Player profile: Kenny Gaines

Photo Credit:  dawnofthedawg.com

Previously:  Marcus Thornton 
Previously:  Yante Maten 
Previously:  Juwan Parker 
Previously:  Nemanja Djurisic 
Previously:  J.J. Frazier 
Previously:  Osahen Iduwe 
Previously:  Cameron Forte 
Previously:  Kenny Paul Geno 
Previously:  Houston Kessler 
Previously:  Dusan Langura 
Previously:  Brandon Young 

Kenny Gaines

Height:  6'3"
Weight:  200
Position: SG
Year:  Junior
Role:  Fire Starter

Overview:  If Kenny Gaines were 3 inches taller, we would be talking about him as a potential first round draft pick in 2016.  That's how high the ceiling is.

Gaines came to Georgia as a relatively modest 3* prospect out of Whitfield Academy in Georgia.  Rivals.com had him rated just outside the top 100 (127 to be exact), and during his freshman season, it was easy to see why.  There were moments when Gaines looked capable of taking over a game, and there were long stretches where he was just invisible.  A nothing-but-net 3-pointer would be followed by an airball.  From the beginning, it's been clear that Kenny is just a little streaky.

Last season, though, he got hot and stayed hot, especially from the 3-point line.  He twice hit 6 of them in a single game, and he led the SEC in 3-point percentage (45.1%) during the conference schedule.

Beyond that, his defense is stellar.  Just ask Marshall Henderson who, regardless of how you feel about him as a person, was the most dangerous scorer in the SEC the past two seasons.  If not for a really, really bad flagrant foul call his freshman season, we would be talking about how Kenny Gaines led Georgia to three victories over Henderson's Ole Miss teams.

Consider this 2 minute stretch in last year's game at Stegeman:

11:26		40-40	Kenny Gaines made Three Point Jumper. Assisted by Juwan Parker.
11:24	Foul on LaDarius White.	40-40
11:24		40-41	Kenny Gaines made Free Throw.
11:08	Derrick Millinghaus missed Three Point Jumper.	40-41
11:08		40-41	Nemanja Djurisic Defensive Rebound.
11:00		40-41	Juwan Parker missed Three Point Jumper.
11:00		40-41	Donte' Williams Offensive Rebound.
10:29		40-44	Kenny Gaines made Three Point Jumper. Assisted by Juwan Parker.
10:15	Ole Miss Timeout
10:11	Marshall Henderson missed Three Point Jumper.	40-44
10:11		40-44	Kenny Gaines Block.
10:10		40-44	Kenny Gaines Defensive Rebound.
10:10	Foul on Marshall Henderson.	40-44
10:10		40-45	Kenny Gaines made Free Throw.
10:10		40-46	Kenny Gaines made Free Throw.
10:02	Jarvis Summers missed Three Point Jumper.	40-46
10:02		40-46	Charles Mann Defensive Rebound.
9:31		40-46	Kenny Gaines missed Three Point Jumper.
9:31		40-46	Juwan Parker Offensive Rebound.
9:26		40-46	Juwan Parker missed Jumper.
9:26		40-46	Kenny Gaines Offensive Rebound.
9:11		40-48	Donte' Williams made Dunk. Assisted by Juwan Parker.

This was literally the most fun I had watching Georgia basketball last season.  The block at 10:11?  That was a Marshall Henderson 3-pointer (one of at least two Kenny blocked in that game alone).  The foul on Marshall Henderson immediately afterward?  A frustration foul, plain and simple.  This all happened in front of a sold out Stegeman which was as loud as it was all year after the 4-point play, and it broke open a game that would eventually be won by a single point.

The bottom line?  Kenny Gaines is good enough to take over a game at either end of the floor.  For Georgia to meet expectations this year, he's going to have to shake off the "streaky" label and bring it every single night.

Expectations:  This may be Charles Mann's team, but Gaines is no worse than co-pilot.  I expect big things from Kenny this year.

Offensively, Kenny is Georgia's biggest 3-point threat, so there can't be any regression in that area.  If that continues (and there's no reason to believe it won't), it opens the court up for Charles Mann.  That's huge since Mann is at his best when he's driving and getting to the line.

Defensively, Kenny is a pest, and I mean that as a compliment.  You stick Kenny on the other team's best scoring guard every single night.  If you like defense, you'll want to watch him work on that end of the floor.  He's tireless, and it's fun to watch.

Areas for Improvement:  Anything I say here will be nitpicky, but there are always thing to improve.

Kenny shot 77% from the free throw line, but his form is pure, and that number should creep over 80% this year.  I'd also like to see the 3-point percentage north of 40%, which would simply require a continuation of the way he was playing in conference last season.

Finally, I'd like to see a tad more aggression at the offensive end.  Gaines is athletic enough to get to the basket on his own, and if opposing defenses have to worry about him taking it to the rim, they can't over-commit to blocking his 3-point attempts.  In other words, it makes him a nightmare to defend.

2014-15 Stats I Could Get Excited About:  15.4/2.6/1/.5 points/rebounds/assists/blocks per game.

We're about 6 weeks away, folks.  Let's go Kenny, and let's go Dawgs!