'Dreams do come true': Pensacola High grad Isaiah Gaines enjoying FAU's ride to the Final Four

It wasn’t that long ago that Isaiah Gaines was a fearsome force roaming the paint inside high school gyms around the Panhandle.

Life sure can change a good deal in two years, though.

Presently calling Boca Raton home following a pitstop in Senatobia, Mississippi, the Pensacola High grad found himself in New York City last Saturday, as he and his team celebrated an implausible victory inside the world's most famous arena.

Gaines and the Florida Atlantic University men’s basketball team took center stage at Madison Square Garden after the No. 9-seeded Owls emerged from the East Regional bracket and punched their ticket to the 2023 NCAA Final Four.

Not bad for your first time visiting the Big Apple.

“Honestly, it’s nothing but God leading me right and my momma leading me right and standing on the right path. It’s just an amazing blessing,” Gaines said. “We were down there near Times Square and I’ve truly never seen anything like it. It was just an experience, I was just trying to stay in the moment and enjoy everything.”

FAU is set to play No. 5 San Diego State, the South Regional champions, in a national semifinal at 5:09 pm Saturday in front of more than 70,000 people at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.

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UConn and Miami will play in the second national semifinal.

“I’ve been watching the Final Four since I started by playing basketball in middle school. Just being in it is just surreal,” Gaines said. “Being in it and actually winning would be just crazy to me. These are just things that I dream about, but dreams do come true.”

It’s been a fairytale season for Florida Atlantic, who currently sits with a 35-3 record. In just its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, FAU captured its maiden tournament victory with a thrilling, last-second triumph over No. 8 Memphis. Then with wins over No. 16 Fairleigh Dickenson, No. 4 Tennessee and No. 3 Kansas State, the team became the first No. 9 seed to advance to the Final Four in a decade.

Ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the first time ever, Florida Atlantic enjoyed a 20-game winning streak during the regular season. The stretch began with a win at Florida on Nov. 14 and continued into February. That’s when Gaines realized his squad was the real deal.

“That’s not easy to do in college basketball, to bring it night in and night out,” he said. “It showed me something about our team: how close we are together, our bond with each other and the desire to have our brother’s back on the court.”

'A confidence-booster'

Earning a nod on the PNJ All-Area First Team in 2021, Gaines had a Division I offer out of high school from Grambling State, but instead took the junior college route, bringing his talents to Northwest Mississippi Community College.

He led the Rangers during the 2021-22 season in total rebounds (223) and blocks (41) and served as the team’s second-leading scorer at 13.6 points per game. The most notable moment during his freshman campaign came when he knocked down a full-court buzzer beater against Itawamba.

That play went viral and was replayed on ESPN’s SportsCenter.

“I met a lot of people and homeboys for life. It was a great, humbling experience,” Gaines said. “I’m glad to say that I’m a juco product. It kind of was a confidence-booster.”

The forward decided to move on to the next level following a strong freshman season, entering the transfer portal before signing with Florida Atlantic.

Gaines notes that he was keen on the idea of playing in Conference USA, one of the premier mid-major conferences. The team will be moving to the American Athletic Conference next season.

He says he was also drawn in by the culture created by head coach Dusty May, who was named the National Coach of the Year by CBS Sports on Thursday.

“The best thing about Coach May is that he really cares about our character and the way we carry ourselves,” Gaines said. “He cares about things after college, like if we’re going to be a good person after college. He’s just a great guy.”

'Wait your turn'

Gaines has appeared in 25 games this season for the Owls, averaging 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds through 5.5 minutes per game. He earned his only start of the season on Nov. 26 against Albany, scoring three points in 10 minutes.

The sophomore has yet to play in an NCAA Tournament game, last seeing time on the floor during the Owls’ 78-56 victory over UAB in the Conference USA Championship game on March 11.

The 6-foot-8 forward is the third big man in the rotation, behind starter Vlad Goldin and backup Giancarlo Rosado.

It can be understandable to be discouraged with the lack of playing time after being the best player on your high school squad and a star player at the JUCO level. But for Gaines, he’s decided instead to embrace his supporting role from the bench.

His time might not be now, but with patience, his time is going to come.

“I got great teammates, I got teammates that keep it real with me and let me know that they didn’t play when they first got here and nothing is really given to them,” Gaines said. “Just got to wait your turn and be ready for the moment when your name is called. … Everybody had to wait their turn and I honestly respect these guys because they put in the work. That’s what helped me take my role, just knowing that I’m going to get my turn, just like they did.”

Patrick Bernadeau is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached at (850) 503-3828, on Twitter @PatBernadeau or via email at pbernadeau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: PHS grad Isaiah Gaines 'blessed' to be part of FAU's Final Four run