University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Cam McDowell
December 14, 2021 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Cam McDowell has loads of energy. When the television cameras cut to the bench during the Georgia men's basketball team's upset of then-No. 18 Memphis earlier this month, nobody was cheering harder or with more enthusiasm than the 6-foot-5 freshman from Powder Springs, Ga.
Every game, every day, McDowell tries to have fun and tries to make sure you're having a good time, too. During a recent Quick Chat, McDowell had a great time recounting his first dunk, in seventh grade. He also talked about his funniest teammates, who he'd like to play with or against, and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What do you remember about your first dunk?
McDowell: Seventh-grade year, in a game, someone had gotten two charges on me in the first quarter. I'm like, "I'm fixing to go dunk on him!"
The ball came off the rim and I ran down the court and Boom! I went down the court and dunked on him. I had the whole gym going crazy.
Frierson: Did you know you could dunk at that point?
McDowell: I knew I could dunk but I'd never done it in a game. And I dunked again that same game, but that first one was the one.
Frierson: I hope somebody got a video of that for you.
McDowell: They didn't get the video of my dunking over somebody but I've got a video of me dunking in seventh grade. [He then pulls out his phone and shows me the video.] This was five years ago, my second dunk.
Frierson: Everybody was already on their feet as you went toward the rim.
McDowell: They were all like, he's going to dunk it again!
Frierson: What does that feel like, realizing that you can now play above the rim and you can get the crowd on their feet?
McDowell: I feel like it's a good adrenaline rush. Once you can do everything — dunk, shoot 3s, shoot mid-ranges — it opens your game up a lot. I feel like attacking the rim, it really opens your game up. I like it.
Frierson: We've got the holiday season going, so do you have a favorite dish or meal that you always look forward to this time of year?
McDowell: Really, I want some pumpkin pie. That's the main thing. I eat a lot of things, but pumpkin pie, that's what I look forward to the most on holidays. My grandma, she makes a lot of really good food.
Frierson: If you could play with or against anybody in history, who would it be?
McDowell: With, I would say Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) — get them big ole screens. Against, I'd say Kobe Bryant. I'd want to learn and take some stuff out of his bag and see it up close. I've watched him on TV but I'd love to play Kobe. I know he could teach me a lot of things.
Frierson: Those might be some hard lessons given how incredible he was.
McDowell: That's how you get better, right? I'd love to play him.
Frierson: When you think about Kobe, what stands out to you?
McDowell: How he approached the game and his mentality. He was just different. Every day for him was about, I'm going to go attack the day. That's what I try to do, attack the day.
Frierson: What other sports did you play when you were young?
McDowell: I played football — I played quarterback and wide receiver — but I just felt like basketball would take me further. I had a different love for basketball. Football, yeah, but basketball was my escape. I could go play basketball and just feel great.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
McDowell: I've got to go with both of the Tys: Tyron McMillan and Tyrone Baker. They are really funny. Their smile or their laugh will make everybody else laugh. It's very contagious.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
McDowell: I know how to fix computers but nobody knows about that. That's a hidden talent. I will sing or rap sometimes but that's not for the public quite yet. It's to myself.
Frierson: If you could travel anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
McDowell: I'd go somewhere overseas, definitely, and I'd take Tyrone with me. I've got to take Tyrone with me, and C-Wright, Christian Wright.
Have you ever heard of Pripyat, Ukraine? It's a ghost town (near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant) and I'd love to go see that. I just want to go visit it because it looks cool.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Cam McDowell has loads of energy. When the television cameras cut to the bench during the Georgia men's basketball team's upset of then-No. 18 Memphis earlier this month, nobody was cheering harder or with more enthusiasm than the 6-foot-5 freshman from Powder Springs, Ga.
Every game, every day, McDowell tries to have fun and tries to make sure you're having a good time, too. During a recent Quick Chat, McDowell had a great time recounting his first dunk, in seventh grade. He also talked about his funniest teammates, who he'd like to play with or against, and much more.
Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What do you remember about your first dunk?
McDowell: Seventh-grade year, in a game, someone had gotten two charges on me in the first quarter. I'm like, "I'm fixing to go dunk on him!"
The ball came off the rim and I ran down the court and Boom! I went down the court and dunked on him. I had the whole gym going crazy.
Frierson: Did you know you could dunk at that point?
McDowell: I knew I could dunk but I'd never done it in a game. And I dunked again that same game, but that first one was the one.
Frierson: I hope somebody got a video of that for you.
McDowell: They didn't get the video of my dunking over somebody but I've got a video of me dunking in seventh grade. [He then pulls out his phone and shows me the video.] This was five years ago, my second dunk.
Frierson: Everybody was already on their feet as you went toward the rim.
McDowell: They were all like, he's going to dunk it again!
Frierson: What does that feel like, realizing that you can now play above the rim and you can get the crowd on their feet?
McDowell: I feel like it's a good adrenaline rush. Once you can do everything — dunk, shoot 3s, shoot mid-ranges — it opens your game up a lot. I feel like attacking the rim, it really opens your game up. I like it.
Frierson: We've got the holiday season going, so do you have a favorite dish or meal that you always look forward to this time of year?
McDowell: Really, I want some pumpkin pie. That's the main thing. I eat a lot of things, but pumpkin pie, that's what I look forward to the most on holidays. My grandma, she makes a lot of really good food.
Frierson: If you could play with or against anybody in history, who would it be?
McDowell: With, I would say Shaq (Shaquille O'Neal) — get them big ole screens. Against, I'd say Kobe Bryant. I'd want to learn and take some stuff out of his bag and see it up close. I've watched him on TV but I'd love to play Kobe. I know he could teach me a lot of things.
Frierson: Those might be some hard lessons given how incredible he was.
McDowell: That's how you get better, right? I'd love to play him.
Frierson: When you think about Kobe, what stands out to you?
McDowell: How he approached the game and his mentality. He was just different. Every day for him was about, I'm going to go attack the day. That's what I try to do, attack the day.
Frierson: What other sports did you play when you were young?
McDowell: I played football — I played quarterback and wide receiver — but I just felt like basketball would take me further. I had a different love for basketball. Football, yeah, but basketball was my escape. I could go play basketball and just feel great.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
McDowell: I've got to go with both of the Tys: Tyron McMillan and Tyrone Baker. They are really funny. Their smile or their laugh will make everybody else laugh. It's very contagious.
Frierson: Do you have a creative side? Is there anything creative you do or wish you could do?
McDowell: I know how to fix computers but nobody knows about that. That's a hidden talent. I will sing or rap sometimes but that's not for the public quite yet. It's to myself.
Frierson: If you could travel anywhere in the world on somebody else's dime, where would you like to go and who would you take with you?
McDowell: I'd go somewhere overseas, definitely, and I'd take Tyrone with me. I've got to take Tyrone with me, and C-Wright, Christian Wright.
Have you ever heard of Pripyat, Ukraine? It's a ghost town (near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant) and I'd love to go see that. I just want to go visit it because it looks cool.
(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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