By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com
During their four-year football and basketball careers at Basehor-Linwood High School, Colin and Ryan Murphy helped turn around Bobcat football and were instrumental in the two state titles the Bobcats have won in basketball since 2009.
Now, they'll look to turn around an Emporia State basketball team that was 9-18 last year. Ryan and Colin Murphy signed this week with the university.
Widely known as "The Twins," Colin and Ryan flat out dominated on the court. Colin started at three positions during the season, including 13 games as the team's point guard. Ryan Murphy developed into one of the best post players in the state.
"Colin was one of the most versatile players in Kansas during the 2012 season," Emporia State head coach Shaun Vandiver said. "He can shoot, he can pass and he can post up. Ryan was one of the most overlooked players in the state this season. He is ever improving with his back to the basket and could become a great perimeter player."
Colin Murphy averaged nearly 19 points a game last year, while Ryan Murphy averaged over 17 points. Both Bobcats scored over 1,200 career points.
For the twins, staying together, finding a chance to play early and the environment at Emporia State were key in their decisions.
"We fit in well with the players who are already there," Ryan Murphy said.
"We liked the feeling at Emporia State," Colin Murphy said. "We'll get a chance to play right away."
Both Murphy Twins were three-time honorees on the 4A All-State team selected by The Topeka Capital-Journal.
During their four-year basketball careers at Basehor-Linwood, the Twins helped Basehor earn a 83-14 record in basketball, including those two state titles.
