Ball in the Family: Justin and Jordan Gainey
Winston Roberts
Jordan Gainey had not logged a single official minute as a Volunteer before being thrown into the fire.
The Big Orange traveled to Michigan State to play a charity exhibition and with All-SEC guards Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler both unavailable, Gainey found himself starting – and finishing – in a true road atmosphere that felt more like a February conference game than a preseason exhibition.
Tennessee jumped out to an early lead, but MSU clawed its way back into the game, aided by a raucous home crowd. The Spartans scavenged a loose ball and found A.J. Hoggard for a game-tying three with 3.9 seconds left. The Breslin Center erupted.
The Vols did not panic. Gainey took the inbound pass and darted for the left wing, looking to beat the clock and become the hero of his first Tennessee game. Before he could, a scrambling Spartan defender bumped him off his spot. He was headed to the free throw line with one second remaining.
Roughly 25 feet away, his father sat frozen, right next to head coach Rick Barnes.
“That was the first time we had been through it,” associate head coach Justin Gainey said. While Jordan was adjusting to playing basketball as a Volunteer, Justin was learning first-hand what coaching his son entails.
“I couldn’t even watch those free throws,” he joked.
Jordan made one of two at the line to seal an 89-88 victory and cap a 20-point, six-assist debut in orange and white. Justin has since adjusted to the added emotions that come with coaching your son.
For a father-son duo, their on-court styles have never been all that similar. “He’s a much better scorer than I ever was,” said Justin, an accomplished point guard at NC State from 1996-2000. He left the Wolfpack tied for fourth in career steals and ninth in career assists. “I tried to get [Jordan] to play point guard growing up, but he loved scoring and playing off the ball.”
One knack they both have, however, is the relentless hunger to improve. Early mornings, long film sessions and multiple practices are regular occurrences in the Gainey household, with a shared goal of being the very best at what they do.
Justin arrived at Rocky Top from Marquette in 2021 as an assistant coach. The next year, associate head coach and defensive coordinator Mike Schwartz took a head coaching job at East Carolina, the fourth UT assistant to do so since 2019. The standards for Schwartz’s successor were sky-high; Tennessee had spent the last two years in the top five in defensive efficiency and in the top 15 in turnovers forced.
Justin was promoted into both roles, and what followed was a 2022-23 season that saw the Vols defend better than anyone in the country. They ranked first in defensive efficiency, first in points per possession and third in effective field goal percentage allowed (BartTorvik.com). Their dominance was on full display in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against a red-hot Duke team amidst a 10-game winning streak. Behind Gainey’s scouting report, the Vols forced 15 turnovers and held Duke to a season-low 52 points, en route to the Sweet Sixteen.
“I understood that defense at Tennessee is what we hang our hat on. I was determined to not have any letdown on that end of the floor.”Justin Gainey
Graduation and the NBA Draft took several key members of that unit, particularly at the forward spot. The incoming 2023 class – highlighted by transfers Dalton Knecht and Jordan Gainey – featured mostly smaller, quicker players compared to seasons prior. The defense, currently ranked No. 4 nationally in efficiency, amends their losses in the frontcourt by extending their defense and guarding teams the length of the court.
hustle plays
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) December 9, 2023
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“When people talk about our defense, it’s often schematics or what we are trying to take away. At the end of the day, you have to have competitive guys that hate getting scored on. Our guys take pride in stopping somebody, and Jordan fits right into that.”Justin Gainey
That competitive edge, the drive to prove himself as more than just Justin Gainey’s son, is something Jordan has carried with him for most of his basketball career. With his father moving for work in the 2010s, Jordan bounced around high schools, attending three in four seasons. He took a postgrad year in Connecticut before landing at USC Upstate, where his scoring prowess was on display early and often. His 49.6 percent 3-point clip in 2021-22 was the third-highest in all of Division I among players with a minimum of 90 attempts (BartTorvik.com).
He was a finalist for the Kyle Macy Award given to the best freshman in the country. When his sophomore season rolled around, teams were game planning against his limitless range and non-stop movement.
