mentality to go into Euros and win.”

Those brothers have revitalized a program that could have been in full rebuild mode after losing four starters from last year’s squad.

In fact, three of them – junior Vincent and senior Anthony Sheehan and senior Leo Politis – make up a third of the team’s returners across JV and varsity. Senior Taye Vickerstaff and freshmen Kai Vickerstaff and Max Politis are new to the squad.

Along with seniors Aaron Dudley and Ietula Te’o, these names top the Dragons’ scoresheet.

Although Anthony was on the team last year, he mentioned minutes being sparse, which makes this season more enjoyable.

“This is my first year I’ve actually gotten to play and bond as well with my brother,” Anthony said. “It’s a very good experience. We go out there, play as one, and we just dominate.”

Alconbury isn’t the only team powered by siblings.

Wiesbaden has gone to another level with the addition of the Idowu brothers – senior Jacob and sophomore Joel. Teaming up with Jordan Thibodeaux, Zion Thompson and others, the Warriors enter the Division I tournament as the top seed and the only team across all three divisions still undefeated at 14-0, 12-0.

This has the Warriors as the favorites to claim their first European basketball title since 1999.

Jacob and Joel are a part of a trio of brothers. Sophomore Jonathan also is athletic but focuses on another sport – soccer.

Naturally, that leads to competitiveness among the Idowus.

“In our household, we compete, we push each other, we hold each other accountable,” Joel Idowu said. “When one of us is going to the gym, it’s like, ‘Do you want to come with us?’ Just going home, talking about we’ve done in a game, I think that just makes us connect on a different level.”

That competitive nature could turn into sibling rivalry. Yet both Jacob and Joel said that could be destructive for them and the Warriors.

Instead, they understand where the line is and tend to be more supportive of each other.

“Just one thing to remember is comparison is just a thief of joy,” Jacob Idowu said. “So, we don’t compare or do anything like that. We congratulate each other’s successes and – if we need to – constructive criticism but never bashing one another.”

Aviano junior Andrew Walker drives to the bucket against Rota in pool-play action of the DODEA European Basketball Championships on Feb. 15, 2024, at Wiesbaden High School in Wiesbaden, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Aviano brothers Andrew and Deon Walker have struggled to toe that line.

The duo competes every game, seeking to outdo the other. They even keep track of who has the better game.

In case you were wondering, both agree Andrew’s leading so far this season.

“It’s more of a rivalry on the court,” Deon Walker said. “From the outside in, it might look like it’s just us two arguing, but … we just have really aggressive conversations.”

Those “conversations” didn’t help during the 2023-2024 campaign, when the Saints underperformed during the postseason, failing to reach the semifinals.

Andrew admitted he didn’t handle playing second fiddle to Deon well in his first season. Now, he understands it’s more about the team and their rivalry on the court sits on the helpful side of the fence than the harmful side.

“Just between us, that’s a really good connection, and we’re both really very mindful, really involved with the rest of the team,” Andrew Walker said.

This week, the Saints enter the tournament as the second seed at 9-5, 7-5 in Division II. Four of the team’s losses have come against top-seed and defending champion Vicenza.

As for the Dragons, they are chasing top-seed Hohenfels, which handed Alconbury its only league loss on Jan. 24, 49-47.

The Dragons also are aware of the program’s empty silverware cabinet, and that just motivates them more.

“We’ve been doing this for basically our whole high school career, and it’s now just coming together,” Vincent Sheehan said. “This is a big atmosphere to go out and showcase our skills on the big stage, but it’s very important for us to go out there with our chemistry and brotherly love.”

Alconbury’s Anthony Sheehan dribbles up the court Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in the Dragons’ victory over visiting AFNORTH. ( Loretto Morris/Stars and Stripes)