University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Brandon Klatsky
December 12, 2022 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
For a family that lives in Colts Neck, N.J., the Klatskys sure do have quite the Georgia-Florida rivalry front and center.
Brandon Klatsky is a freshman walk-on on the Bulldog men's basketball team. His older brother, Alex, walked on to Florida's team a couple of years ago, when first-year Georgia coach Mike White was still coaching the Gators. The brothers' parents, Brian and Nicole, are Florida grads, so Brandon faces an uphill battle.
During a recent Quick Chat, Klatsky, a 6-foot-2 guard, talked about coming to Georgia, being surrounded by Gators at home, his start in basketball, Jersey food, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: I looked up Colts Neck on Wikipedia and saw that Queen Latifah was from there or lived there, Jon Stewart, Jim Nantz — a bunch of well-known people.
Klatsky: Jon Stewart, I actually went to high school with his son, Nate Stewart. He was actually the manager for the basketball team.
Frierson: Was Jon ever at the games? Was he there cheering you on?
Klatsky: I think he was at a couple of games, especially when we got farther in the state tournament.
Frierson: Given where Colts Neck is located, do you feel a close connection with New York? You're from New Jersey, which obviously has its own identity.
Klatsky: I would say, no, I'm more of a beach type of guy. Colts Neck, it's like 15 minutes from the beach, but it's also more of a farm town. It's also a horse town, and horses are big in my family.
Frierson: What was it like growing up in a horse family, in a horse town that's also a short drive to the beach?
Klatsky: It's interesting because my dad and my mom are opposites. My mom was all about the beach and we'd always go to the beach on Long Island, and she always wanted a beach house. My dad, he always wanted a farm in Kentucky, with his horses and stuff. It was cool.
Frierson: What brought you here?
Klatsky: The coaching staff, yeah. Coach White had recruited me to go walk on at Florida, just like how he did with my brother. And then once he decided to come here, he asked me if I wanted to do the same thing here. And I said yes.
Frierson: Playing in high school, when did you realize that being able to walk on at a big school was an option?
Klatsky: I always wanted to play at the next level, but I also wanted to go to a big SEC school, or just a big school with a lot of culture. Based off everything my brother told me about his experience, it was basically a no-brainer. I'd rather walk on here than go play at a small northern school that's not at as high of a level.
Frierson: When Georgia played Florida in football in October, was there any family trash talking going on?
Klatsky: Oh, of course. There was even some trash talking when the women's volleyball team went down to Florida and won. I'm friends with a bunch of the girls on the volleyball team here and that was exciting.
Even though both of my parents went to Florida, and they kind of lean that way, now my mom, she's trying to switch to Georgia football. But I'm like, no, you can't hop on the bandwagon — you're not allowed to do that.
Frierson: You're the outsider, I guess, but it's a good time to be an outsider that loves the Georgia Bulldogs.
Klatsky: Oh, yeah. I'm transferring them — I'm getting them.
Frierson: What other sports did you play when you were younger?
Klatsky: When I was really young, I played practically every sport, including baseball and soccer, but as I got older it was just basketball and tennis, and I ran cross country. I decided to not do anything other than basketball in high school, but if there was another sport that I would have played in high school, it would be tennis.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
Klatsky: My first real dunk, it was in practice, in high school. It was just a normal 4-on-4 drill and I got a steal, a fast break, and I dunked it. I didn't really dunk in a game until my junior year of high school, and ever since then it's gotten easier.
Frierson: I always imagine, and I have to imagine because I never came close, that dunking for the first time would be a bit life-changing.
Klatsky: Oh, for sure. You always want to do it, but you also don't want to mess up in front of the coach. Once you do it, it's a sigh of relief. The pressure's off.
Frierson: I always ask the Bulldogs from New Jersey for their preference when it comes to the famous New Jersey food called either Taylor ham or pork roll. What do you prefer?
Klatsky: I would say it's a pork roll, and then I would say that Taylor ham is something completely different. I like ham, and I like Taylor ham, but the sandwich that we're referring to is a pork roll. It's all right — I'm not the biggest fan.
Frierson: Is there something from home, as far as food, that you do miss?
Klatsky: I've actually been talking about this a lot with Kye (KyeRon Lindsay), my roommate. It's the pizza, for sure. The pizza in the north, New Jersey and New York, it's so much better than the pizza here. That's definitely what I'm missing the most.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
For a family that lives in Colts Neck, N.J., the Klatskys sure do have quite the Georgia-Florida rivalry front and center.
