Player Bio: Taquan Dean :: Men's Basketball

  Taquan Dean

Taquan Dean

Player Profile

Class:
Senior
Hometown:
Red Bank, N.J.
High School:
Neptune HS
Height / Weight:
6-3 / 185
Position:
G
Birthdate:
08/06/1983
Experience:
3L

Junior Year:

  • First name is pronounced TY-kwon.
  • A tri-captain with Francisco Garcia and Ellis Myles and the third-leading scorer for the Cardinals as a junior (14.4 ppg). He will co-captain the team this season with David Padgett.
  • Honored on the five-man NABC All-District 7 first team as a junior and was a third-team All-Conference USA selection.
  • His 122 three-point goals as a junior set a new single season record at Louisville.
  • Shot 44.7 percent from three-point range (122-of-273), ninth best in the nation. He was 10th nationally in three-point goals (3.3 per game).
  • Most Valuable Player of the 2005 Conference USA Tournament when he averaged 13.7 points, 6.3
  • Honored on the Albuquerque Region all-region team after averaging 21 points and connecting on 12 three-pointers in the two games.
  • Heroic effort against West Virginia in the Albuquerque Region championship game (3/26/05) with 23 points, six rebounds and seven three-point goals, playing with a right mid-foot sprain and leg cramps for much of the second half.
  • Had 14 points, six rebounds and two assists against Georgia Tech in the NCAA Tournament second round, hitting 4-of-6 three-pointers (3/20/05).
  • Produced his first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds vs. UAB in the semifinals of the C-USA Tournament (3/11/05). He added six assists, one less than his career-best.
  • Scored 27 points in just 22 minutes of action against Charlotte in the Cards' home finale, hitting 6-of-11 shots from the three-point line (3/3/05).
  • Played about two months of the season with a non-contagious form of mononucelosis, a recurrence of the virus from the first time he had it at age six that causes fatigue, aches and pains.
  • Scored 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds and hit seven three-point goals in leading UofL to a 69-66 come-from-behind victory at then No. 13 Cincinnati.
  • Hit three or more three-pointers in 26 of his 37 games as a junior. He is second in career three-pointers at U of L with 254, 69 behind career leader DeJuan Wheat.
  • Will enter his senior year ranked No. 43 on the Cards' all-time scoring list with 1,118 career points.
  • Most Outstanding Player of the 2004 Billy Minardi Classic, averaging 18 points and 4.5 assists with just one turnover in the two games, hitting 10-of-17 three-point shots.
  • Double-figure scorer in 28 of 37 games and on 55 career occasions. Louisville was 26-2 during the `04-05 season when Dean scored in double figures.
  • Scored a team-high 19 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out four assists to lead U of L past then No. 17 Cincinnati (2/2/05).
  • Named Conference USA Player of the Week twice as a junior (Nov. 29, Jan. 18).
  • Averaged 19.7 points, three rebounds and shot 57.1 percent from the field in three games of the EA Sports Maui Invitational. A member of the five-man all-tournament team for the event, he hit 9-of-19 three point goals with just two turnovers in the three games. He poured in 30 points against Stanford (the second highest total of his career) and added six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
  • Earned recognition on the U of L AD's Honor Roll for the 2004 fall semester (3.0 or better GPA).

    Sophomore Year:

  • Tri-captain was a double figure scorer in 16 games.
  • Led the Cardinals with 71 three-point goals while connecting on 40.1 percent at the three point line, eighth best in Conference USA. He hit three or more three-pointers in 13 games as a sophomore.
  • Suffered a double hernia in practice on Jan. 20 that limited his play, including missing games vs. Houston (Jan. 28) and Memphis (Feb. 4). His play suffered after the injury, averaging 7.7 points and hitting 28.6 percent of his three-point attempts after ranking among the nation's leaders in three-point accuracy (47.7 pct., 10th in NCAA) and threes made (3.4, 17th in NCAA) over the first half of the season.
  • Adapted well to the point guard role lafter starting 22 games as a freshman at shooting guard. He had one or zero turnovers in 10 games as a sophomore.
  • Had 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and no turnovers vs. then No. 5 Cincinnati (1-21-04), hitting five three-pointers while playing with a groin injury.
  • Buried a school-record nine three-pointers (in 12 attempts) and scored a career-high 31 points against VMI (12/23/03).
  • Earned recognition on the U of L AD's Honor Roll for the 2003 spring semester (3.0 or better GPA).

