Second in a series.
Part 1 - New Faces: MSUB Women's Soccer Freshman Cassidy O'Dell (Sept. 12, 2018)

MSUB SPORTS – They are related by name, but when Melvin Newbern Jr. and Beijan Newbern are on the court together for the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team it is strictly business.
 
"It is pretty open, but when we are out there we treat each other like teammates," Melvin said. "We keep the brother stuff out of it."
 
The eldest Newbern, a junior this season, transferred to MSUB from North Dakota State College of Science, where he was a National Junior College Association of America All-American a season ago. The desire to pick up where he and Beijan left off in the two years they played together at Robbinsdale Cooper High School drew him to sign with the Yellowjackets in time for his brother's freshman season.
 
So far it has worked out better than either side could have imagined. "To have two brothers playing together is not something you see very often in college athletics," said first-year MSUB head coach Mick Durham, who was led on to the New Hope, Minnesota, natives through a connection from his time at Montana State. "There is no question that Melvin has helped Beijan quite a bit, and that he looks up to his older brother. We knew Melvin would come in and be a contributor right away. Beijan has handled the transition from leaving home to college as well as any freshman I have seen."
 
Entering Saturday's Great Northwest Athletic Conference game against the University of Alaska Anchorage, each Newbern has had an impact in the Yellowjackets' first seven games of the year. Melvin has started every contest and is pushing towards a double-double average with 13.0 points and a team-leading 8.3 rebounds per game.
 
Beijan has made the most of his minutes, and has impressed his head coach with noticeable improvement each time he steps on the floor. He had his first multi-assist game against Black Hills State last week, and followed that with three assists and four points in 13 solid minutes off the bench in MSUB's GNAC-opening 79-76 win over the University of Alaska on Tuesday.
 
"The way Beijan finished the game on Saturday showed you that he is probably one of our most poised players," Durham commented on his ability to rely on the freshman in a crucial conference contest that could have gone either way. "He makes good decisions and is definitely going to be one of our top defensive players. His offensive game is still developing as well."
 
So far, the Newberns – who both shoot left handed – have shared the court for just under 52 minutes of game time, averaging around 7:30 minutes per game on the floor together. While they grew up each playing basketball, baseball, and football, the two rarely suited up for the same team during their childhood. In a precursor to their college careers, Melvin transferred to his brother's high school in Beijan's freshman year to play with him in an organized setting for the first time.
 
"It was a learning curve to start, but after a while we picked up like we were just playing ball," Melvin commented on sharing the court with Beijan for the first time. "We just have a different type of chemistry. We know exactly what each other want to do, and we have that brother relationship. We can be hard on each other, and we both know what we are capable of doing."
 
"Finally getting to play with him was everything someone could wish for," Beijan said. "It's one of those opportunities you don't always get, and it has been fun getting to learn from him on the court and go through this together."
 
Having their father, Melvin Newbern Sr., as an assistant coach in high school proved to be influential in bringing out their potential when playing together as well. "He got on us, because he knew we could be something special when we were out there together," Beijan commented on his father, who played at the University of Minnesota before a 33-game stint in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons in 1992-93. "That helped us out a lot."
 
Melvin elected to pursue the junior college route to further his playing career, after making the tough decision to play basketball in college and give up his successful football career as a wide receiver. Beijan watched as his brother took his league by storm, averaging a double-double with 18.6 points and 10.3 rebounds and winning Region 13 Player of the Year during the 2017-18 season.
 
When the time came for Melvin to make a decision for the next stop in his basketball career, Beijan played a key role as the two were aware of the prospect of playing together once again. Melvin had a taste of the Division II level, with a preseason scrimmage against Southwest Minnesota State during his freshman season sticking out in his mind. "We were an elite D1 junior college, and we got pounded by them," Melvin recalled. "I realized D2 basketball was no joke, and the disparity between D2 and D1 was very marginal."
 
Melvin's assessment was proved accurate earlier this year, when the 'Jackets nearly shocked the high-profile program at UNLV with a last-second 83-81 defeat on Nov. 2. It didn't take long for him to start turning heads, as he had a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double in MSUB's 56-53 win over the University of Mary on Nov. 14. He followed that with his best performance of the year thus far, with 22 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks in last week's 90-70 win over Black Hills State. Melvin enters the weekend ranked No. 4 in the GNAC in field-goal percentage at 63.6, and among the top-10 players in the league in that department no one has more attempts than his 55.
 
As far as Durham is concerned, he feels fortunate to land a player like Melvin whom he considers a Division I talent. "The biggest thing about Melvin is that he knows who he is as a player," Durham said on the 6-foot-4 forward, who has stuck to high-percentage shots and hasn't attempted a three this year. "He didn't really shoot the three last year and he hasn't this season, although he is probably capable of that as he is a very good free-throw shooter. He is a little undersized to play the 4, but he grew up playing against really good competition and that has helped him a lot."
 
Just as the Newbern brothers have adapted to being part of a new program, so have Durham and his coaching staff in their first year in charge of the Yellowjackets. From the players' perspective, the team has developed into a close-knit group brimming with confidence. "We are all bought into each other, and Coach Durham and Coach Bobby (Howard) have really brought us a lot of cohesiveness," Melvin said. "We all recognize it is a long season and this is a process. When we make mistakes, we try to solve them as a team instead of breaking down."
 
That resilience showed in the team's most recent game, when the 'Jackets watched a 65-54 lead vanish during a 14-0 run by Alaska late in the second half. The 'Jackets regrouped however, and found a way to pull out the crucial conference-opening win. Beijan had an assist to Zack Rollins on a key 3-pointer, and Melvin iced the game with a late free throw to help ensure the win. "There is so much I have learned just from the last couple games," Beijan commented on being on the floor in high-stakes situations. "I am still finding my role, but I like where everything is sitting. Melvin really pushes me to want to get better, and I want to be out there more with him."
 
Both Newberns credited senior Sven Jeuschede, a four-year veteran of the program, as being an influential role model along with the team's other returning seniors. "Sven is a real leader for us, and he has been in the program longer than anyone," Melvin said. "He just wants us to go out there and win."
 
For Beijan in particular, having an experienced senior in Jeuschede as well as junior Tyler Green to look up to at his position of shooting guard has been vital in his early college career. "Tyler and Sven are in a similar position I am in, not being the biggest guards out there," said the 6-foot-4 Beijan. "But they do what they need to do to get the job done, and I am learning from that. Being fundamentally sound to help our team win is something I want to do."
 
While they play different positions and each bring a unique skillset to the floor, perhaps the most important characteristic the Newberns contribute to the Yellowjackets is the maturity with which they carry themselves. "They are pretty independent kids, and they were raised that way with a lot of responsibility," Durham said. "Both of them conduct themselves in the right way."
 
Recalling their favorite memory on the court together quickly brought a smile to both brothers' faces. "We were playing against our (high school) rival St. Louis Park and they were on a 4-0 run," Beijan said. "We needed a spark, and Melvin got a steal and threw it up to me. I saw him trailing and I had a guy on my back, so I rolled it over the front of the rim and Melvin dunked it on the guy. We had the whole gym going nuts."
 
Chances are, it won't be long before they have a new favorite memory playing together in the navy and gold.