Taquan Dean couldn’t ask for a better overseas basketball situation. He’ll be heading to Italy in the next couple of weeks after playing for coach Rick Pitino at U of L, and he’ll have a familiar mate in the backcourt — former Cardinal Reece Gaines. Taquan Dean couldn’t ask for a better overseas basketball situation. He’ll be heading to Italy in the next couple of weeks after playing for coach Rick Pitino at U of L, and he’ll have a familiar mate in the backcourt — former Cardinal Reece Gaines.
The two guards — who were U of L teammates in the 2002-03 season — both will play for Angelico Biella in Italy’s Serie A league, one of that country’s top circuits.
Assistant coach Luca Bechi said the team had been following Dean since his first appearances in NBA pre-draft camps and that he quickly became its first priority.
“He’s a player with great potential,” Bechi said. “He’s a great three-point-shooting guard who is very strong physically and can defend on the perimeter. It will take him some time to adjust, but he has shown great versatility in playing for coach Pitino.”
Gaines bounced from Orlando to Houston to Milwaukee after being drafted in the first round by the Orlando Magic in 2003 — but never was able to get much playing time in the NBA. Bechi expects that to change in Italy. “He’s a very athletic player who is very solid defensively; he brings us many things,” Bechi said. “…. He has a great pedigree and first-level talent, but he will have to shake off some years of rust from inactivity in the NBA. “We have great expectations for him, that he can become one of the best players in Europe. And we’re very satisfied to have reunited Gaines and Dean, and we’re confident that their acquaintance will help them and our team.”