We are still a couple of months away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Tennessee associate head coach Justin Gainey, who talked about having his son on the roster and his expectations for this season.
You were named team captain as a SR at NC State: what is the key to being a good leader? It begins with the ability to communicate/listen. I was the PG in college and as captain you are like the coach in the locker room when the coaches are not there. I listened to the details of exactly what the coaches wanted and then communicated it to my teammates. Sometimes you need to communicate it differently to different guys: you must be in tune with everyone.
In the 2000 ACC tourney you had 9 STL in a win over Virginia, which remains the 2nd-most in school history: what is the key to playing great defense? I think basketball IQ and a feel for the game are key. You need instincts to stay a step ahead and guess what is coming next. You need to prepare by watching film/studying scouting reports/etc. it also involves mental/physical toughness: it is not a glamorous thing to do so you need to take pride in it. It is not cool/sexy, so you have to find the joy in it because it is what you need to do to win. I grew up playing on playgrounds and if you lost then you probably would not get to play again that day. To stay on the court you had to stop your man, and when he scored against me it hurt. That competitive nature is something that all the great defenders have: they hate to even get beat on a cut. We are an elite defensive program based on having competitive guys.
You work for Coach Rick Barnes at Tennessee: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? There are a lot of things that make him a great coach, but I would say his ability to develop a selfless culture where things are about the team rather than the individual. When the team does good everybody prospers from it. It is an everyday thing and he is elite at it. When it comes to player development, he sees more in you than you see in yourself. He is great at pulling it out of you and getting the most out of you even if you do not realize what you can do. He has done it at every school he has been at and had several players make it to the NBA: not just players like Kevin Durant but also some 2/3-star guys. The common denominator was Rick’s impact on them and pushing them to levels they did not know they could get to.
In 2022 you beat Mississippi State/Kentucky/Texas A&M to win the SEC tourney: how big a deal was it for your school to win its 1st SEC tourney in 43 years? It was huge! We come into every game with the mentality of playing our best because we feel our best is enough. Our mindset was that we were playing 3 championship games: once we win the 1st 1 then we can move onto the next 1. It was a great accomplishment by that group: we started hitting our stride at the right time as Kennedy Chandler turned into the best PG in the country. Everyone started to understand what their role was and it was a fun ride for those guys: just to see their focus/determination in every game and them trusting us to not look ahead to the next game. Their intensity/toughness spoke volumes.
In the 2024 NCAA tourney you beat St. Peter’s/Texas/Creighton and had a double-digit lead on Purdue before losing by 6 PTS: what is the secret to winning games in March? The NCAA tourney is tricky because a big part of it is matchups. Everyone who makes it there has been good all year so you must look at style of play/personnel/depth/etc. You do not have any control of your side of the bracket so your guys need to fully understand the moment. It is win-or-go-home so the mistakes you make in November can beat you in March whether it is the 1st round or the Sweet 16. Guys who play with a sense of urgency on every possession and stick to the game plan are the ones who can push forward. At that time of year you need to be playing well and making shots. In 2022 we played Longwood in the 1st round and shot the cover off the ball…but 2 days later against Michigan we could not buy a shot.
You lost 5 of your top-7 scorers from last year (Dalton Knecht/Jonas Aidoo/Tobe Awaka/Josiah-Jordan James/Santiago Vescovi): how will you try to replace all that offense/leadership? Those are big holes to fill. Dalton was a scorer who could close a game for us, and Santi/Josiah brought leadership and an understanding of the system. Tobe was an enforcer who would bang some guys around and get offensive rebounds, and Jonas could impact games at the rim and on the perimeter. We lost a lot but are excited about our current group. We added some key pieces who we think can patch those holes but will not know for sure until the games start. Felix Okpara from Ohio State is a high-level rim-protector, Igor Milicic brings size and has a great shooting touch, Darlinstone Dubar is an undersized 4 who is a 3-level scorer from Hofstra, and Chaz Lanier from North Florida can really shoot the ball. We hope these 4 transfers will help, in addition to our freshmen who have a lot of upside. We also return 3 seniors who are ready to take a step both on the court and in a leadership role. Zakai Zeigler might leave here as our most recognizable player in a long time, Jahmai Mashack is arguably the best perimeter defender in the country, and Jordan Gainey had some big nights last year.
Jordan was named Big South Freshman of the Year at USC Upstate in 2022 before transferring to Tennessee: what is the best part of having your son on your roster? I love being able to see him every day. As a college coach you miss so much of your kids’ growth/life experiences. When you are out recruiting you cannot be around them, so it has been an exciting experience to get into the gym and work with him each day and just spend time with him. Usually when they leave the house to go to college those moments are few and far between: I think he enjoys it…but I try not to be dad all the time! I love going through this process with him: I think we will look back on it in the future and have a great appreciation for it.
Your brutal non-conference schedule includes games against Louisville/Virginia/Baylor or St. John’s/Syracuse/Miami/Illinois: is there any 1 game that you feel will present your biggest test or that you are looking forward to the most? We have always had a challenging non-conference schedule: Rick’s mindset is that we want to play anybody so that we are mentally ready once SEC play starts. I am looking forward to all of them, even our exhibition against Indiana next month. They will all present different challenges in their own way. The Hoosiers will be a great test to see where we are and where we need to be. Pat Kelsey at Louisville is a good coach, and Baha Mar will give us neutral-site experience that could come in handy in March. We need these challenges as we figure out who we are…but check back with me in mid-December!
The SEC gained 2 new members this year in Oklahoma/Texas: any thoughts on conference realignment? I think it is good when you have the chance to add 2 great programs like that. I think it is win-win for both the schools and the league. It is good for our fans and will grow our brand even more and continue our league’s mission to be the best in the country.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Every year our goal is to win a national title, but ultimately we just want to get better every single day. We have done a good job this summer of getting the new guys acclimated to everything and understanding the culture. The returners need to understand that it is time to take the next step. Our mantra is INAM: it’s not about me. We expect to be the best defensive team in the country and have the most connected group: if we do those things then we will win how we want to win and accomplish what we are trying to accomplish.
