University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Antonio Reynolds Dean
August 23, 2023 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Antonio Reynolds Dean's face lights up as he talks about his favorite moment ever on a basketball court. It was March 15, 1998, and Reynolds Dean's Rhode Island team, an 8 seed, took out No. 1-seeded Kansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Reynolds Dean, a junior that season, had seven points and six rebounds in the 80-75 victory.
And the Rams weren't done, knocking off 13-seed Valparaiso in the round of 16 to advance to the Elite Eight, where they fell in a heartbreaker, 79-77, to No. 3-seeded Stanford. For Reynolds Dean, Georgia's associate head coach, the Rams' run to the quarterfinals remains very special 25 years later.
A two-time all-state player at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta, Reynolds Dean went on to a great career at Rhode Island. He was the 1996 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and an all-conference player as a senior. After college, Reynolds Dean spent about a decade playing professionally, including in Spain and Argentina. Prior to joining head coach Mike White's staff in April 2022, Reynolds Dean coached at Clemson, Northeastern and Rhode Island.
During a Quick Chat, Reynolds Dean talked about the kind of player he was, that magical NCAA tournament run, what he does to relax, and more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: How would you describe yourself as a player.
Reynolds Dean: I would say, the ultimate warrior. I would say, dependable. Rarely missed practices, didn't miss a game in college (his 131 games remains a school record), so I think the word to describe me is just dependable. I was an undersized power forward that just left it all out on the court.
Frierson: How much do you miss the joy that came with playing?
Reynolds Dean: I miss it, from the pregame speech to the guys running out of the tunnel, to hearing your name called in the starting lineup, to all of the fanfare, it just brings back so many memories. I miss it every day, but I do feel like coaching can scratch that itch just enough at my age now where it's controlled.
Frierson: The game is a lot different from when you played — particularly at the pro level, basketball looks radically different from 20 years ago — so, do you like how the game is played now? Or, do you feel like something's missing with all of the emphasis on 3-pointers?
Reynolds Dean: No, I don't want to be the old guy that says "Back in my day ..." or anything like that. I'm fully aware that things evolve over time and everything has gotten better. I like the game where it is today; there are small things that I would change, but that's personal preference.
It still starts with hard work, dedication and coming together as a team — that will never change in the game of basketball. I don't care if there are five Victor Wembanyamas (the 7-foot-5 NBA rookie from France), if there are 10 Steph Currys, you've still got to come together and do it as a team. That's something I like about the game, the purity of the game. ...
I love the evolution of the game; it challenges me as a coach to get out of my comfort zone, to conform to this generation, and it's been fun.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite moment ever on a basketball court?
Reynolds Dean: I think my favorite moment would be in college, in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Kansas. It's hard to top that moment. We beat the No. 1 seed in Kansas, and it was just a feeling that you can't describe. We shocked the world, but there was an inner confidence that we could always do it.
It was a real surreal moment, to get on the plane and fly from Oklahoma to Providence, R.I., and to land at 1 or 2 a.m. and the airport was jam-packed. That moment will be with me forever.
Frierson: As great as a first-round upset is, the second-round upset always seemed like the best. You get to fly home and bask in the glow for a few days before having to leave for the round of 16.
Reynolds Dean: That whole week, walking around campus, everybody's pulling for you. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country, and you could go pump gas anywhere and people would know who you were. It was just a surreal moment, and then we won the next game so it got even bigger.
Frierson: What do you to take a break from work and basketball? How do you relax?
Reynolds Dean: I'm a big TV guy. I love lounging around the house and watching Netflix — I subscribe to all of them (the streaming services). I could sit there for five hours. We had a couple of weeks off, and I probably watched the entire "Ted Lasso" series.
I can go in the backyard and watch it on my deck. That's my getaway, that's my escape. Not fishing, not golfing or hiking, just that, relaxing.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
Antonio Reynolds Dean's face lights up as he talks about his favorite moment ever on a basketball court. It was March 15, 1998, and Reynolds Dean's Rhode Island team, an 8 seed, took out No. 1-seeded Kansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Reynolds Dean, a junior that season, had seven points and six rebounds in the 80-75 victory.
And the Rams weren't done, knocking off 13-seed Valparaiso in the round of 16 to advance to the Elite Eight, where they fell in a heartbreaker, 79-77, to No. 3-seeded Stanford. For Reynolds Dean, Georgia's associate head coach, the Rams' run to the quarterfinals remains very special 25 years later.
A two-time all-state player at Frederick Douglass High School in Atlanta, Reynolds Dean went on to a great career at Rhode Island. He was the 1996 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and an all-conference player as a senior. After college, Reynolds Dean spent about a decade playing professionally, including in Spain and Argentina. Prior to joining head coach Mike White's staff in April 2022, Reynolds Dean coached at Clemson, Northeastern and Rhode Island.
During a Quick Chat, Reynolds Dean talked about the kind of player he was, that magical NCAA tournament run, what he does to relax, and more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: How would you describe yourself as a player.
Reynolds Dean: I would say, the ultimate warrior. I would say, dependable. Rarely missed practices, didn't miss a game in college (his 131 games remains a school record), so I think the word to describe me is just dependable. I was an undersized power forward that just left it all out on the court.
Frierson: How much do you miss the joy that came with playing?
Reynolds Dean: I miss it, from the pregame speech to the guys running out of the tunnel, to hearing your name called in the starting lineup, to all of the fanfare, it just brings back so many memories. I miss it every day, but I do feel like coaching can scratch that itch just enough at my age now where it's controlled.
Frierson: The game is a lot different from when you played — particularly at the pro level, basketball looks radically different from 20 years ago — so, do you like how the game is played now? Or, do you feel like something's missing with all of the emphasis on 3-pointers?
Reynolds Dean: No, I don't want to be the old guy that says "Back in my day ..." or anything like that. I'm fully aware that things evolve over time and everything has gotten better. I like the game where it is today; there are small things that I would change, but that's personal preference.
It still starts with hard work, dedication and coming together as a team — that will never change in the game of basketball. I don't care if there are five Victor Wembanyamas (the 7-foot-5 NBA rookie from France), if there are 10 Steph Currys, you've still got to come together and do it as a team. That's something I like about the game, the purity of the game. ...
I love the evolution of the game; it challenges me as a coach to get out of my comfort zone, to conform to this generation, and it's been fun.
Frierson: Do you have a favorite moment ever on a basketball court?
Reynolds Dean: I think my favorite moment would be in college, in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Kansas. It's hard to top that moment. We beat the No. 1 seed in Kansas, and it was just a feeling that you can't describe. We shocked the world, but there was an inner confidence that we could always do it.
It was a real surreal moment, to get on the plane and fly from Oklahoma to Providence, R.I., and to land at 1 or 2 a.m. and the airport was jam-packed. That moment will be with me forever.
Frierson: As great as a first-round upset is, the second-round upset always seemed like the best. You get to fly home and bask in the glow for a few days before having to leave for the round of 16.
Reynolds Dean: That whole week, walking around campus, everybody's pulling for you. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the country, and you could go pump gas anywhere and people would know who you were. It was just a surreal moment, and then we won the next game so it got even bigger.
Frierson: What do you to take a break from work and basketball? How do you relax?
Reynolds Dean: I'm a big TV guy. I love lounging around the house and watching Netflix — I subscribe to all of them (the streaming services). I could sit there for five hours. We had a couple of weeks off, and I probably watched the entire "Ted Lasso" series.
I can go in the backyard and watch it on my deck. That's my getaway, that's my escape. Not fishing, not golfing or hiking, just that, relaxing.
(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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