University of Georgia Athletics
Coming Attraction: Kenny Gaines
December 18, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Gaines Leads Bulldogs with Experience And Mentality
By Ann Drinkard
When Kenny Gaines arrived on campus at the University of Georgia four years ago, he had one singular goal. To help put Georgia basketball back on the map. To help the program grow into a position that made it relevant again.
Each year since he's been here, the Bulldogs have gotten better. Growing from 15 wins, to 20 wins, to last year's 21 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth.
"It's a great accomplishment," Gaines said. "It's something that Charles (Mann) and I set out to do when we first got here. So, to kind of see everything go into fruition has been a blessing."
His freshman year, Gaines served as a backup to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (KCP). That year, the Bulldogs went 15-17 behind KCP's 18.5 ppg and 7.1 rpg season average.
KCP chose to enter the 2013 NBA Draft following that season where he was selected as the 8th overall pick by the Detroit Pistons. Not a bad guy to learn from during your freshman year.
"He just taught me to go hard in practice every day," Gaines said of playing with KCP. "He never took it easy on me regardless of how he was feeling or how I was feeling. He was just developing that dog mentality (in me)."
Following KCP's departure, head coach Mark Fox had to re-work his system and his rotations. Gaines had a new role to fulfill. Since then, he's molded himself into a vital part of the Bulldog backcourt.
Last year, he battled through a preseason illness and multiple injuries, but only missed two games. He finished the season averaging 11.7 ppg and 3.4 rpg.
Now, only 11 points away from joining the 1,000-career-point club, it seems to more of a 'when' than an 'if' for Gaines.
"It'll be wonderful," Gaines said. "I'd be in the record books here in another category; just helping write my legacy and hopefully my family will be proud of me."
With 20 3-point field goals already this season, Gaines made his way to ninth on Georgia's list of career makes. It only makes sense that to get to number nine, he had to pass the guy who taught him how to practice and perform with relentless effort -- KCP.
In the last two seasons the program has gone back-to-back to notch at least 20 wins. Only once before Bulldog history has the program had three 20 win seasons in a row. And never has it been done under the direction of the same coach.
Gaines realizes the upward trend that the program is on. He knows now is not the time to get complacent. It's a time to keep pushing.
"It's a lot of - I hate to sound cliche - hard work and dedication," said Gaines. "You just have to commit yourself to a cause and stick with it; just develop a certain mentality that you're not going to break or fold regardless of what the situation might be."
Georgia capped off last season with a bid to the 'Big Dance' for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The Bulldogs entered as the 10th seed in the East Region, but ultimately fell to eventual Final Four contestant Michigan State by a seven-point margin.
Gaines resolves that, though it was a short-lived experience, it makes everyone "hungry" to get back because it felt so good to be there.
"We want to get back (to the NCAA Tournament) and try to get a win," said Gaines. "But we can't get there without taking care of business during the regular season. We've got some work to do."
Coach Fox put high expectations upon Gaines back in 2013. He put high expectations upon the whole program. Thus far, the product on the court has not been a disappointment.
"No one rises to low expectations so I want them to expect themselves to be successful," Fox said.
A senior, but Kenny Gaines' work in Athens is far from finished. With three non-conference games left, including Saturday's matchup against archrival Georgia Tech, and an entire SEC schedule in front of them, he and his teammates have to keep pushing.
Ann Drinkard is a senior from Commerce, Ga., who is majoring broadcast journalism and also pursuing a sport media certificate from UGA's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. She is in her third year as a student assistant with the UGA Sports Communications office.
"Coming Attractions" is a weekly feature published on georgiadogs.com spotlighting a UGA student-athlete who will be competing in a key home event during the upcoming weekend. Previous stories from this year include:
August 27 - Jasmine Eaton (volleyball in the Benson Hospitality Invitational)
September 3 - Sydney Shultis (soccer vs. Clemson)
September 10 - Liliana Rios (soccer vs. South Carolina)
September 17 - Isaiah McKenzie (football vs. South Carolina)
September 24 - Mariel Gutierrez (soccer vs. Arkansas & Texas A&M)
October 1 - John Atkins (football vs. Alabama)
October 8 - Matias Koski (swimming & diving vs. North Carolina)
October 15 - Megan Spencer (volleyball vs. Missouri)
October 22 - Caroline Brinson (women's tennis in ITA Regionals)
October 29 - Kendall Kazor (volleyball vs. Florida)
November 5 - Sterling Bailey (football vs. Kentucky)
November 12 - Marjorie Butler (women's basketball vs. Stetson)
November 19 - Meg O'Mara (equestrian vs. South Carolina)
November 26 - No home events
December 4 - Yante Maten (men's basketball vs. Kansas State)
