University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Jonathan Ned
December 20, 2020 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Jonathan Ned is a 6-foot-8 junior from Brentwood, Calif., but not the Brentwood in the Los Angeles area. Ned is from the Bay Area Brentwood, near Oakland, and like millions of other Californians, he loves In-N-Out Burger.
After playing at Eastern Florida State College the past two seasons, Ned is one of eight newcomers on the Georgia men's basketball squad this season. He recently sat down for a Quick Chat and talked about In-N-Out, arriving at Georgia during a pandemic, his first dunk and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What is it like starting off at a new school in the middle of a pandemic?
Ned: I want to say it's different, but at the same time it's all I know here. Just being here and having to adjust to the pandemic, I think we all did a good job getting used to the rules. It hasn't been too difficult — everybody's adjusted really well and we all get along really well.
Frierson: Do you look forward to the day when you can be in class, be on campus and get more of that true college experience?
Ned: Definitely, but with the way things are going I don't know how quick or how soon that's going to happen. I definitely look forward to it. It's obviously something you look forward to coming into college, especially to a big college like this. What I've got now, though, it's nice.
Frierson: How old were you when you first got started playing organized basketball and what was it that really clicked with you?
Ned: I was in about first grade when my parents first signed me up, and I probably just started playing because my older brothers were playing. I was always taller than everybody else, so that helped, but just watching them and being at their games, it helped me. They all passed down their knowledge and their skills to me.
Frierson: What is it like always being the tall kid in school? Are there ups and downs with that?
Ned: For me, I wouldn't say so. Until I got to school, I didn't really realize that I was taller than everybody else. I was always around my older brothers so I was always the smallest one. Once I got to school I was like, oh. I wouldn't say I'm not normal but I am taller than most everyone else. It was kind of different but everyone made me feel welcome and it was never really an issue.
Frierson: I always ask because I never got anywhere near the rim — do you remember your first dunk?
Ned: I was in eighth grade. I probably could have dunked before that but I just never tried. One day I was at the gym with my brothers and they were like, do you think you can dunk? I was probably 6-3 in eighth grade and I was like, I don't know, I never tried.
It took me a few tries and once I finally did it the whole gym just went crazy. Everyone was like, oh, it's an eighth-grader that can dunk.
Frierson: Did that open up a new world to where after that you're trying to dunk all the time?
Ned: Definitely, definitely. You want to see if you can get that leak out or fast break, just to get your first in-game dunk or something like that so you can hype up the crowd and hype up your teammates and yourself. Now, you know the dunks are going to come; it's inevitable now, but it still gives you that same feeling. When you see yourself dunk or one of your teammates dunk, it still gives you that energy that you need.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Ned: Probably my mom's cooking, I can never get tired of it, especially after growing up on it and having to eat it every day. It's just something I never get tired of.
Frierson: When you go home now, is there one thing you're always looking forward to eating?
Ned: I would have to say my mom's mac and cheese, that's something I miss when I'm out here. And it's probably one of the first things she always makes when I come back.
Also, In-N-Out. I love In-N-Out, I grew up on In-N-Out, so I definitely miss that while I'm out here. That's probably the first thing I get when I get back, when I get off the plane. They always take me to In-N-Out.
Frierson: When Georgia played in the Rose Bowl a few years ago, that was my first In-N-Out experience, and it was really good. For the people that don't know about In-N-Out and how big a deal it is in California, can you explain it to them?
Ned: It's sort of like a culture thing. After high school football games, it's where everybody goes to hang out and eat. It's cheap for a good burger, it's like $3 or $4 for a double cheeseburger, and it's quality food. It's like a culture thing.
The drive-thru is always crazy. I think probably only one time in my life have I gone to In-N-Out and there was no line, and that was during the pandemic because everybody was staying inside. Every time I've looked, the line is around the corner and there's always a wait. Like I said, it's like a culture thing. You know what you're getting and you know it's going to be good food.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
Ned: I've always wished I could sing and I wish I could draw, but I can't really do either of those. I like to think I could sing sometimes, maybe in the shower or when I'm with my friends I like to joke around, but that's about it.
Frierson: If you could play with or against anybody in history, who would it be?
Ned: I would probably say play with Kevin Durant, just because he's my favorite player and he's who I watched growing up and I get my play style from. He's always been one of my favorite players.