“I was a catch-and-shoot, two-dribble kind of guy,” Jordan said of his freshman season. “My sophomore year, the catch-and-shoot opportunities went from five a game to maybe one.”
With teams committed to chasing him off the 3-point line, Jordan developed an offensive game that was more well-rounded. His usage rate jumped from 21 to 27 percent, and he made three midrange jumpers a game, more than double the year before (BartTorvik.com).
The decision to leave USC Upstate was not an easy one and Jordan had several conversations with both of his parents about the best place for him to spend the next few years. Understandably, Justin took a back seat to ensure Jordan was forging a path he wanted. His wife, Courtney, was enamored with Barnes and the program dating back to Justin’s hiring process in 2021, so her favorite spot for their eldest son was clear.
“I tried to be neutral, but she was one-way the whole time. It was all Tennessee."Justin Gainey
Jordan’s process of getting acquainted to a new school and team was quicker than most. He’d spent previous summers working out with VFLs Lamonte Turner and Jordan Bowden, and the veterans on the team took him under their wing right away.
The leap to Power 5 basketball was not something that Jordan was worried about. His dedication to improving every day remained steadfast.
“I’ve worked the same since my first day at Upstate. The pace and physicality are different now, but the attention to detail is the same.”Jordan Gainey
His meticulous approach is applied every day, from the film room to the practice facility. It was a major factor in his ability to contribute right away, even through a non-conference schedule that included four top-20 matchups in UT’s first nine contests.
As seen below, his sharpshooting has opened up the offense in more ways than one:
straight to the cup
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) November 20, 2023
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Bang.
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) November 22, 2023
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Those are two different sets, but both clips show Gainey using a screen from Tennessee’s center near the baseline to curl towards the wing. In clip one against Syracuse, two defenders – Gainey's defender and the one guarding the screener Jonas Aidoo – take note of his movement, allowing Vescovi to get to his preferred left hand and finish easily at the rim.
In clip two, with the presence of fellow transfer and long-range marksman Knecht on the opposite wing, the opportunity to catch, set his feet and get a clean look becomes easier.
“There are so many weapons out there at once. Santi, DK, Z [Zakai Ziegler] and Josiah [James] are all great shooters and it’s tough for a team to guard four of us.”Jordan Gainey
He has proven to be more than just a floor spacer, though. Jordan is getting to the rim at a higher rate than he did at Upstate and converting at what would be a career-best 61 percent (BartTorvik.com). The increased physicality and pace of play at this level has not stopped him from getting to where he wants on the court, as showcased in Honolulu with this powerful left-handed dunk in traffic.
Jordan Gainey put ‘em on a poster ??pic.twitter.com/IGkrscZW9U
— More Important Issues (@More_Issues) November 20, 2023
He counteracts his smaller frame with unyielding energy on the defensive end, ranking second on the team with 1.2 steals per game. He fights over screens and cuts off driving lanes with the same ferocity as guys who have been in Barnes’ system for years. He is a Gainey, after all.
“Jordan has always had that chip on his shoulder, the underdog mentality. Our guys love to fight on defense and he has that in him. It is not something he had to find.”Justin Gainey
The Gaineys’ experience of getting to know each other as player and coach has been rewarding, but not much about their basketball dynamic has changed. Justin would regularly watch Jordan’s Upstate film and send him feedback on what he saw. Now, the biggest challenge lies in ensuring that communication with Jordan is consistent with the rest of the team.
“With all these guys, I try to treat them like my sons,” Justin said. “I wouldn’t tell them anything I wouldn’t tell Jordan.”
A time will come when the pair can reflect on their journey and the seasons in which their paths crossed. But the sentiment will be saved for when the work ends. In the meantime, having Jordan around for a Sunday night meal or to hang out with his brothers, Jayson and Jaxson, has been the greatest bonus in all of their lives.
As for the basketball, the toughest obstacles still lie ahead, and both Justin and Jordan will be relied upon to do what they’ve each made a living on – work.
