Tennessee basketball announces signing of USC Upstate combo guard Jordan Gainey

Tennessee basketball on Tuesday afternoon announced the signing of USC Upstate transfer Jordan Gainey, the son of Vols associate head coach Justin Gainey. He averaged 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists, shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from the 3-point line over the last two seasons at USC Upstate.

Gainey is one of three commitments Tennessee added from the NCAA Transfer Portal in April, along with Harvard forward Chris Ledlum and Northern Colorado wing Dalton Knecht. Ledlum and Knecht have not yet signed with the Vols but are expected to arrive on campus and enroll this month.

“We obviously know and love Jordan’s family,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said, “but his ability as a player stands on its own merit. He plays with a high basketball IQ and is a guy who makes his teammates better.

“We love his offensive versatility and his ability to shoot and score the ball in a variety of ways. In addition to giving us another shot-maker, he also competes on the defensive end and led (the Big South) in steals last year.” 

Jordan Gainey one of three Tennessee additions made in the NCAA Transfer Portal

Gainey in 32 games last season averaged 15.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31.7 minutes per game, shooting 39.3 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from the 3-point line. 

As a freshman in 2021-22, Gainey shot 47.1 percent from the field and 49.3 percent from the 3-point line. He made 74 of 150 3-point attempts as a freshman and 70 of 203 as a sophomore.

He was a two-time All-Big South pick at USC Upstate and was the Big South’s Freshman of the Year in 2021-22. 

Gainey had two points, two assists and three rebounds in 22 minutes at Thompson-Boling Arena in 2022, when USC Upstate lost 96-52 against Tennessee. In the days leading up to that game, Justin Gainey said he had never coached, or coached against, his son. 

“I’ve never coached him in a real game or a rec league game or anything like that,” Justin Gainey said at the time. “Never coached against him. So man, emotions all over the place. I don’t know what to expect. I don’t know what it will feel like. I know he’s a lot more calm and a lot more excited about it than I am, I’ll tell you that.”

Jordan Gainey was Big South Freshman of Year in 2021-22

Jordan Gainey spent a prep year at South Kent School in Connecticut in 2020-21. He won an Arizona state championship as a senior at South Kent High School. 

Justin Gainey has spent the last two seasons at Tennessee. He coached Arizona from 2018-20 and spent the 2020-21 season at Marquette after coaching at Elon, Appalachian State and Santa Clara earlier in his career.

He was a standout point guard at North Carolina State from 1996-2000. He was a captain as a senior senior and finished his collegiate career second in N.C. State program history in starts (103), fourth in steals (190), tied for fifth in games played (128) and ninth in assists (344).

Back in December 2021, Justin Gainey said he worked with his son growing up, but was careful to be a dad first and a basketball coach second.

“You know what, we used to do some stuff in the driveway,” Justin Gainey said, “taking him to the gym and working with him. Early on I knew I couldn’t coach him just because I’m dad, and I wanted to be dad.

“No matter how much ball I played, how long I coached, no matter who I coached, I didn’t know anything. I was dad, you know what I mean?”