There's a player I do miss playing with and that's my point guard from high school my senior year, Ezra Manjon. He goes to UC-Davis now and he transferred to my school from Ohio, and once he got there it was like an instant brotherhood, we just linked right away and ended up doing some big things in high school.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Jonathan Ned is a 6-foot-8 junior from Brentwood, Calif., but not the Brentwood in the Los Angeles area. Ned is from the Bay Area Brentwood, near Oakland, and like millions of other Californians, he loves In-N-Out Burger.
After playing at Eastern Florida State College the past two seasons, Ned is one of eight newcomers on the Georgia men's basketball squad this season. He recently sat down for a Quick Chat and talked about In-N-Out, arriving at Georgia during a pandemic, his first dunk and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What is it like starting off at a new school in the middle of a pandemic?
Ned: I want to say it's different, but at the same time it's all I know here. Just being here and having to adjust to the pandemic, I think we all did a good job getting used to the rules. It hasn't been too difficult — everybody's adjusted really well and we all get along really well.
Frierson: Do you look forward to the day when you can be in class, be on campus and get more of that true college experience?
Ned: Definitely, but with the way things are going I don't know how quick or how soon that's going to happen. I definitely look forward to it. It's obviously something you look forward to coming into college, especially to a big college like this. What I've got now, though, it's nice.
Frierson: How old were you when you first got started playing organized basketball and what was it that really clicked with you?
Ned: I was in about first grade when my parents first signed me up, and I probably just started playing because my older brothers were playing. I was always taller than everybody else, so that helped, but just watching them and being at their games, it helped me. They all passed down their knowledge and their skills to me.
Frierson: What is it like always being the tall kid in school? Are there ups and downs with that?
Ned: For me, I wouldn't say so. Until I got to school, I didn't really realize that I was taller than everybody else. I was always around my older brothers so I was always the smallest one. Once I got to school I was like, oh. I wouldn't say I'm not normal but I am taller than most everyone else. It was kind of different but everyone made me feel welcome and it was never really an issue.
Frierson: I always ask because I never got anywhere near the rim — do you remember your first dunk?
Ned: I was in eighth grade. I probably could have dunked before that but I just never tried. One day I was at the gym with my brothers and they were like, do you think you can dunk? I was probably 6-3 in eighth grade and I was like, I don't know, I never tried.
It took me a few tries and once I finally did it the whole gym just went crazy. Everyone was like, oh, it's an eighth-grader that can dunk.
Frierson: Did that open up a new world to where after that you're trying to dunk all the time?
Ned: Definitely, definitely. You want to see if you can get that leak out or fast break, just to get your first in-game dunk or something like that so you can hype up the crowd and hype up your teammates and yourself. Now, you know the dunks are going to come; it's inevitable now, but it still gives you that same feeling. When you see yourself dunk or one of your teammates dunk, it still gives you that energy that you need.
Frierson: What's something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Ned: Probably my mom's cooking, I can never get tired of it, especially after growing up on it and having to eat it every day. It's just something I never get tired of.
Frierson: When you go home now, is there one thing you're always looking forward to eating?
Ned: I would have to say my mom's mac and cheese, that's something I miss when I'm out here. And it's probably one of the first things she always makes when I come back.
Also, In-N-Out. I love In-N-Out, I grew up on In-N-Out, so I definitely miss that while I'm out here. That's probably the first thing I get when I get back, when I get off the plane. They always take me to In-N-Out.
Frierson: When Georgia played in the Rose Bowl a few years ago, that was my first In-N-Out experience, and it was really good. For the people that don't know about In-N-Out and how big a deal it is in California, can you explain it to them?
Ned: It's sort of like a culture thing. After high school football games, it's where everybody goes to hang out and eat. It's cheap for a good burger, it's like $3 or $4 for a double cheeseburger, and it's quality food. It's like a culture thing.
The drive-thru is always crazy. I think probably only one time in my life have I gone to In-N-Out and there was no line, and that was during the pandemic because everybody was staying inside. Every time I've looked, the line is around the corner and there's always a wait. Like I said, it's like a culture thing. You know what you're getting and you know it's going to be good food.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
Ned: I've always wished I could sing and I wish I could draw, but I can't really do either of those. I like to think I could sing sometimes, maybe in the shower or when I'm with my friends I like to joke around, but that's about it.
Frierson: If you could play with or against anybody in history, who would it be?
Ned: I would probably say play with Kevin Durant, just because he's my favorite player and he's who I watched growing up and I get my play style from. He's always been one of my favorite players.
There's a player I do miss playing with and that's my point guard from high school my senior year, Ezra Manjon. He goes to UC-Davis now and he transferred to my school from Ohio, and once he got there it was like an instant brotherhood, we just linked right away and ended up doing some big things in high school.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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