Former Gophers football standouts MarQueis Gray and Bryan Cupito embrace being basketball dads

Bryan Cupito and MarQueis Gray don’t look far removed from their Gophers football-playing days, but you’ll spot them on the sidelines now as dedicated sports dads.

On the first weekend in June, their sons played on the same court at Shakopee High School a couple of hours apart — and the following weekend they were in the same Adidas tournament in Chicago.

“Basketball is so much time — it’s crazy,” said Cupito, who coaches his sons, Carter and Jack. “We do a lot of traveling.”

The Cupito and Gray boys were among hundreds of players competing last week in the Prep Hoops NHR state AAU tournament in the Twin Cities.

Gray’s twins, MarShawn and MarZell, helped D1 Minnesota 2030 win the 13U championship. Cupito’s oldest son, Carter, won the 14U championship with the Phelps Falcons.

Fans remember the success Gray (2008-12) and Cupito (2004-06) had on the field for the Gophers. Football definitely came naturally for their children, but the boys are establishing themselves in basketball, too.

“Football has always been my main sport,” MarZell said. “But when we got to play this higher level of basketball with more intensity, I’ve started to like basketball even more.”

Gray never played basketball in high school, but he signed with the Gophers as a four-star quarterback recruit under coach Tim Brewster in 2008.

After switching to wide receiver and tight end in college, Gray reached the NFL and lasted seven years before injuries forced him to retire in 2020. That was a blessing in disguise because it allowed him to coach his sons — in football.

Starring on Eden Prairie youth teams, the Gray twins played for their father on the gridiron starting in fourth grade. MarShawn is excelling now as a running back and receiver. MarZell switched to quarterback recently — and “I like a lot,” he said.

But they’re also blossoming into players to watch in the 2030 class in hoops, MarShawn’s favorite sport.

“I’ve always liked basketball more,” he said. “But I still think playing both is fun because it gives you something to do with your friends. And you understand [football] because your dad played at a high level.”

Cupito became one of the Gophers’ all-time passing leaders from 2004-06, but he reminds people that he also played basketball in high school in Cincinnati.

His sons, Carter and fifth-grader Jack, are two-sport athletes. Cupito also coached his daughter, Ava, from kindergarten through sixth grade in basketball.

At Hopkins, Ava has emerged as an elite Class of 2027 prospect in Minnesota, holding offers from Illinois State, Colorado State, South Dakota and St. Thomas. Her recruiting could grow; she recently recovered from an injury and returned to North Tartan’s 16U AAU team.

“I look up to her,” Carter said about Ava. “We play one-on-one in the backyard almost every day. We’re just trying to make each other better.”

As he learns from his sister’s path, Carter could become Minnehaha Academy’s future point guard. He earned all-tournament team honors at NHR State. But he also plays quarterback in football.

“I just try to find a balance between the two sports,” Carter said. “I do basketball workouts in the morning and throw the football at night. My dad puts my schedule together and gets other kids to work with me, so it’s great.”

Bryan Cupito has coached many of the same kids since they were in third grade at Phelps Recreation Center in Minneapolis. They also play out of town as J-Sizzle, an AAU program sponsored by Twin Cities legend and NBA guard Jalen Suggs.

“Those kids have been together a long time,” Cupito said. “They’ve played like a thousand games together in football and basketball. They travel all over the country. That’s a fun team. The players and parents get along.”

Cupito and Gray said they haven’t pressured their kids to play one sport over the other. One day, their boys will decide if they want to pursue basketball or choose football like their fathers did.

That’s well down the road, though. For now, winning AAU tournaments this spring and summer helps basketball stake a claim as their No. 1 sport.

“It’s just great to see how their skills have taken off,” Gray said. “At one point, we just thought they were going to be football players. With all the work they put in, basketball is year-round for them now. And they’ve gotten a lot better.”