Former Kansas Jayhawks Marcus and Markieff Morris reflect on their KU days on podcast

Well-traveled twins Marcus and Markieff Morris soon will begin season No. 13 in the NBA, suiting up for for the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks respectively.

Marcus, who has been with six teams, and Markieff, who is on team No. 8, are still going strong in the pros after co-celebrating their 34th birthday on Sept. 2.

The former University of Kansas forwards, who played in Lawrence three seasons (2008-09, 09-10, 10-11) before entering the 2011 NBA Draft — one in which Markieff went No. 13 and Marcus No. 14 overall — recently reflected back to their college days with interviewers/former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson during a 40-minute “All the Smoke” podcast aired on SHOWTIME Basketball.

On the Internet broadcast, the Philadelphia natives revealed the main reason they chose KU over runner-up Memphis in recruiting.

“I really wanted to go to Memphis,” Markieff Morris said.

“I wanted to go to Kansas,” Marcus quickly interjected.

To settle the impasse … “We were locked in at grandmom’s crib watching the game,” Markieff Morris said of the 2008 national title game between KU and Memphis, played in San Antonio in April of the twins’ senior year at Apex Academies in New Jersey.

“Basically whoever won the national championship game, that’s the school we were going to go to,” Markieff added.

“It was crazy. It could easily have gone a different direction,” Marcus Morris stated. The 2007-08 Jayhawks erased a nine-point deficit in the last 2:12 to force overtime — a session in which KU ultimately tamed the Tigers 75-68. “We really would have gone there (Memphis) had they won. We shook (hands) on it, whoever wins the national championship, that’s where we’re going.”

“Only him and me knew about it. I was locked in on Memphis. That was my school. We were gonna go there. That was the one,” Markieff interjected.

Attending KU turned out well for the duo.

“It was such a culture shock. We went from north Philly to Kansas,” Marcus Morris said. “We struggled a lot the first year, really struggled in school. We had Danny Manning (on the KU staff). He was there and was like a mentor to us. He kept us on the straight path. He really turned our games on, turned our workouts up. We started to see the growth. One summer we were in school and went back home. We were like grown men.

“Everybody (in Philly) was like, ‘That was a big change.’ That’s when the light kind of came on. We were like, ‘We have a real opportunity to make the league.’ After that we were just pushing each other.”

The podcast hosts wondered if KU coach Bill Self was hard on the twins during their three years at KU.

“Hey man it was crazy,” Marcus Morris said, “He worked us so hard that we got to the league: ‘(Bleep) it was easy.’

“We’d look at him the wrong way, we were running. If we did anything wrong we did it (punishment) together. If it was me, I was running with him. If it was him we’re both running. Literally everything, it was together.”

Markieff noted that he deserved Self’s wrath.

“In college I was lazy as (bleep),” Markieff said.

“In the end it worked out real well because we became men,” Marcus said. “We didn’t have fathers. He (Self) kind of became a father figure, but it was really strenuous work.”

The twins came up with a surprising answer when asked what players in the Big 12 gave them the most problems on the court.

“We didn’t get to play against Blake (Griffin, Oklahoma), but we were (messing) Khris Middleton up,” Marcus said of being able to smother the former Texas A&M standout now with Milwaukee in the NBA. “Our biggest battles were our teammates. We had a gang of guys. We had Thomas Robinson. We had Jeff Withey. It was nasty. Mario Little could have gone from (junior college) right to the league.

“It became a brotherhood,” Marcus added, “but we used to battle. Everybody went to the league off our squad or played at a high level overseas.”

Markieff agreed the competition at practice was tougher than the games, adding: “Cole Aldrich, Sherron Collins, Tyshawn Taylor, Josh Selfby. Xavier Henry was on our team. He was a top five pick. It was crazy all those players.”

Marcus and Markieff decided to turn pro after KU went 35-3 and reached the Elite Eight in 2010-11.

“He wasn’t even going to come out of school. He wasn’t on any projection of being drafted,” 6-8, 220-pound Marcus said of his 6-9, 245 brother. “Kieff was like, ‘Bro if you leave, I’m leaving. That’s what it’s going to be.’ It was, ‘If we can get to the (NBA Draft) Combine, we can make something work.’

“I’m the lottery pick the whole time and he ended up going before me (by one slot in draft). We sat at the same table (at the draft). One picked right behind the other, 13 and 14.”

The brothers are enjoying life as well as the NBA.

“Having kids man,” Marcus Morris said, asked what keeps his attention off the court. “I’ve got three boys. He’s about to have another boy.”

“Two boys, one girl — (about to have) three boys,” Markieff noted.

As to how long they might play before retiring, Markieff said: “It (the league) is in good hands These young players coming up are really talented. When LeBron (James) and all those guys retire, I think the Zions (Williamson) and Ja Morants will take over.

“What I don’t like is as we get older, it’s not like when you all (Barnes, Jackson) were in the league. You remember how you called it quits when you wanted to call it quits? Nowadays they are pushing the vets out, bringing the younger guys in. I don’t think that’s helping the league. I think that’s hurting the league because you need the older guys to show them the way. Other than that it is in a great state.

“Nowadays the GMs are younger,” Markieff continued. “They are not older like they used to be when you guys (podcast hosts) were in the league. Looking at younger guys, they don’t understand the qualities of having vets in the locker room.”