{"id":222,"date":"2026-05-15T13:06:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:06:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=222"},"modified":"2026-05-15T13:06:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T13:06:13","slug":"inside-justin-gaineys-first-6-weeks-as-nc-state-mens-basketball-coach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/durhammovinghub.com\/?p=222","title":{"rendered":"Inside Justin Gainey\u2019s first 6 weeks as NC State men\u2019s basketball coach"},"content":{"rendered":"

AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.<\/p>\n

Read our AI Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s something to be said about showing up when it\u2019s not required.<\/p>\n

N.C. State head coach Justin Gainey attended last week\u2019s student-athlete graduation ceremony, where he presented a graduation stole to Jordan Snell and Tre Holloman.<\/p>\n

Read more Creditors confront Raleigh interior designer over more than $3 million in debt<\/a><\/p>\n

Snell spent four years with the program as a walk-on, joining the team while his father was an assistant coach on Kevin Keatts\u2019 staff. He was a captain last year.<\/p>\n

Holloman transferred to N.C. State for one season after spending time at Michigan State.<\/p>\n

Gainey, when asked about his appearance, didn\u2019t pat himself on the back or make it a big deal. For him, that\u2019s what a head coach should do.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re N.C. State, they\u2019re Wolfpack,\u201d Gainey said Thursday during his first media availability since taking the job. \u201cThey\u2019ve worn the uniform, and regardless of how long it was or who was the coach, it doesn\u2019t matter. We\u2019re all the same, we come from N.C. State.\u201d<\/p>\n

Did it for Tre Holloman as well.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing to build a program on character & integrity\u2026 but it\u2019s another to do it in leading by EXAMPLE. <\/p>\n

Pure class and leadership from our Head Coach https:\/\/t.co\/9U1xvJV0W6<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/IItcv8PgSL<\/a><\/p>\n

In the month and a half he\u2019s been back in Raleigh, Gainey has spent time with both players while recruiting, hiring his staff and building a schedule.<\/p>\n

He talked extensively with Holloman about finishing his education now and not waiting to earn his degree.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was proud of him that he got it done,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cI was proud that he tried to make it to both graduations; his college\u2019s graduation and [he] made it over late to the student-athlete one with his mom and his stepdad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gainey already had a relationship with Snell, whose father recruited Gainey during his playing days. The beloved guard spends time at the basketball offices, and the two developed a relationship in a short time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like as the leader of this program, I owed it to those guys to be there,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cIt\u2019s something that both of us will remember for the rest of our lives and have pictures to show of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other highlights from Justin Gainey\u2019s first six weeks as the N.C. State men\u2019s basketball coach.<\/b><\/p>\n

Most of Will Wade\u2019s staff left the program when he did, either taking new jobs or following him to LSU. Patrick Stacy, who was hired last season, was not one of them.<\/p>\n

Stacy was always expected to stay at N.C. State, assuming Gainey would keep him, quickly making a positive impression on his new boss.<\/p>\n

Gainey didn\u2019t know Stacy prior to his arrival, but the assistant general manager was one of the few people left. Tennessee assistant Amorrow Morgan previously worked with Stacy and provided a glowing review.<\/p>\n

He worked with Gainey and assistant coach Riley Collins during the initial transition period.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was impressed with how hard he worked, how prepared he was to be able to shift gears and understood my vision as we kind of entered the portal,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cWe spent a lot of late nights together, a lot of late-night phone calls, and he made himself always available. Through that process, you know, he was very impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gainey began to consider retaining Stacy. Once additional staff hires were made, the other assistants validated Gainey\u2019s positive feelings about the young analytics and scouting guru. That made his decision easy.<\/p>\n

Read more How the public can \u2014 and can\u2019t \u2014 be part of how NC decides to spend your money<\/a><\/p>\n

Stacy received full credit for finding Boise State transfer RJ Keene.<\/a> Keene, considered by top analytics professionals as one of the best low-scoring players in college basketball, committed to the Wolfpack last month.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d been telling me about [Keene] for a couple days. And I\u2019m just like, \u2018OK, we\u2019ll get to it. Let\u2019s try to get this starting five set,\u2019\u201d Gainey said. \u201cHe kept coming back to him. Then one night, late night, he wore me down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gainey said he watched Keene\u2019s offensive clips and wasn\u2019t wowed. When Stacy showed him Keene\u2019s defensive highlights, that\u2019s when the transfer popped. They contacted Keene that night. Stacy heard what Gainey wanted for the team and already had someone in mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s a rising star in this business,\u201d Gainey said. \u201dI really do.\u201d<\/p>\n

N.C. State doesn\u2019t have the highest-ranked roster on any of the recruiting websites. That\u2019s OK.<\/p>\n

Neither Gainey nor his staff went looking solely for the top-rated players. They wanted talent, of course, but the number of stars next to a guy\u2019s name wasn\u2019t the end all-be all.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted pieces that really complemented each other and really fit,\u201d Gainey said.<\/p>\n

He feels good about where the program is at. The players who have committed can shoot the ball efficiently, possess toughness and have been a part of winning in their careers. Those players know what it takes to mesh, and the sacrifices needed to have success.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the program sought players with multiple years of eligibility. Gainey has sent clear messaging about his desire to build a solid program, not just build a team from year to year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to build a program of people that feel the same way about N.C. State that I do,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cI think to get to that, you\u2019re going to need some guys that have the opportunity to be here for multiple years.\u201d<\/p>\n

He\u2019s not naive enough to ignore the impact financial compensation plays in the current landscape or to ignore the portal. Nothing is guaranteed. However, the staff was intentional about finding players who fit together and have a chance of staying.<\/p>\n

Preston Edmead, Christian Hammond, Darius Adams and Kingston Whitty are players with multiple years of eligibility remaining. Paul McNeil has two years left, including the upcoming season.<\/p>\n

\u201cI firmly believe if you\u2019re here in this program \u2014 you get to run out in front of 19,700 at the Lenovo center, you walk around town and everybody knows who you are, and you feel the pride of being at N.C. State \u2014 that you\u2019ll want to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

N.C. State Athletic Director Boo Corrigan made a comment at Gainey\u2019s introduction that some fans found concerning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn an era of basketball, the analytics are playing such a big role right now,\u201d Corrigan said. \u201cCoach Gainey\u2019s teams will be built on the basics. We\u2019ll score the ball, we\u2019ll defend at a high level. We will rebound. We will dive for loose balls. We will get steals. We will show toughness every step of the way, because that\u2019s who N.C. State is.\u201d<\/p>\n

It will be both. Gainey wants to play with pace, space the floor and be aggressive. He also plans on implementing data into everything the program does.<\/p>\n

Gainey said Thursday that it has taken time for him to adjust to the influx of detailed numbers, but he\u2019s become more aware of them and studied them over the last several years. (It\u2019s still hard for him to accept that midrange shots are considered bad shots.)<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom analytics to AI, all of that stuff is in there. You\u2019ve got to figure out ways to make you more efficient. That\u2019s the end goal of it all, is to become as efficient as you possibly can. We will do it, and I\u2019ve got a great staff of guys that understand it way better than I do, and are even better at explaining it to me and allowing us to implement it into our philosophies.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more Did Duke basketball just find its next star walk-on? Davidson Day grad hopes so<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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