BLAIRSTOWN, N.J. -- One is a Sudanese refugee whose family sought asylum in Egypt and England during his formative years.

The other? A first-generation American. The son of Dominican immigrants. A kid from Queens who honed his skills within New York City's year-round basketball machine.

But here they are -- both of them -- up in this rural nook of Northwest Jersey.

Luol Deng and Charlie Villanueva are two of the finest up-and-coming hoopsters in the nation -- the two best, arguably, not named LeBron James.

And they're on the same team.

	Luol Deng (red) has signed to play for the Duke Blue Devils.

Deng is a 6-foot-7 guard going to Duke. Villanueva is a 6-9 wing committed to Illinois. But for now -- for one final schoolboy season -- they're still together as good friends who double as the prep scene's most potent pair.

"Off the court, they're both tremendous people from good families," Blair Academy coach Joe Mantegna said after a practice earlier this week.

"On the court, they're both unselfish to a fault. They're both confident -- but not arrogant -- and totally devoid of ego. They'd much rather complement each other."

It's been that way from the get-go with these two.

Deng arrived at Blair as a 14-year-old freshman in the fall of 1999. Villanueva came a year later. Mantegna made them roommates.

That first night in September of 2000 -- Deng an ocean removed from his family back in South London, Villanueva two hours and a world away from his Corona, N.Y., neighborhood -- they talked about where they'd come from.

Deng told stories about fleeing his native Sudan in 1989. About bloody civil strife that's still going on some 15 years later.

About his father's six-month political imprisonment. About living in Alexandria, Egypt, before finally relocating to London's Brixton district five years later.

Said Villanueva: "And I was like, 'I thought I had it bad.'"

But he did -- just in his own way.

He grew up in a Hispanic section of Queens. His mother, Dora, worked as a custodian, and his father, Robert, sold real estate -- they still do, now in Brooklyn -- all in an effort to support four sons and six daughters.

"We got to talking about each other and our backgrounds," Deng said. "I felt comfortable right away."

As did Villanueva.

"We just talked and talked that night," he said. "There was a connection from the beginning."

On the court, too.

They teamed as sophomores to lead Blair to the 2001 Mid-Atlantic Prep League championship -- the first of what are now back-to-back titles -- and then emerged last winter as two of the top five all-around talents in the Class of 2003.

Deng averaged 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists as a junior, while Villanueva added 18 points and eight boards a game.

"For this level, they're both very, very complete players," Mantegna said. "They're both legitimate wings with lightning-quick first steps who are great finishers. And they're also my two best passers. There's very little give in their games."

So saw college coaches, recruiting analysts and NBA scouts this past summer.

The two of them traveled different circuits -- Deng went to Nike Camp and Villanueva did adidas ABCD -- but the results were much the same.

Deng put forth one of the top performances in Indianapolis and ran with Rich Leary's Jersey Demons. Villanueva was the co-MVP of the ABCD all-star game and toured the country with Gary Charles' Long Island Panthers.

But they were both mainstays on all-tournament teams.

	Charlie Villanueva has committed to play for Illinois in 2003.

"As highly esteemed as Charlie was going into the summer, I thought he exceeded my expectations," PrepStars.com guru Rob Harrington said. "He's an NBA wing down the road. The tools are there."

"Two years ago he played for effect," veteran New York-based talent evaluator Tom Konchalski added. "But this past summer he played for results."

The result in early November was a commitment to Bill Self's Fighting Illini. Villanueva announced his school choice at the same press conference at which Deng gave picked to Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils.

Now the focus shifts to the actual season -- winning a third straight MAPL crown and avenging last year's loss to Newark St. Benedict's in the New Jersey Prep A title game.

The rigorous national schedule tips off with the so-called War on the Shore, a talent-stocked prep school event next week in Milford, Del.

Expect Deng and Villanueva to dictate play -- together.

"This year we're going to play them both at the point and the two as well as on the wing," Mantegna said. "We're going to spread the floor and give them both room to just be players."

Which, of course, they are.

"And we learn from each other," Deng said. "If he does a move, I'll try to add it to my game. Or I'll do a move, and he'll pick it up. It's good for us."

Good for Blair now. Good for them in the future -- a future that's almost sure to include the NBA. Perhaps sooner rather than later. Especially for Villanueva.

But don't ask about that. They don't know. And they don't want to know. Not just yet.

"I'm not planning on anything," Deng said. "I'm going to give my best, and everything's just going to happen."

A simple philosophy, sure, but it's certainly worked to this point. For Luol. For Charlie V. For the both of 'em.

Michael Kruse is a Boston-based freelance writer and frequent contributor to ESPN.com.