NC State HC Justin Gainey's 2026 ACC Tipoff Breakout Session With The Media
NC State head coach Justin Gainey met with the media during the breakout portion of the 2026 ACC Basketball Tipoff in Charlotte, N.C. on Wednesday.
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
How does it feel to be so close to the start of the season?
First off, I’m thrilled to be here in front of you guys, to be a head coach at my alma mater in the ACC, which is the best basketball conference in the country.
To be at the beginning stages of the season has been great. There’s obviously anxiousness. We’re ready to get going and play somebody else because we’ve been going against each other for the last 15 weeks. You know everybody’s tendencies. You know what play is coming, so it’s tough to get some of that stuff off.
Being in this position, with exhibition games underway, it’s an exciting time.
Are you pleased with the team’s progress to this point?
I am. I think they’re thinking about the right things, and you’re seeing gradual improvement in the areas we talk about. Obviously, we’re not where we want to be or need to be, but they’re continuing to grow and get better. That’s promising.
Once they’re seeing it and thinking about it, that’s the first stage. They’re continuing to develop and get better.
Coming from Tennessee, what did you want to focus on when you took over this program?
When I got the job, I wanted to develop our core values, our culture, and our team identity. That identity was to defend, rebound, and take care of the basketball.
From a defensive standpoint, there’s a lot that goes into it. There are some physical attributes, but a lot of it is mental: how tough you are and how competitive you are. Those are the things we value, look for, and talk about all the time.
We’re going to compete on that side of the ball. It won’t be perfect every possession, but if you have that competitive mindset and an understanding of what we’re trying to accomplish, I feel like we’ll continue to get better.
You mentioned Kyle’s ability to switch. Will switching be part of your defensive scheme, or will you play more drop coverage?
We’re going to be versatile defensively. We’ll be able to do a lot of different things. Switching will not be my base defense. We’ll be in some type of coverage.
The thing with Kyle, Ven, Shaun —all of our bigs—is that they’re versatile enough to do different things and get into different coverages. When those moments present themselves, I feel like we’re equipped to do that.
With five seconds left on the shot clock, who is your best one-on-one player?
That’s a good question. I’m going to give you a name you probably wouldn’t think I would say, but Kingston Whitty. In practice, when he gets the ball with five seconds left, you feel really good about what’s getting ready to happen.
He’ll throw a shot up from almost half court, and it just finds its way into the hoop. He’s a really good one-on-one player. He can really shoot the ball off the dribble. He’s young and developing.
But I’d say, with five seconds left, you’ve got to find Paul McNeil. You’ve got to get him a look and get him a shot. He’s been in those moments. He knows what it’s about. He can get his shot off against virtually anybody.
Have you noticed the one-on-one game declining as players spend more time working with trainers?
I don’t see the one-on-one game dying off. I see it probably growing even more because there’s not as much pickup basketball.
Your workouts are just you and the trainer or you and a couple of other guys. You’re forced to play more one-on-one than five-on-five.
What have been the biggest challenges or surprises in your transition to head coach?
Being an assistant, you make a lot of suggestions. Being a head coach, you make the decisions. That was eye-opening for me.
At the end of the day, the buck stops with you. You have that decision on everything, whether it’s the color of the practice jerseys or what shoes you wear. You’re answering questions or making thousands of micro-decisions every day.
I’d say that’s probably the biggest surprise as you make that transition.
What were your emotions when you got the job, and what feels the same or different about NC State?
When I got the job and had the press conference on April 1, you’re excited. You’re elated. You’re celebrating.
Then, after that night, you wake up the next morning, and it’s like, “I can’t let Wolfpack Nation down. It’s time to go to work.”
Ever since April 2, it’s been a nonstop commitment to making Wolfpack Nation proud.
The school has changed a lot, but the feel and the fabric of it are the same. There are high expectations, which there should be. We have a storied past, a storied tradition. We have great resources. Our leadership is amazing. Chancellor Kevin [last name unclear]—they do a great job.
