Basketball has always brought the Shuler family together, so when Ole Miss’ 2020-21 schedule was released last spring, Donnella Shuler saw it as a sign from above.

Her father, Donald Shuler, died unexpectedly in August 2019, leaving a gaping hole in the family. Seeing a scheduled matchup between Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee State, she thought, looked like a form of providence.

Then, as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened, schedules began to change. Ole Miss, led by Donnella’s little brother, Devontae Shuler, had a virus-related shutdown that canceled the first five games of the Rebels’ season.

Things worked out, however, and that game in Murfreesboro, Tenn., one that will feature Devontae going head-to-head against another Shuler, the Blue Raiders’ Dontrell, is on. For the Shuler family, it’s only appropriate that the game Donald Shuler loved so much is once again bringing all of his family together.

Donald Shuler’s death rocked the family. A family member, Donnella said, found him face down by his car in South Carolina. He’d been dead for approximately 15 hours.

“In the beginning, everybody was shocked and didn’t really know how to start moving,” Donnella said. “Everybody was at a standstill. The grieving was at a high level. For some of us, it still is. We know how to pray, keep our heads strong and keep moving forward.”

For Devontae and Dontrell, moving forward meant playing basketball. Devontae, a senior point guard with professional aspirations, battled through injuries in Ole Miss’ disappointing 2019-20 season. Dontrell, also a guard, transferred from Charleston Southern to Middle Tennessee.

Ole Miss (3-0) will square off against Middle Tennessee (2-3) Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Murfreesboro. Dontrell is averaging 10.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game for the Blue Raiders. Devontae, finally fully healthy, is off to a great start for Ole Miss. He’s averaging 20.3 points and four assists per game.

“Everybody is just going crazy,” Donnella said. “Thankfully, between Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee, we were able to get tickets on both ends.”

Dontae Shuler was in Murfreesboro over the weekend and decided to wait there for the rest of his family. Donnella is making the drive from Columbia, S.C. on Wednesday. Others are traveling from Las Vegas, Georgia and North Carolina. They’re going to buy some Middle Tennessee gear, get some food and pre-game at the hotel.

“I’m excited this game is happening,” Dontae said. “Very emotional as well. They both have been working hard over the years. Pops would expect for them to play to their best abilities. Its a blessing having a Shuler scoring from both ends of the court. It warms the hearts of the family.”

“I am very overwhelmed with excitement,” Donnesha Shuler Brown said. “It's unimaginable. I never thought I would've been able to see that on their collegiate level, with them playing in two different conferences. My father would've been ecstatic, capturing blurry pictures on his android phone the entire game while yelling ‘Buss that net.’ As a family who is well known for our love for basketball and competitive, it's iconic.”

There’s a sense among the family, they expressed independently of one another in conversations or via text, that the timing of Wednesday’s game is almost perfect.

“It’s at the right time, which is now,” Dominic Shuler said. “Any other times playing against each other wouldn’t matter because they both wasn’t on the same level of basketball. But now on (Wednesday), it's game day and it’s going to be amazing to see them both play against each other because they both are leveled up on their basketball game to compete with each other. Speaking on my dad being there, he would’ve love to see his two youngest kids playing against each and other going at it. If he could’ve been there, his feelings after the game would’ve made him feel more accomplished of being the best father he can be to us. My family seeing the two youngest boys playing against each other is very great. We’ve really never seen them two play against each other. So it will be different to watch them play against each other because they’re both aggressive and talk smack.”

Dominic finished his text with the acronym “LOL,” which, of course, means, “Laugh out loud.” Throughout the interviews for this story, there was laughter. For example, Donnella was asked who she’d be cheering for when tipoff arrived.

“The right thing to say is we’re all rooting for both of them,” Donnella said, laughing. “We’re very competitive. Some of us are just watching. I’ll be pulling for Dontrelle. It’s only right. There’s no way I can go into Dontrelle’s house and cheer against him. He just brings so much energy. Dontrelle is way more aggressive. He’s a gnat on the court. He gets in people’s heads and I love it.”

Of course, she admitted, she will be happy when Devontae and the Rebels make a play as well. She’s noticed Devontae looks different early this season. There’s no Terence Davis or Breein Tyree to defer to this season. This Ole Miss team is led by Devontae Shuler, and his sister has been thrilled to see him embrace that responsibility.

“It’s been awesome,” Donnella said. “It’s the start that we all have been looking for, the start that he needs to have the entire season. I was very excited to see he’s in a great place right now.”

Shuler has also already developed a chemistry with Arizona State grad transfer Romello White, something that has the family dreaming of another trip to the NCAA Tournament for the Rebels.

“Romello is huge for Ole Miss basketball,” Donnella said. “I’m so glad Kermit (Davis) was able to get him.”

At the end, rooting interests won’t matter. Family loyalty will win out.

“They’re real close,” Donnella said. “They’re both real competitors. It’s going to be love throughout the game. Just knowing them, they’re going to bring it and be competitive throughout the game. They won’t act like brothers during the game. They won’t be friends or brothers on the court. Before and after, we’ll see the love, I’m sure.”

Devontae scored 20 points in Ole Miss’ win over Central Arkansas Monday. Minutes afterward, his thoughts were shifting to his game Wednesday at Middle Tennessee.

“Honestly it is going to be pretty weird,” Devontae said, noting he had put together some 40 tickets for family and friends. :I feel like this is going to be one of the most exciting games in my college career and I’m going to try not to make it easy on him.”

The brothers, he said, grew up playing together and competing in anything and everything they could.

“One of us crying after the other one wins,” Devontae said, laughing. “We’re really close.”

There was even talk in the offseason about the brothers joining forces in Oxford.

“I was in his ear,” Devontae said. “The type of guy he is, he wants to be the main guy. …He wants to make his own story.”

There has been pregame trash talk.

“We argued (Sunday) on the phone,” Devontae said, smiling. “He kept telling me, ‘I’m not going to take it easy on you. I’m going to go at you.’ I told him I was going to come at him.”

Dontrell said he’s thought a lot about what Wednesday night would have meant for his father.

“This would have been the most lit night he could’ve imagined,” Dontrell said, laughing. “He would have been screaming and going crazy. And yeah, he would’ve been standing there with his android phone the whole time.

“It’s going to be an emotional night. I can feel the tears coming now.”

Dontrell, of course, wants to beat his brother Wednesday. That said, he’s noticed just how well Devontae has been playing in Oxford.

“Since I saw that first game, I knew he was locked in. …That’s perfectly fitting. We’re both healthy and 100 percent. There are no excuses.”

Dontrell laughed as he finished that comment. When the game’s over, he said, the competition will end as well. The Shulers are a remarkably close family. A final score can’t change that.

After all, Devontae provided a shoulder to cry on in the aftermath of their father’s death. He was one of the sources of comfort and solace for Dontrell during that time.

“Seeing us have to get through that tough tragedy showed me how tough we are and how together we are,” Devontae said. That made us go harder. It made us destined for greatness.”

At the end of the game, that’s what Wednesday will be about for the Shuler family, no matter whether Ole Miss or Middle Tennessee wins.

“It’ll be all love, joy and happiness,” Dontrell said. “It’s going to be a good environment for our family. It’s going to be emotional, too. There will be a lot of tears for Pops.”