Mychal Ammons may be a 6-5, 220 pound brick-house freshman that has given many three-guards across the nation night tremors, but there’s a lanky 6-1 senior hanging around the Lady Jaguar post with similar cheekbones that doesn’t buy it.

“Oh, Mychal? That’s just my little big brother,” she states.

The rafters of the Mitchell Center have been echoing the name “Ammons” constantly this season, as siblings Mychal and Taylor are once again representing mutual corners and are enjoying seasons of duplicative success, which is nothing new – the pair were placed along similar paths many years ago.

“Many people think that Mychal and I were out to get each other when we were younger,” said Taylor, who is Mychal’s senior by four years. “But it was our older brother that we were up against. Mychal and I stuck together from the get-go.”

“I looked up to Taylor a lot,” said Mychal. With a laugh, he added, “She had to be tough to survive her brothers.”

Coming up, the two quickly found similarities aside from mutually avoiding the standard big-brother beatdowns, the foremost of those being basketball. A great amount of influence came from the father of the two, Tony, who played for Midwestern State.

“We played all the games kids play and we weren’t easy on each other,” Taylor stated. “Mychal looked up to me from a young age, especially when it came to playing basketball.”

As the two grew older, Taylor adopted a protective role of Mychal, who as a teenager, began growing at an alarming rate in both size and skill. One of her most cherished memories is when Mychal entered Vicksburg (Miss.) High School as a freshman and became the second-best known Ammons basketball player.

“I really enjoyed playing as a senior and watching Mychal grow in his freshman year,” said Taylor. “It was fun to see him play and he learned a lot from watching me. It was good for our family to see us both play. We’ve always kept a homey feel wherever we’ve gone.”

During her senior season, Taylor averaged 8.7 points per game and 8.1 rebounds, while also earning all-county honors for the second consecutive year en route to signing with Paris (Texas) Junior College.

After lettering two seasons for PJC, where she earned all-Texas Eastern Athletic Conference honors for an 11.1 point-per-outing mark, it was clear that big sister was on her way to great things. Mychal was back home making a name for himself as well.

“Taylor was playing really well in college and that motivated me to keep working and keep getting better,” said Mychal.

During his junior year, Mychal’s team reached the semifinals, which brought on a series of accolades for the blooming young player.

“When I signed with South Alabama, Mychal was beginning to really progress,” said Taylor. “It was then that I saw a change in our relationship. He had always looked up to me, and I really began to see his work ethic after I got to a four-year school.”

While Taylor was enjoying a junior year marked with the achievement of a starting position, which led to Sun Belt Conference sixth-place rebounding rank, Mychal was pocketing honors such as tournaments MVPs, a first-team all-state mention and a rank of 32 among national small forwards by ESPN.com.

Following the season, Mychal’s list of prospective universities included Florida, Tennessee, Mississippi State and South Alabama. While Taylor did make a case for the Jaguars, she said he made the decision on his own.

“When I came to Mobile and met with the coaches and staff I really enjoyed it and felt it was the best place for me,” said Mychal. “Of course, it would be cool to play with my sister again, but it was just the right fit – so it was a bonus I guess.”

“I really tried to stay away from being an influence for where Mychal went to school,” said Taylor. “He felt that Mobile was the right place for him and he loves it. It was no secret, though, that I was excited to see him come here.”

Relishing the opportunity to watch her brother play again, Taylor said the best advice she can give Mychal is to stay focused and understand when it’s time to play and time to work.

“I always try to play hard because I know Mychal is watching me and I am positive he will learn that hard work pays off,” she stated. “I have always admired his work ethic and I know what he is capable of. It has my senior year so much better to have him here.”

The two are currently fulfilling crucial roles for their respective teams. Taylor has started each of the Lady Jags’ 14 games and ranks among the top-five in conference rebounding. Her most notable performance this season came against visiting Northwestern State in a come-from-behind victory, in which she tallied a season-high 16 points and 13 rebounds. In USA’s conference opener at Middle Tennessee, Taylor pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds.

Mychal came out the gate with 15 points and nine rebounds in his first collegiate showing against Mississippi State. Against San Diego, he scored 17-points and against Alabama A&M he recorded a career-high three blocks.

When asked about the difference in each other’s play since the last time they wore like colors, both agreed on obvious improvement and skill, but Taylor said that there is still nothing like watching her brother flying through midair to block shots and bring down alley-oops.

“I never get tired of seeing him play,” she answered. “You’d think I’d be used it by now, but every game I get to watch him play in is very special to me. Nobody can mess with Mychal, but me.”

Spoken like a true big sister.