Assistant Coach Justin Gainey Transcript
On his impression of the SEC in his first year at Tennessee…
“I have been in the ACC, Pac-12, and the Big East as well. This year, in the SEC, has been as good as any league that I have ever been a part of. When you talk about the coaches, there is some high level and highly-respected coaches in this league, and the talent, it is high-end talent and the style of play and the physicality all make this league special and one of the best leagues in college basketball, if not the best.”
On being more encouraged by Saturday’s first half or more concerned watching the second half…
“That is a good question. I felt like, for around 32 minutes in that game, we played at a high level. That last eight minutes, credit to Arkansas they kept on competing and fighting. I think we did give them some opportunities with some turnovers, but they kept on coming. That is a good basketball team, arguably one of the best in the league. We knew they weren’t going to roll over and stop fighting, but yes we were very encouraged with 32 minutes of that game, and with the last eight, we saw some areas in film of where we need to get better and improve.”
On the line between knowing what goes into winning and losing and how you coach that into players…
“Coach (Barnes) is absolutely right on that, there is a fine line. We have a mature, older group of guys that can balance both sides of that coin. With our group, we don’t feel any type of hesitation about talking about both sides of it, because of the strong leadership we have. For the guys that have been in the fire and through the battles, they know, because it’s real. With these guys, you have to be 100 percent real with them, because they see through the fake. We are dealing with some smart young men. It is not like back when I played, when whatever coach said I ran with. Now, guys can look stuff up and if I tell them this guy is a deadeye shooter, and he is only shooting 20 percent from three, they are going to look through the clips and do their own research. I think being completely honest with them and taking about both sides is key. You have got trust that you have a mature enough group, which we do, to be able to handle it, absorb it, and take it all in to be able to execute the gameplan and do what is needed to be done. To not only win the game, but also to become a better team and to continue to improve each game.”
On how challenging it is not knowing who your opponent will be while trying to perform scouting report in a tournament setting…
“That is what the early-season tournaments prepare you for. It prepares the team, and also the coaching staff on what we really need to focus on, and which points are important. The SEC Tournament is a little different because we are playing guys we have already played before, and teams that we watch on the regular. I think as you look ahead to the NCAA Tournament, it gets a little different because these are teams that might not even be in the same region that you are coming from. Scouting gets a little different and tricky there. We have a great staff, a big staff, we have an all-hands-on deck mentality, and we will have everybody from managers to GAs, whether it is gathering stats, looking at film, all those guys are able to have input and help us prepare a presentation for the guys. One that makes sense to them, and not too much information and one that gets directly to the point on what is important as far as trying to get a victory. I would say, for the SEC Tournament, it will be tricky, but we are facing teams we are familiar with. We are all familiar with each other.”
On what he saw the difference in rebounding was against Arkansas…
“I think for Arkansas, the last four minutes of the first half. They brought in Kamani Johnson, number 20. I felt like he came in with a certain energy level, a certain level of activity. To end that half, we didn’t get a body on him, for whatever reason. That gave them confidence going into the second half and his role kind of increased in that second half, and his activity continued. Then some long rebounds came out and so, I would attribute it to us not boxing out really and in some circumstances, not pursuing the ball. That’s we harp on, we talk a lot about rebounding the basketball. He’s different because he’s smaller, but a lot more slippery and really active. We didn’t do a good job of hitting him.”
On where he has seen Jonas Aidoo grow the most and what’s next for him…
“I think with Jonas, the biggest growth has come physically, with his body. He’s a kid that wasn’t highly recruited in high school, had a prep year, and saw his whole recruitment change. Up until he got here this summer, he had never consistently competed with someone his size, that was new to him. Our strength and conditioning program was totally new to him. Having to play in the paint for long stretches was new, because he’s kind of a hybrid-stretch five type of guy. So, all of that, with his frame, he came in around 200 to 205 pounds. Maybe a little heavier than that, maybe 215. Anyways, he was lighter so there was a lot of things happening with his body. The biggest adjustment I’ve seen from a physicality standpoint, he’s gotten himself in a lot better shape and he’s a lot stronger. He had a stretch early on where he was taking strides, but then he got sick, a knee issue, and all that stuff kind of set him back. Right now, I think we’re seeing a kid that has adjusted to the college game and that he’s put on some weight and understanding how physical the game is and he’s making that adjustment. I don’t he’s anywhere near where he’s going to end up. I think he has a lot of growth. He’s just scratching the surface, but he’s a willing learner and he works really hard. It’s exciting, it’s really exciting to see because he brings a different dynamic to our defense especially.”
