For all the things that bond Brian Holland and Joe Liptrap, they find themselves on opposite sides twice a year.

Holland, the student manager of the Pickerington High School North boys basketball team, is a devout Duke basketball fan. Liptrap, a senior guard for the Panthers, loves the Blue Devils’ rival, North Carolina.

There was a fair amount of trash-talking between the two Feb. 9, the morning after Duke edged North Carolina 85-84 on a last-second 3-pointer. But like everything else between the two —best friends since their days at Fairfield Elementary School — that was underscored by a friendship that became even stronger on May 1, 2009, when Holland was diagnosed with Burkitt’s lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system.

“When he got sick at the end of our freshman year, that’s when we became like brothers,” Liptrap said. “We’ve always been best friends, but we became even closer after that.”

The cancer ended any thoughts Holland had of continuing his basketball and baseball careers. He played basketball at Lakeview Junior High as well as during his freshman year and as he recovered sought ways to stay around the program.

“I knew I needed to stay around the basketball program to stay close with my friends,” Holland said. “When (varsity) coach (Pete) Liptrap and (junior varsity) coach (Denny) Wippel gave me the opportunity, I couldn’t turn that down.”

That “opportunity” was to be the Panthers’ student manager, a job that entails everything from calling out-of-bounds plays during j.v. games to filling in during practice to cheering on the varsity team from the stands.

“He’ll get in shooting drills with us,” coach Liptrap said. “(Assistant) coach (Brian) Thacker involves him with the post activities. É He’s here every day just like any player. He comes to hear scouting reports with everybody else. He’s just like a player in the program.”

Holland dressed for the junior varsity’s final regular-season game each of the past two years, and about a week before the varsity’s Feb. 3 senior night against Gahanna, coach Liptrap told Holland he could join his classmates in uniform.

Holland led the Panthers onto the court and participated in warm-ups before North’s 55-46 win.

“It means everything to me, just to be healthy enough to go out there and suit up with my friends and teammates who I’ve been around the past three or four years,” he said. “Even though I’m not able to play, just being on the bench with them every step of the way, I’ve been waiting the past three years ever since I was diagnosed to go out and suit up with them.”

It didn’t take long to decide that Holland would dress a second time, for the Panthers’ final regular-season home game Feb. 10 against Newark.

“I texted coach after the (Gahanna) game and said, ‘Good win and thanks for letting me dress,’” Holland said. “He said, ‘No problem. You ought to dress next Friday. You could be a good luck charm.’”

For coach Liptrap, the decision was a no-brainer.

“It’s just a nice way to reward a guy who’s been loyal to the program and been good to us,” he said. “Brian is a special guy. He’s loyal to the program, he’s part of the program and everybody just associates him with us, just like any other player.”

Holland has been in remission for most of the past two-and-a-half years. Healthy enough to return to school the first day of his sophomore year, he now undergoes CAT scans every six months to make sure the cancer has not reoccurred, but that will lessen to once per year starting next year.

Holland plans to attend Ohio University to major in business. Joe Liptrap is undecided whether he will go to OU or opt to play basketball at Muskingum University, his father’s alma mater.

Few people around the Panthers’ program would be surprised if coaching is in Holland’s future.

“I have thought about it,” he said. “I’d definitely like to coach a basketball team if my path leads that way. If not, I don’t know. But I would love to coach, no doubt. I just love the game.”