Jordan Gainey keeps scoring for Vols in another exhibition win in Italy

When Jordan Gainey left USC Upstate and entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, he didn’t get recruited to Tennessee by Justin Gainey, his father and the associate head coach of the Vols. 

Instead, dad kept the dad title and stayed out of it.

“My dad really played like the dad role, I’d say,” Jordan Gainey said. “Not really like a coach.”

Instead, it was head coach Rick Barnes and assistant coach Gregg Polinsky did the recruiting and ultimately brought Gainey to Knoxville to reunite with his dad.

“During that process I was dad,” Justin Gainey said. “I allowed Coach (Barnes) to take the reins on that recruitment and I thought he did a fabulous job. He was unbelievable during that process and he was unbelievable in making Jordan feel like we want you not because your dad is here but because you address a need that we have.”

On Friday in Italy, during Tennessee’s 97-57 win over the Lithuania U21 national team, Jordan Gainey addressed a scoring need. He finished with 13 points in just under 23 minutes in his unofficial debut with the Vols, going 4-for-10 from the 3-point line while adding four assists and a pair of rebounds.

On Saturday, in a rematch with Lithuania in the second of Tennessee’s three exhibition games during the team’s 10-day tour of Italy, the Vols won 116-90 with another balanced attack Palacoverciano in Florence. 

After six players scored in double-figures on Friday, there were seven on Saturday. Santiago Vescovi and Dalton Kencht scored 19 each, Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka both had 16 and Josiah-Jordan James and Freddie Dilione V both scored 10.

Gainey kept scoring, too, finishing 13 more points. He hit a pair of threes, had a three-point play after getting fouled under the rim and was 3-for-3 at the free-throw line.

Over the last twos seasons at USC Upstate, Gainey played off the ball and averaged 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists. He shot 42.6 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from the 3-point line.

At Tennessee, it took some time to settle in before he started to feel comfortable in his new, more competitive surroundings.

“I’m getting more confident and confident, day by day,” Gainey said in July. “But I’d say for sure, like the first couple days were a little rough, but I still stayed confident and stayed trusted my own process that I have and trying to achieve my goals that I have as well.”

Gainey has added more to his plate. With Zakai Zeigler (ACL) still sidelined, Gainey has handled the ball this summer, leaving behind his shooting guard past and working to become a combo guard for the Vols. 

“The thing with how we play and the things we’ve been working on here in practice,” Justin Gainey said, “it’s important for all of our guards to be able to handle the basketball, for all of our guards to be able to push the break and know what to do from that point guard position.”

Up Next: Tennessee vs. A.S. Stella Azzurra, Monday, 1:30 p.m. ET, FloHoops

Justin Gainey had never served as his son’s coach before he got to Tennessee. On Friday, he was his head coach while Barnes observed the exhibition game as a spectator, a normal occurrence for Barnes during his team’s foreign tours.

“This is my first time really having him coach me for real,” Jordan Gainey said. “And it’s been enjoyable I’d say. We have like some moments on the court where it’s like me and him are thinking the same way and it’s pretty cool.”

For dad, it’s less about basketball and more about a father and son being reunited.

“Just the fact that I get to see him everyday and continue to watch him grow, grow up and become a man,” Justin Gainey said. “I would say the last three years he’s been away for school so I’ve missed and really under-appreciated what it feels like to see him everyday. For me, that’s been great. 

“Basketball is going to be basketball. We get on the court and there’s going to be good days, there’s going to be bad days. I have to be coach at the end of the day but just being able to see him everyday has been phenomenal for me.”