On how he thinks the younger players will do in the tournament for the first time…
“You never know, right? You never know because this is their first SEC Tournament. You would hope that the Mohegan Sun event (Hall of Fame Tip-Off) kind of gave a little feel of what it’s like to play back-to-back games and in this situation, we’re hoping to go back-to-back-to-back, but that’s when we rely on the older guys to talk to them. We’ll prepare them as much as we can, and coach Barnes will have a plan in place to make sure everybody is prepared through conversations, practice, and video. I think they will understand the magnitude of it, but it’s totally different when you step foot on that court. Again, with our older guys and being able to lean on them, they’re good players. It won’t take long for them to be like, okay this is a normal game now. Up until that point, we will do everything we can to prepare them before and to make sure we’ve talked them through it and what’s at stake here.”
On how he has seen Kennedy Chandler use his long wingspan on defense to his advantage…
“He does. He has a really long wingspan. I would say he uses it to make an impact defense because he takes certain risks—reaching, hands in passing lanes, and I know earlier in the season he was getting blocks from behind. All of those things impact our defense. For him, we like to pressure the ball and because of his length, he doesn’t have to be as close to the ball since he has active hands and how long he is. I think it makes it tougher for guys to go by him and he’s able to keep guys in front of him a little bit better. But no, it does help. And having him at the head of your defense, being able to disrupt and be disruptive, making entry passes tough, making offense tough, is always a good thing.”
On the progression of Brandon Huntley-Hatfield…
“It’s been a fun process with him as well. From a physical standpoint, he wasn’t in the best shape that he could’ve been. I don’t know if he thought the college level of basketball would be as hard as it is—not necessarily the games themselves, but the day-to-day grind of what it takes to be good. He continues to work, and the thing I love about Brandon is that he wants to be great. He’s going to work, absorb everything you say to him, try to emulate what you’re saying, and do it. What we’re seeing now is the work that he’s put in from the beginning and it’s all starting to come together for him. There are some things where he needs to be better just like anyone, but I’ve seen the biggest growth in his intensity level and his preparation for games. Now, he’s asking questions to the scouting coach like who he needs to guard, what he needs to watch out for, and what certain players like to do. Those are all things that mature players start to ask. It’s fun to see his progress.”
On Tennessee’s freshman guards…
“They have a lot of weight on their shoulders. I can relate to them because my path was similar. Like them, I had older guys to help me, and I think Kennedy and Zakai will be the first to tell you that they wouldn’t have had the success they had, if it wasn’t for Santi, Josiah, and VJ coaching them up and taking pressure off them at times. Both Kennedy and Zakai are talented young men. They possess elite basketball skills but also have this confidence and toughness about them that allow them to compete in this tough league. There have been nights where both guys haven’t gotten the best out of their matchup, but they don’t hang their heads, they keep working and rely on coaches and their teammates. Both of those guys are super talented, and the older guys have allowed them to do what they do and run the point guard position for our team at a high level.”
On Jordan Gainey being named the Big South Co-Freshman of the Year…
“It was awesome. As a dad, it was great to see. I know he was excited, but I might’ve been the most excited about it. Seeing his progress through the year and where he came from, leaving high school and not having a Division I offer; he didn’t want to walk on anywhere and told me, ‘Dad, I want to play.’ He went to prep school during COVID, nobody really got to see him play other than on video but USC Upstate took a chance on him. To see that whole progression makes me proud of him, his toughness, and his love for the game. It makes me feel good. I watch every one of his games and try to be a dad and not coach. When he asks me a question, I am ready to give him my input on it.”
Freshman Zakai Zeigler Quotables
On what the GoFundMe created raise money for his family meant to him…
“It meant everything. I didn’t even expect the support to be that much. I knew everybody had love for me, but after that, it just blew me and my family away. Nothing but great words for Vol Nation.”
On what the experience has been like playing at Thompson-Boling Arena and going undefeated at home…
“The best experience ever. A couple years ago, I never would have thought that I’d be playing in this situation or sitting in this situation right now. Every night that I go out and play, whether I’m playing good or bad, I leave saying what a blessing it is playing in front of all these people.”
On how tough the conference schedule has been and if he was happy about the five-day break…
“(The break) is really good. We know that we need to rest our bodies and that we have some really big, really important games coming up. It’s money time right now. March is the biggest time of year, so we know we’re going to need our bodies and rest our bodies, and just get locked in.”
On how he’s helped Kennedy Chandler and how Chandler has helped him…
“I think we’ve helped each other with our speed. I’m not sure if he’s guarded someone as quick as I am, but I definitely have never guarded anyone as fast as he is. So, he has helped me in a tremendous way. Nobody has ever put that much pressure on me coming downhill. When we’re in practice, I think about how hard it is to guard him in transition. Just for him to run at me full speed, it’s one of the hardest players I’ve ever had to guard in that situation, seriously.”
-UT Athletics