There are a lot of great things about NC State. For me, I’m obsessed with making Wolfpack Nation proud.
After two eventful years for the program, what kind of reception have you received from fans?
The reception has been amazing. Everywhere I’ve been, speaking to supporters and making different appearances, they’ve been so welcoming and excited to have me back home.
They don’t even speak of the past. It’s just, “I remember when you played. I remember when you were an intern in the athletic department.”
There’s that reminiscing, and they’re proud. They’re proud to have one of their own, somebody who cares about this school like nobody else can who hasn’t been through what I’ve been through.
There’s a sense of pride and a sense of, “We’ve got to make this work.”
How has the ACC changed since your time at NC State?
A lot. When I was a player, what was it, nine teams in the league? When I was an assistant director of basketball operations, I think that’s when it started to grow and expand.
It has changed a lot, but the leadership has remained excellent. I think the emphasis on being the premier league in the country has stayed the same. I still believe it’s the best basketball league in the country.
How do you bring a new group of players together?
That’s the key. You’re bringing in so many new guys. We have 14 guys on our roster, and only three have played together before: Van, Paul and Zama.
You’re bringing those other 11 guys in, and now you’ve got to figure out how to get them to mesh in a really short period of time.
We put a big emphasis on that during the recruiting process. It’s not necessarily about getting the best player you can get. You want talented guys and really good players, but also guys who are going to mesh well together and completely buy into what we’re trying to do here.
We were intentional about that during the recruiting process. We did a deep dive into getting intel on character and seeing which guys would match and which wouldn’t.
I think we did a great job finding a group that would mesh together. But when they got here, we had a job to do creating environments for them to mesh. We put them in tough environments because I feel like that’s a way to grow quicker. We spent time off the court and had them spend time together by themselves.
We created those different environments to allow them to mesh and come together. I’m proud of how connected this group has become in a short period of time.
There’s still room to grow and develop, but they like each other. They play hard for each other, and they hold each other accountable.
What do you expect to get out of the exhibition game in Greensboro?
Coach Jans is a really good coach. I had a chance to coach against him the last few years at my previous school, so I know what we’re getting when we play them: a tough team, a well-coached team and an organized team.
I thought that would be a really good test for us at this stage of the season to see where we are. They have a big-time player who will be an All-American-level guy, so we’ll see how our defense stacks up against that.
We’ll also get into the Greensboro Coliseum, where we’ll play in the Tobacco Road Challenge and the ACC tournament. Getting a rep in that gym from a shooting and shootaround standpoint, and then playing a game, is always good.
This exhibition game brings a lot of good things to help us prepare for the season.
What have been the biggest challenges with NIL and roster building as a head coach compared with your role at Tennessee?
NIL is continuing to change. It’s ever-changing. I kind of lump NIL and the portal together, and both of those things continue to change.
I’d say the toughest part—maybe not even the toughest part—is making sure you find the right players, the right type of guys who fit you.
Guys who fit other programs might not work for us. A guy where things are more centered around “me” versus “I want to win” might not work for us.
It’s about navigating that portal and finding the right guys who fit your program. NIL is NIL. The market dictates what guys are paid, so it pretty much is what it is. Finding the right player who fits you is always a challenge.
Does the market establish what you’ll pay for each position, and then you decide where to invest?
That’s pretty much it. The market dictates what those guys are worth, and then you have to figure out what you value. What position are you valuing, and where are you willing to invest?
I have a great staff and a great team. I have a general manager I believe in a lot who does a lot of research, study and film work to help find the best guys who fit us.
How valuable are exhibition games for building chemistry and evaluating different combinations?
It’s great. We practice so much now. We start practicing together as a team back in June, so you have all these weeks of practice with no games.
The exhibitions allow you to break that up. They allow you to get a feel for your group and your roster in different environments. They’re so big for trying different lineups and seeing how guys react in different situations.
Adding those exhibitions, and even adding this third one this year, has been a great addition.
How have you seen Paul improve defensively compared with what you saw on film last year?
