NC State coach Justin Gainey is known as an elite recruiter. Here’s what it’s like to be courted by him

Dressed in a gray suit with a pristine white dress shirt and the perfect shade of red tie, Justin Gainey seemed at home. Standing in front of hundreds of NC State supporters at his introductory press conference inside a second-floor ballroom inside the Lenovo Center last week, the first-year coach oozed confidence.  That self-belief, albeit in a humble way, carried over into his speech in front of family and friends, dozens of former Wolfpack players, donors and the media. And it was on full display as Gainey approached a topic that he’s become one of the best at in college basketball: Recruiting. A High Point, N.C., native, Gainey had made it a point to scour his home state for prospects at each of his six previous stops as an assistant. He has landed several, including a commitment from eventual Big 12 Player of the Year Devonte Graham out of Raleigh (N.C.) Broughton at App State and Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park four-star guard Bishop Boswell at Tennessee, but by leading one of the premier programs in North Carolina, Gainey pondered what he always believed aloud. “I always thought that if I was in-state, I could really make some noise,” Gainey said, followed by laughter around the crowded room. “I thought I did a pretty good job at pulling some talent out, but we’re going to recruit the state hard and heavy. … We want to be dominant in the state of North Carolina in recruiting, and then we’ll build out from there.” Gainey didn’t just say this to build himself up. He truly believes it. Recruiting is an art form, and the 49-year-old has more than mastered it in his 19 seasons as an assistant. Gainey has a refined approach, one that has allowed him to reel in top talent no matter the stop. And he’s not looking to change that with the Wolfpack.  But what does Gainey’s recruiting attack look like? This reporter had that same question as he watched the new coach project his confident mindset. As it turns out, Gainey’s go-to tactics to beat out Blue Bloods are simple, but yet effective.