Question: How big was it to get Paul McNeil back for this season?
Justin Gainey: It was big. It was a big deal, and we’re excited to have him back. I’m excited to be a part of his continued growth and development. As you look at his career, his trajectory is just going up, and I’m excited to work with him and help him become who he wants to become as a basketball player and as a young man.
Obviously, we all know what he does at a high level, and he does it as well as or better than anybody has ever done it here before. So it’s just continuing to add to what he does while moving that forward.
Question: How much of the roster building was centered around having a player like Paul when you were constructing the roster, not knowing his decision?
Justin Gainey: As I looked at building the roster, myself and the staff put a premium on shooting. As you can see, we did a good job addressing that across the board. Paul fits into that perfectly, so it ended up working out well with what our goal was.
His size and positional size is really attractive as well. He can play multiple guard positions, and that made him valuable. We were looking across the board at having good size and shooting, so Paul fit in nicely.
Question: When you guys were putting the staff together, was there a focus or trait that you were trying to identify with each of those assistants?
Justin Gainey: There were three things I was looking for. First, guys of high character, guys I could trust when they were out on the road representing NC State, guys I’d be comfortable with going into parents’ homes, communicating, and being role models.
Second, experience, guys who have done it before at this level, who have been in big games and tough recruiting battles, and know what it feels like to get it done.
Third, winning. I wanted guys who had been a part of winning because it’s really hard. A lot of people think winning just happens on game day, but so much goes into it beforehand. Guys who have won know what it feels like, what it smells like, and what it sounds like in the gym every single day.
Those were the three characteristics I was looking for, and I feel really good about the group we put together.
Question: Is it interesting that you were able to coach against two of them in the SEC? What went into the thinking of retaining Patrick Stacy in his role?
Justin Gainey: With Coach Goins, he’s from Greensboro. We have a lot of mutual people in common. When I thought about what I wanted my staff to look like offensively, I started thinking about the tougher teams I’d played against, and Georgia was one of them. I liked how they played, the spacing, and the pace.
There were a lot of things I liked, and I had always kept it in the back of my mind that when I became a head coach, I wanted our offense to look like that philosophically. He and I built a relationship over the seasons, sharing ideas. When this opportunity came, I didn’t know if I’d be able to get him, but he was a guy I wanted to talk to. The conversations went well, and I’m so excited to have him.
With Coach Brooks, he’s a veteran. Everybody you talk to has nothing but praise for him. I’ve been in recruiting battles with him, and he has a way of developing deep relationships with kids and their families that makes him elite at recruiting. He’s also a great defensive mind. Coming from Baylor, they did some different things, and the zone they ran was really effective during that championship run — something we want to implement.
Having familiarity with both guys in the league, watching them in warm-ups, in the halls, and in conversations, I was really impressed and tucked them away as guys I’d love to work with.
Patrick Stacy, I didn’t know him at all initially. He had worked with Amar’e Morgan on my staff at Tennessee, and he raved about him, but I hadn’t met him. When I got here, April 1st was the press conference, the portal opened on the 7th. It was myself, Riley Collins (who came with me from Tennessee), and Patrick. We had to get to work.
I was impressed with how hard he worked and how prepared he was to shift gears and understand my vision as we entered the portal. We spent a lot of late nights together and had many late-night phone calls. He was always available. Through that process, he was very impressive, and I started to warm up to the idea of him being on our staff.
As I brought other assistants in, they spent time with him and validated what I was seeing. That made the decision really easy. He’s a rising star in this business. I really believe that.
Question: Once all the cameras shut off after the April 1st press conference, what was the first thing you did to take it all in and realize you were back at NC State?
Justin Gainey: So much happened that day, it was a whirlwind. My whole family came from all over, and many former players were there, some I hadn’t seen in a while. It was great to see them and spend time with them.
After everything, when we got back to the hotel and it was just my wife and I (our little guy had gone to bed), we sat there and reflected on the entire journey. I told her I wouldn’t be here without her — because of her willingness to be by my side and pick up and move.
We went from Elon to App State to Marquette to Santa Clara to Arizona back to Marquette to Tennessee. My oldest son went to three different high schools, and she never once complained. She always had my back. That was the exhale moment — the dust had settled, and I got to thank her.
Question: Can you talk about analytics? You played in an era when they weren’t as accessible. How does that fit into your program? Have you been with coaches who took it more or less seriously, and what do you plan to do?
Justin Gainey: When I played, the three-point line was at the top of the key. I remember my coach yelling that if you’re going to shoot a three, your foot has to be right on the line. We ran flex offense with eight guys inside the arc, and the mid-range shot was something everybody tried to get to.
As a player from that era, it takes time to adjust to analytics and understand that the mid-range may not be a great shot. I hit a game-winner on a mid-range shot against Maryland right here in this arena. So it’s hard to tell me the mid-range is a bad shot.
But I’ve been hit with enough numbers over the years to implement analytics into our processes, both offensively and defensively. Over the last few years, I’ve become even more aware and have studied it more. In the SEC, many teams play off analytics, so you have to be prepared.
I plan on implementing analytical concepts into everything we do. It’s everywhere — from analytics to AI. You have to find ways to become more efficient, because that’s the end goal. I have a great staff that understands it way better than I do and helps explain it so we can implement it into our philosophies.
Question: What will your team look like on the floor? Fast-paced, defensive — what will it resemble?
Justin Gainey: I have a vision of what I want it to look like. We’ll play top personnel. In this era, you bring in guys and think you know how they’ll fit, but you never really know until you get them on the floor.
We’ll get a better feel for tendencies, strengths, and weaknesses. Philosophically, I want to play fast with pace and space the floor. Defensively, I want to be aggressive and impose our will — not sit back and wait to be attacked. We’ll primarily play man-to-man but mix in zone, pressure, and zone pressure to give different looks. A lot of that will depend on how quickly the guys pick things up and how well everything meshes.
