Just one day after the men's basketball season ended, sophomore Harrison Gaines announced that he was transferring out of Penn at the end of the semester.
The guard from Victorville, Calif., averaged 9.9 points per game this year, second on the team to Tyler Bernardini's 13.7. However, he only started 10 of Penn's 28 games. Playing in all but two of the contests, Gaines averaged 23.0 minutes, good for third best on the squad.
Gaines was the third player this year to leave. Senior Tommy McMahon quit the program in December after an injury-plagued career, and fellow sophomore Remy Cofield also decided to transfer on Jan. 16.
To clarify his decision, Gaines sat down with The Daily Pennsylvanian for an exclusive interview.
Daily Pennsylvanian: When did you start thinking about leaving the program?
Harrison Gaines: I started thinking about it around December. I talked to my parents about it . I told myself that I wouldn't think about it too much. I'd put it in the back of my mind and continue to focus on winning games.
DP: Did it have anything to do with McMahon and Cofield leaving the team?
HG: No, it was a personal decision.
DP: What specifically made you decide to transfer?
HG: A lot of things came to a head . I felt like Glen Miller wasn't the coach for me. That was basically what it came down to.
I have big time love for my teammates. I loved playing for Penn . but Glen Miller, I just didn't feel like he was the coach for me. That kind of started it.
DP: What changed from the recruiting process to now?
HG: When you're [recruited], you're going to hear everyone's good side. When you're [on the team] you start to realize what you like and don't like about people. His coaching style just wasn't for me.
DP: When Miller brought in Zack Rosen to play the point guard position did it give you the inclination this might not work?
HG: No, if that was the case, I wouldn't have come back for my second year at all. Zack Rosen didn't have anything to do with it. I felt like with him coming in that could help our team.
DP: So were you happy with giving him the point-guard duties and you being more of the shooting guard?
HG: No, I liked handling the ball. I've handled the ball my whole career. But I'm a ball player. . I felt like put me anywhere on court and I can hoop.
DP: When and how did you tell Miller about your decision to leave?
HG: Wednesday morning the day after the Princeton game we met. . I told him that I felt like it'd be in my best interests to leave the program. . We had a brief conversation. He respected my wishes, and we parted ways.
I didn't want to do anything to upstage the seniors. The fact that the Cam Lewis, Brennan Votel and Kevin Egee were playing the last game of their careers, I didn't want to do anything to overshadow that. I waited for the season to end, so I gave [Miller] a call that morning.
DP: Have any other teammates expressed similar sentiments about Miller?
HG: Not that I know of. I figured the people that are still part of the program are still happy. I wish the best to them.
DP: Was there one specific thing about Miller that you didn't like?
HG: It was a number of things. Not just one moment where it hit me. It was stuff over time that built up to a point where I was ready to do this. It was a tough decision.
There was stuff happening at practice every day. I'll keep that between [me] and the team. You're with someone for so long, it's almost like a family. It just made me change my mind.
DP: Did you not like how he ran his offense?
HG: He switched up his offense. There was an offense he had when I originally started. I felt that both offenses didn't fit my personal style. But I found success in both of them.
DP: Was it tough having these thoughts in your head while you were playing?
HG: I just tried to focus on winning. That's the No. 1 goal for me as a player. Throughout the whole season, . I still kept my confidence, I still played in the gym . constantly working on my game. I knew that when an opportunity came I'd be ready to go. I just wanted to win an Ivy League title.
There were missed opportunities . we'd hear on the loudspeaker that Cornell was losing, and maybe we're a game and a half behind Cornell. But then we'd be losing. It was disappointing and frustrating.
DP: Where do you see yourself playing next year?
HG: I'm not sure yet; I won't know for a little bit. I'll weigh my options. I'll make sure this next decision is the right decision.
DP: How would you reflect back on your two years of playing for Penn?
HG: I enjoyed my two years here. . Penn's a pretty prestigious program. There's a lot of history. It's always great to play for a team like Penn. I enjoy the school, the social life. I've made a lot of friends, some I think will be life-long friends. So I don't regret my experience. I just think it's a building block for something else.
Senior Staff Writer Krista Hutz contributed reporting to this article.