The biggest area I’ve seen him develop is his awareness of and willingness to defend.
I love those calls and texts he sends me: “Hey, Coach, how was I defensively today? Hey, Coach, was I in my gap?”
I love it because it tells me he’s thinking about it, and our words to the team aren’t falling on deaf ears. If that’s how he’s thinking, then I know that’s how the rest of the guys are thinking. Being in that leadership role, he’s making sure other guys are thinking like that.
He’s continuing to get better. I’m not going to sit here and say he’s Jrue Holiday or Ron Artest right now, but he’s gained 16 pounds. I think that’s helped him become a more confident defender.
He’s constantly thinking about it, and we’re constantly showing him areas where he can get better and areas where he’s been good.
Was it an easy conversation to have with him about improving defensively?
It was an easy conversation because he wanted it. He knows that, to get where he’s trying to go, that’s going to give him the best chance. He’s got to be able to guard his position.
He understands that, and everybody around him understands that. It was easy. He wanted it, and having that mindset made it really easy.
What have you seen from Preston as a player and a person?
Preston’s an unbelievable young man. He’s not a guy of a lot of words, but he has this quiet confidence about himself.
He has a boulder on his shoulder. Not a chip—a boulder.
He’s the hardest-working guy I’ve been around in a long time. He’s just obsessed with the game. I’m excited for him and what his future looks like. I think he’s a special young man.
What are some tangible examples of his work ethic?
If you come back to the office at 10:30 at night on any given night, he’s going to be in there working on his game.
We have this shooting system where stuff pops up on our phones, and it tracks practice shots. He’s always the guy with the most shots on that app.
The guy lives in the gym. He’s committed to becoming as good as he possibly can. That’s what excites me about him.
What’s different about a point guard from Long Island compared with point guards from other parts of the country?
I don’t know. I can’t speak on all of them, but I do know the two I’ve been around carry that boulder on their shoulder.
What lessons from your time playing at NC State do you want to share with this team?
That’s a long time ago. [Laughs.]
The thing you appreciate when you leave is how special a place NC State is and how passionate the fan base is. You don’t get that everywhere. They care. We care about the athlete as an athlete, but also as a person.
It’s a special place. As a player right now, they might not understand it, but they’re going to make memories and relationships far beyond basketball that will last a lifetime. That’s what I’m able to share with them.
What is your relationship with Preston like, given that you played point guard?
I’m probably the toughest on Preston, and our relationship is great because of that.
I played that position, and I see it through that lens. I know how challenging that position is, so I want to make sure he’s prepared for everything that comes his way.
We have to be really connected because there are going to be moments when he has to know what I want even though I might not be able to communicate with him.
I’m constantly challenging him and pushing him to think the game and see it from a 30,000-foot view.
Paul mentioned that his mental game has grown. Has Van’s return helped because of their familiarity as friends and teammates?
Ever since Paul came back, his mindset has been more on doing whatever it takes to win.
As a young player, when you come onto a team and enter this league, you’re trying to figure yourself out: How do I fit in? How can I get on the court? It’s “me, me,” and that’s natural.
As you get older and go through those situations, you understand that the best way to be the best version of yourself is to lean on your teammates.
He’s grasped that. He understands that, for him to be good, Preston has to be good. Van has to be good. Kyle has to be good. Everybody.
He’s pouring into those guys. He’s pushing them and holding them accountable while also holding himself accountable to a different standard.
Paul is seeing things from a different perspective now, and it’s helped him grow and develop.
Do you ever have to tell guys to get out of the gym because they’re spending too much time there?
I don’t tell them to get out. I tell them to change some of the things they’re doing. Instead of shooting a thousand threes, shoot a thousand free throws, so there’s less jumping and movement.
I’m excited that they go in together. Not only are they working out, but they’re spending time together and connecting in different areas.
Do you ever tell them to unplug, go home and play Xbox?
They do that, too. We have video games in there, so they’ll play games and hang out with each other.
Maybe it’s not always them shooting and doing all of that, but it’s a chance to bond and be together.