Question: How big a statement was it for a guy of Paul McNeil’s stature to stick with the program? Have you seen any residual effect with other recruits?
Justin Gainey: It was huge. My vision for the program is really taking care of the state — recruiting North Carolina hard and keeping the best players home. Paul is one of the best shooters in the state right now, if not the best. He’s NC State through and through.
Add in my familiarity with him — I was the first coach to offer him in 10th grade at Tennessee. I watched him in those back gyms at Adidas events and believed in him then. I’ve followed him all the way through. I understand his journey: freshman year wasn’t as smooth, sophomore year exceeded expectations. So for junior year, we know what to expect.
I think we’ll see the residual effect more as we recruit and bring guys to campus, but people in the grassroots community have been excited and calling about keeping him home.
Question: As you’re getting reconnected with Raleigh, how has it been showing recruits around and selling them on the city while seeing the growth yourself?
Justin Gainey: It’s been cool — one of the coolest things. Riding around campus on the golf cart with Chris Zupko doing the tours has been great. Seeing the growth: Harrelson Hall is gone, the Brickyard isn’t what it used to be.
I tell recruits about hanging out on the Brickyard without cell phones — it was the meet-up spot. Going to Chick-fil-A and being late to class, walking around. Hillsborough Street has changed. There used to be a Big Bang Wolf there. We went after beating Wake my freshman year.
It’s awesome to see how it’s evolved and continued to grow. Downtown Raleigh too. There are still special spots — I like getting a hot dog, and Meteos has become my spot. It’s cool to walk recruits through memory lane and share stories about Reynolds Coliseum. It used to hold 14,000 and was the hardest place to play in the ACC.
Under Chancellor Howells’ direction, campus is exploding. It’s an unbelievable time to be at NC State.
Question: You’ve found diamonds in the rough from mid-major levels before. When looking at those guys, what traits help you know they’ll translate to a Power conference?
Justin Gainey: My staff has been great at identifying those guys, and we lean on others outside the program for perspective. Shooting was obviously a priority this year. Toughness was also a premium — guys who are tough and have won.
The guys we brought in come from winning situations or have winning qualities. Those are the ones who know how to mesh, sacrifice, and keep the main goal as winning.
Question: You brought in guys with multiple years of eligibility remaining. How important is that for building a program, especially given what’s happened here the past year?
Justin Gainey: It’s big. I’ve been clear that I’m building a program, not just a team every year. I’m trying to build something with people who feel the same way about NC State that I do.
To do that, you need guys who can be here for multiple years. With the portal, nothing is guaranteed, but if you’re in this program, running out in front of 19,700 at the Lenovo Center, walking around town where everyone knows you, and feeling that pride — you’ll want to stay.
We were intentional about guys with multiple years left. It fits with building the program. The most important thing was that they all fit.
Question: A couple of weeks ago, some posts went viral with you and guys like Jordan Snell and Tre Holliman graduating. Why was it important for you to be there and show up as the leader of the program?
Justin Gainey: Because they’re NC State. They’re Wolfpack. They put on the uniform and wore it. Regardless of how long or who the coach was, we’re all the same because we come from NC State.
I’ve talked to both of them multiple times. Tre and I had some deep conversations about staying on task and the importance of getting that degree. It might not feel important now, but in five or ten years you’ll wish you had it. Why not knock it out now? I was proud of him for getting it done and making it to both graduations.
He’s a great young man. Since I’ve gotten the job, he’s been around the offices. I know his dad, who recruited me back in the day. As the leader of the program, I owed it to those guys to be there. It’s something we’ll both remember for the rest of our lives.
Question: Going back to Paul McNeil, can you tell us about the process of those conversations and your confidence level throughout?
Justin Gainey: The conversations started with basketball, but they went into family, background, relationships, trust, and legacy. We talked often, and Paul was great through the process. I was never frustrated, it was his process. He needed to be at peace with the decision.
I wanted it to be organic. I made the case for why he should be here, but he talked to a lot of people. The conversations took different paths, and it helped me as a coach because I learned a lot about him. He also got to know a lot about me, my family, my journey, and my “why.” We both shared, and I think we formed a strong bond that will help us moving forward.
Question: You helped develop Dalton Knecht from a solid mid-major player to an NBA draft pick. How much of that experience do you draw on when recruiting other guys?
Justin Gainey: Dalton was an amazing guy. He came from the worst defensive team in the country and joined a team that had been one of the best defensively the year before — complete opposites. He said he knew he needed to get better on that side to do what he wanted. He could score on anybody, but had to prove he could guard to improve his draft stock.
That commitment caught the NBA’s eye. Same with Chaz Lanier the next year — a great scorer whose defense was in question. He came to prove he could guard and be a complete player.
As I coach the guys here, I’ll share those stories. It’s great if you can score, but to get where you want to go, you have to do a little bit of everything. Here’s living proof: two guys from mid-majors who won major awards (Julius Erving for best wing and Jerry West for best shooting guard) because they chose to improve defensively.
Question: RJ Keene was rated by analytics as maybe the best player in the country who doesn’t score. How did you find a guy like that? Do you rely on Patrick and analytics? How do you project what he can do in your system?
Justin Gainey: Patrick Stacy brought him to my attention during those long nights working on the roster. I didn’t want to just grab the best players available — I wanted pieces that complemented each other. I told him I needed a guy willing to do anything to win. He kept coming back to RJ.
One late night, he wore me down and showed me a film. Offensively, I was watching, then he showed defensive clips, and I was blown away — this is exactly what I’m talking about. I asked to get on the phone with him, and Patrick called right then.
