Twins Adam and Brady Bauer provide power for Cary-Grove

Bauer boys ball.

Little sister is too young for anyone to make the same assumption. She’s 6 years old, after all.

Cary-Grove got a glimpse a couple of years ago of what its future might look like with Bauers on the basketball court when oldest boy Zach played for the Trojans. Zach (6-6, 210) is a sophomore forward for the University of Dubuque.

Adam Bauer started as a sophomore on C-G’s varsity last winter. This season, Brady Bauer has joined his twin and is showing flashes of what he can provide.

Evan Bauer plays on C-G’s freshman team and is a captain. Grace Bauer is the youngest of five children of Ryan and Susie.

“Great family,” C-G coach Adam McCloud said.

Adam and Brady played great Saturday in Woodstock.

Adam scored a career-high 20 points, and Brady had a season-high 15 points (two 3-pointers) and eight rebounds coming off the bench as C-G pulled away from host Marian Central to win 81-48 in nonconference action and improve to 6-3.

“A lot of good contributions from both of them,” said McCloud, who sat Adam the entire fourth quarter with the Trojans leading 70-44 after three.

Adam stands 6-foot-7 and is three inches taller and one minute older than his twin. But Brady has his own bragging rights.

“I can spin a ball on my finger. He can’t do that,” Brady said, smiling.

“All right, all right,” Adam said with an eye roll, a grin and a nod.

Adam plays the role of big man on a Trojans team whose next tallest starter is 6-3. Brady plays more on the perimeter.

Adam took advantage of his height against a small and young Marian Central team to sink 9 of 11 shots from the field. He attacked the lane, distributed the ball and ran the floor effectively. He split four free throws.

“I think we played really well against their zone,” Adam said. “We got the ball in the middle, and it was really easy to see the court and kick it to the corner for a 3 or just go up for a layup.”

Adam almost had a two-handed dunk 10 seconds into the second half, but he caught the ball almost flat-footed in the lane and settled for a layup.

“Almost,” Adam said with a smile. “I would have had one too if I didn’t get hit in the back on that one [a drive to the basket in transition that resulted in a Marian Central foul and two free throws].”

Adam even dished out two assists to Brady, including one that resulted in a right-corner 3-pointer late in the third quarter.

The twins complement each other – and compliment each other.

“Adam does a really good job of attacking the rim more than I do,” Brady said. “I think we work really well together.”

“I think his ball-handling’s got me, but I’m working on it,” Adam said.

McCloud appreciates having two more Bauers on his roster.

“Very different in style,” McCloud said of Adam and Brady. They’re both good, long athletes, and they play hard. Great kids.”

Adam has been scoring consistently in double digits and is playing like “an all-conference guy right now,“ McCloud said. Adam’s performance against Marian Central should provide a confidence boost.

“He can be dominant, and that’s what we’re trying to pull out of him, to be fundamentally sound so he can stay on the floor,” McCloud said. “He’s a really big matchup issue for a lot of guys because he’s as athletic as any guard, but he’s got that length, and his footwork has gotten better. I really enjoy coaching him. I’m trying to be pretty hard on him right now, and it’s because the sky’s the limit for him. I can’t let him take any plays off.”

Brady started for the JV team last season but has made contributions in his first month on varsity.

“He can do a little bit of everything,” McCloud said. “He’s absolutely a really good knockdown shooter, which is great off the bench, and I really appreciate his desire to be a team-guy first. He comes in and gives good minutes. He keeps getting better. I have a great group, and [the twins] are two big members of it.”