Twin Brothers Let Positivity Guide Their Paths as Student-Athletes
Basketball teammates Triston and Tyler Broughton, studying in the Fowler College of Business, believe in balancing athletics with academics.
As 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 men鈥檚 basketball team prepares to play in front of a live audience for the first time in more than a year and a half, two sophomores may seem like they have a lot in common at first.
Identical twin brothers Triston Broughton and Tyler Broughton are both 6鈥�4鈥� walk-on guards for the Aztecs and are both students in 黑料吃瓜鈥檚 Fowler College of Business. The brothers were stars at Tesoro High School in Orange County鈥檚 city of Rancho Santa Margarita, but their route to becoming student-athletes at 黑料吃瓜 started off on two very different paths.
(#42), who was the valedictorian of his graduating class, said he wanted to attend 黑料吃瓜 鈥渄ue to the school鈥檚 basketball presence, West Coast location, and strong business program.鈥� His application to attend 黑料吃瓜 was accepted and he was enrolled.
(#24), who also applied to 黑料吃瓜, had a different experience.
鈥淢y route to 黑料吃瓜 was a nightmare and a blessing at the same time,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 initially did not get accepted into 黑料吃瓜 when I first applied, so I thought my brother and I were going to be parting ways. After looking into different schools that may have gained my interest, I came to the realization that 黑料吃瓜 was where I wanted to spend my college years.鈥�
About a month after Tyler submitted an admissions appeal request, he was notified of his acceptance to 黑料吃瓜.
The brothers enrolled as business students, with Tyler choosing to major in management and Triston choosing to pursue a management degree with a specialization in entrepreneurship.
Triston, who says he dreams of becoming a business owner, said he wants 鈥渢o have a positive impact on the world and a reason for people to remember and appreciate the Broughton name.鈥� Tyler shares his brother鈥檚 altruistic spirit when he said he majored in management because 鈥淚 believe I am a great leader and I love to positively affect those around me as I strive to understand others and their cultures.鈥�
Family matters
Though they may have inherited their skills on the basketball court from their father, former NBA player Chris Mills, much of the brothers鈥� optimism comes from their single mother. Tracy Broughton is a successful entrepreneur and was crowned Ms. Black California in 2003 and Ms. America in 2011. Triston said she鈥檚 done 鈥渁mazing work in raising two twin boys all alone.鈥�
For student-athletes looking to follow the Broughton brothers to 黑料吃瓜, both believe finding the right balance of academics and athletics offers the best road to a successful experience. 鈥淚t鈥檚 imperative to be equipped with the knowledge and education we need to be successful,鈥� said Tyler. 鈥淎s coach (Brian) Dutcher always says 鈥楾he ball will eventually stop bouncing at some point in our lives,鈥� so we need to be prepared when life rips us athletes off the court or field.鈥�
Triston, an 黑料吃瓜 and Mountain West Scholar Athlete, concurred, saying: 鈥淭here will be rough times along the road and you can鈥檛 let the challenges knock you off your focus. Recognize your failures and mistakes and learn from them in order to better yourself and your work.鈥�
The Aztecs open their season at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, at Viejas Arena with an exhibition game against Saint Katherine. The regular season gets underway Nov. 9, when the Aztecs will host UC Riverside at Viejas.
