University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: RJ Melendez
February 23, 2024 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
One of the highlights of this Georgia men's basketball season has been watching junior RJ Melendez dunk the basketball. The 6-foot-7 guard can get up with the best of them, and he's thrown down a few showstoppers in his first season with the Bulldogs after transferring from Illinois.
And whenever he does dunk in a game, he immediately thinks about his mom, Mariel.
A native of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Melendez was third on the team in scoring through the first 24 games, averaging 10.3 points per game, to go along with 4.5 rebounds. And his 31 steals were second only to Silas Demary Jr.'s 35.
During a recent Quick Chat, Melendez talked about his start in basketball, what it's like to soar through the air for a big dunk, his favorite food, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What does it feel like to fly through the air and dunk the way that you do? It sure looks like a lot of fun.
Melendez: [Laughs] It feels really fun, honestly. It happens. I'm not thinking about it in the moment, I'm just, I know I can jump and I'm going to go for it. And then, having a dunk just immediately makes me think about my mom. She's always talking about, "Can you give me one dunk in a game, please?" So I always get excited for her when I do it.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
Melendez: Yes, it was in Puerto Rico. I was in I think it was ninth grade or eighth grade. It was a rim-scratcher, basically, but I was kind of shook afterward, like I didn't know what happened. Nobody reacted really crazy about it, but I was pretty excited. I was thinking about it for weeks.
Frierson: Did you play a lot of different sports when you were young?
Melendez: I played basketball, volleyball, baseball, a little bit of soccer, and I swam when I was little. Puerto Rico doesn't have football, so I never played that.
Frierson: Was there a sport other than basketball that you played at a high level?
Melendez: Baseball. I was a pitcher, first base and shortstop. I was really good at baseball.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Melendez: The funniest guy? Dang, I don't know. I feel like it's pretty spread out. I feel like everybody has their days.
Frierson: I know you played for Puerto Rico's U17 national team when you were younger. What is it like to represent your country on a national team like that?
Melendez: It was amazing, honestly. It's every kid's dream to be able to have your country's name on your chest.
Frierson: Are you blown away by where basketball has taken you and the experiences you've had?
Melendez: It is pretty crazy. I never thought I would go to Italy in my life, and I went there with Georgia (last July). And I think about all of the states that I've been to in the United States because of basketball, it's pretty crazy.
Frierson: Do you think about coaching one day?
Melendez: I've thought about it, but I feel like it's a lot of work, coaching a team. I feel like maybe whenever I'm done playing basketball, I'll take a little break from the game. And then maybe if a spot opens up, I'll go into coaching. But if not, I'll go into working out people and helping others achieve their dreams.
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Melendez: Chipotle. Everybody on the team could tell you that I go almost every day.
Frierson: Do you get the same thing every time?
Melendez: Every time. I get a bowl, with extra rice, black beans, steak, double steak, queso, corn, cheese, sour cream, vinaigrette, and guac. It's so big, it doesn't really fit in the Chipotle bowl. It's something I could eat every day.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Staff Writer
One of the highlights of this Georgia men's basketball season has been watching junior RJ Melendez dunk the basketball. The 6-foot-7 guard can get up with the best of them, and he's thrown down a few showstoppers in his first season with the Bulldogs after transferring from Illinois.
And whenever he does dunk in a game, he immediately thinks about his mom, Mariel.
A native of Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Melendez was third on the team in scoring through the first 24 games, averaging 10.3 points per game, to go along with 4.5 rebounds. And his 31 steals were second only to Silas Demary Jr.'s 35.
During a recent Quick Chat, Melendez talked about his start in basketball, what it's like to soar through the air for a big dunk, his favorite food, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: What does it feel like to fly through the air and dunk the way that you do? It sure looks like a lot of fun.
Melendez: [Laughs] It feels really fun, honestly. It happens. I'm not thinking about it in the moment, I'm just, I know I can jump and I'm going to go for it. And then, having a dunk just immediately makes me think about my mom. She's always talking about, "Can you give me one dunk in a game, please?" So I always get excited for her when I do it.
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
Melendez: Yes, it was in Puerto Rico. I was in I think it was ninth grade or eighth grade. It was a rim-scratcher, basically, but I was kind of shook afterward, like I didn't know what happened. Nobody reacted really crazy about it, but I was pretty excited. I was thinking about it for weeks.
Frierson: Did you play a lot of different sports when you were young?
Melendez: I played basketball, volleyball, baseball, a little bit of soccer, and I swam when I was little. Puerto Rico doesn't have football, so I never played that.
Frierson: Was there a sport other than basketball that you played at a high level?
Melendez: Baseball. I was a pitcher, first base and shortstop. I was really good at baseball.
Frierson: Who is the funniest guy on the team?
Melendez: The funniest guy? Dang, I don't know. I feel like it's pretty spread out. I feel like everybody has their days.
Frierson: I know you played for Puerto Rico's U17 national team when you were younger. What is it like to represent your country on a national team like that?
Melendez: It was amazing, honestly. It's every kid's dream to be able to have your country's name on your chest.
Frierson: Are you blown away by where basketball has taken you and the experiences you've had?
Melendez: It is pretty crazy. I never thought I would go to Italy in my life, and I went there with Georgia (last July). And I think about all of the states that I've been to in the United States because of basketball, it's pretty crazy.
Frierson: Do you think about coaching one day?
Melendez: I've thought about it, but I feel like it's a lot of work, coaching a team. I feel like maybe whenever I'm done playing basketball, I'll take a little break from the game. And then maybe if a spot opens up, I'll go into coaching. But if not, I'll go into working out people and helping others achieve their dreams.
Frierson: What is something you could eat every day and never get tired of it?
Melendez: Chipotle. Everybody on the team could tell you that I go almost every day.
Frierson: Do you get the same thing every time?
Melendez: Every time. I get a bowl, with extra rice, black beans, steak, double steak, queso, corn, cheese, sour cream, vinaigrette, and guac. It's so big, it doesn't really fit in the Chipotle bowl. It's something I could eat every day.
(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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