Brandon Klatsky is a freshman walk-on on the Bulldog men's basketball team. His older brother, Alex, walked on to Florida's team a couple of years ago, when first-year Georgia coach Mike White was still coaching the Gators. The brothers' parents, Brian and Nicole, are Florida grads, so Brandon faces an uphill battle.
During a recent Quick Chat, Klatsky, a 6-foot-2 guard, talked about coming to Georgia, being surrounded by Gators at home, his start in basketball, Jersey food, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: I looked up Colts Neck on Wikipedia and saw that Queen Latifah was from there or lived there, Jon Stewart, Jim Nantz — a bunch of well-known people.
Klatsky: Jon Stewart, I actually went to high school with his son, Nate Stewart. He was actually the manager for the basketball team.
Frierson: Was Jon ever at the games? Was he there cheering you on?
Klatsky: I think he was at a couple of games, especially when we got farther in the state tournament.
Frierson: Given where Colts Neck is located, do you feel a close connection with New York? You're from New Jersey, which obviously has its own identity.
Klatsky: I would say, no, I'm more of a beach type of guy. Colts Neck, it's like 15 minutes from the beach, but it's also more of a farm town. It's also a horse town, and horses are big in my family.
Frierson: What was it like growing up in a horse family, in a horse town that's also a short drive to the beach?
Klatsky: It's interesting because my dad and my mom are opposites. My mom was all about the beach and we'd always go to the beach on Long Island, and she always wanted a beach house. My dad, he always wanted a farm in Kentucky, with his horses and stuff. It was cool.
Frierson: What brought you here?
Klatsky: The coaching staff, yeah. Coach White had recruited me to go walk on at Florida, just like how he did with my brother. And then once he decided to come here, he asked me if I wanted to do the same thing here. And I said yes.
Frierson: Playing in high school, when did you realize that being able to walk on at a big school was an option?
Klatsky: I always wanted to play at the next level, but I also wanted to go to a big SEC school, or just a big school with a lot of culture. Based off everything my brother told me about his experience, it was basically a no-brainer. I'd rather walk on here than go play at a small northern school that's not at as high of a level.
Frierson: When Georgia played Florida in football in October, was there any family trash talking going on?
Klatsky: Oh, of course. There was even some trash talking when the women's volleyball team went down to Florida and won. I'm friends with a bunch of the girls on the volleyball team here and that was exciting.
Even though both of my parents went to Florida, and they kind of lean that way, now my mom, she's trying to switch to Georgia football. But I'm like, no, you can't hop on the bandwagon — you're not allowed to do that.
Frierson: You're the outsider, I guess, but it's a good time to be an outsider that loves the Georgia Bulldogs.
Klatsky: Oh, yeah. I'm transferring them — I'm getting them.
Frierson: What other sports did you play when you were younger?
Klatsky: When I was really young, I played practically every sport, including baseball and soccer, but as I got older it was just basketball and tennis, and I ran cross country. I decided to not do anything other than basketball in high school, but if there was another sport that I would have played in high school, it would be tennis.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
Klatsky: My first real dunk, it was in practice, in high school. It was just a normal 4-on-4 drill and I got a steal, a fast break, and I dunked it. I didn't really dunk in a game until my junior year of high school, and ever since then it's gotten easier.
Frierson: I always imagine, and I have to imagine because I never came close, that dunking for the first time would be a bit life-changing.
Klatsky: Oh, for sure. You always want to do it, but you also don't want to mess up in front of the coach. Once you do it, it's a sigh of relief. The pressure's off.
Frierson: I always ask the Bulldogs from New Jersey for their preference when it comes to the famous New Jersey food called either Taylor ham or pork roll. What do you prefer?
Klatsky: I would say it's a pork roll, and then I would say that Taylor ham is something completely different. I like ham, and I like Taylor ham, but the sandwich that we're referring to is a pork roll. It's all right — I'm not the biggest fan.
Frierson: Is there something from home, as far as food, that you do miss?
Klatsky: I've actually been talking about this a lot with Kye (KyeRon Lindsay), my roommate. It's the pizza, for sure. The pizza in the north, New Jersey and New York, it's so much better than the pizza here. That's definitely what I'm missing the most.
(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.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballGeorgia Men's Basketball Catchings and Millender - NCAAs Pregame Presser vs St. Louis
Wednesday, March 18
Georgia Men's Basketball: Coach White - NCAAs Pregame Presser vs St. Louis
Wednesday, March 18
Georgia Men's Basketball -Millender, Cain, and Coach White Pre NCAA Tournament
Sunday, March 15
Georgia Men's Basketball - SEC Tournament Post Game Press Conference vs Ole Miss
Friday, March 13