    Freshman Year:

  • Starter in the Cards' backcourt in 22 games, including the last 21 straight.
  • Double-figure scorer in 12 games (U of L was 11-1 in those), earning C-USA All-Freshman team honors.
  • Second on the team in three-point goals, hitting 61-of-171 threes on the season (.357). He hit a three-pointer in the last 13 straight contests and made a trey in all but four games.
  • His game-winning three-pointer with 11.1 seconds remaining against Memphis in the C-USA Tournament semifinals was the first shot he hit during the game. He grabbed nine rebounds in the game and was the tournament's third-leading rebounder with 19.
  • cored 15 points and grabbed six rebounds against UAB in the C-USA Tournament title game.
  • Produced 17 points, three assists and eight rebounds against East Carolina (3/1/03).
  • Scored 18 at No. 11 Marquette (2/15/03).
  • Handed out a season best six assists vs. Saint Louis, adding five points and six rebounds (1/11/03).
  • Honored on the all-tournament team of the Billy Minardi Classic, scoring 19 vs. Eastern Ky. (12/17/03).
  • Scored a season-high 21 points vs Furman, hitting 5-of-6 three-pointers (12/22/02).

    High School:

  • Averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds as a senior, leading Neptune to a 29-3 record and the runner-up position in the New Jersey state championship. He helped Neptune win 25 straight games over a stretch during his senior year.
  • Honored on the all-state, all-conference, all-county and all-division teams as a senior.
  • Teamed with Alabama-bound Chuck Davis to win the 2-on-2 competition at the 2002 Kentucky Derby Classic all-star game. He scored 21 points in the game played in Freedom Hall and won the three-point contest.
  • Averaged 16.3 points, 5.1 assists and five rebounds as a junior, leading Neptune to a 22-7 record and its second straight Central Jersey Group III championship, falling in the state semifinals to Camden High School. He hit 68 three-point goals as a junior.
  • Ranked among the nation's top recruits entering his senior year, including No. 51 by The Sporting News, 60 by ESPN, 62 by CNN/SI, and 63 by the Hoop Scoop.
  • A third team all-state pick as a junior, Dean was selected as a member of the USA Basketball Youth Developmental Festival team. He played his freshman year at Red Bank before transferring to Neptune.
  • His cousin Raheem Carter played basketball at Seton Hall.
  • Also considered Florida, Maryland, Seton Hall and Rutgers before signing with the Cards.

    Personal:

  • Born Aug. 6, 1983 ... Son of Kevin and Jacquelin Owens ... Has two brothers and a sister ... Major is justice administration.
  • Enjoys sleeping and watching DVDs in his spare time.
  • Personal goal at U of L is "to be remembered forever in the hearts of the fans."
  • Feels Jamie Foxx would be the best actor to play him in a movie.
  • Few people know that he has a birth mark on his shooting hand.
  • What impresses him the most about Coach Pitino: "his heart and loyalty to those around him."
  • Chose to attend U of L because "it is a great basketball environment, the die hard Louisville fans, and I'm playing for the best basketball coach in America."
  • Best basketball advice given to him was "don't stop working because someone is working harder."
  • Would most like to meet "my mom in the after life" (his mother Felicia died when he was six years old).

    Favorites:

  • Basketball Player: Kobe Bryant
  • NBA Team: Los Angeles Lakers
  • Athlete, Other than a basketball player: Muhammad Ali
  • Comedian: Mike Epps
  • Movies: Hoop Dreams, Ray, Love & Basketball, Above the Rim, He Got Game, Friday After Next
  • TV Shows: BET, ESPN
  • Book: Jordan Rules
  • Musical Group/Singer: Jay Z, Cassity, Dip-Set
  • Food: steak, corn, potatoes
  • Snack: Oreo cookies
  • Best Athlete Ever Faced: Dwyane Wade
    • Big East Conference
    NCAA
    Big East Conference