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Mens bball vs. yale Credit: Amanda Suarez , Amanda Suarez

The distance between Sudan and Des Moines, Iowa, is over 7,000 miles.

It’s impossible to know how many basketball courts one can find between those two places.

But for Dau and Peter Jok and the rest of their family, for one night, only one game matters.

While Friday’s matchup with Iowa (4-0) marks the Quakers’ (1-2) second consecutive contest with a Big Ten opponent, very few nonconference matchups are this unique.

With senior guard Dau Jok serving as a veteran leader for Penn and freshman guard Peter Jok already impacting a talented Hawkeyes squad, Friday’s game is a family affair for an incredibly resilient group.

“I think it’s pretty cool and it’s going to be fun,” Dau said. “Obviously, for me, my focus is to get the guys ready to win and focused on working together as a team, especially after a disappointing game against Penn State.

“It’s cool because this is a testament to how far our family has come.”

The story behind the Jok family isn’t an everyday tale. If anything, everything the Joks have been through makes Friday’s matchup even more special.

Born in Sudan, Dau, Peter and their two siblings dealt with the effects of a brutal civil war for the early part of their lives. At a young age, the children lost their father and were forced to flee the country. They eventually settled in Iowa almost a decade ago.

Once the Joks arrived in the United States, both Dau and Peter utilized the game of basketball to pave a new life for themselves.

“Basketball has been invaluable for my family,” Dau said. “It has kept us busy, and it has transformed me quite a bit.

“I used to be very angry, and I never knew how to handle that, so I had to learn how to channel that anger, and basketball really taught me how to do that effectively.”

With Dau entering his final season at the college level and Peter kicking off his career, the two understand just how special Friday night’s game is.

“I found out this summer,” Peter said. “[Dau] was the first one to tell me we were playing and at first I didn’t believe him.

“I never thought I would get to play him, but it is just a great opportunity at the end of the day, so I’m just looking to take advantage of that.”

Aside from the fraternal matchup, Friday’s game provides an important test for both squads.

After pulling off a victory over Monmouth, the Quakers took a step back in their loss to Penn State on Saturday.

For Iowa, the early part of this season has been defined by easy victories. The Hawkeyes are 10th in the nation in scoring and have notched over 100 points in their last two games.

“Clearly, Penn is the best team we’ve faced thus far for a variety of reasons,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffery said. “Not only does Penn have great size, but they have a talented, deep and dynamic backcourt.”

Regardless of the outcome, Friday represents much more than a game for the Jok family.

“We wouldn’t be in this position without a lot of people,” Dau said. “And I’m hoping we can go out tomorrow night and show them how thankful we are of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”

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