Eric Gaines

Eric Gaines (born January 19, 2001) is an American college basketball player for the UAB Blazers. He previously played for the LSU Tigers.

Gaines was born in New Jersey and moved to Lithonia, Georgia, as a child. He first played football but transitioned into basketball. Gaines was taller than his teammates and primarily played as a center but utilised his speed for a playstyle that involved him grabbing a defensive rebound and beating defenders up the court with his dribble.

Gaines attended Lithonia High School where he did not receive much attention during his first two years. He developed a reputation for his dunking abilities during his senior year and received comparisons to Ja Morant which Gaines attributes to increasing his recruitment offers. He averaged 18.6 points, 4 assists and 2.7 steals per game during his senior season. Gaines was selected as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution All-Metro DeKalb County Player of the Year. He was a four-star recruit and committed to play for the LSU Tigers.

Gaines averaged 2.5 points, 1.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game during his freshman season with the LSU Tigers. He improved his output to 9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game during his sophomore season while his 2.1 steals per game led the Southeastern Conference. Gaines was primarily utilised as a distributor and defender with the Tigers. He decided to transfer from the team when head coach Will Wade was fired after the 2021–22 season.

On April 12, 2022, Gaines committed to play for the UAB Blazers. He averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game during the 2022–23 season. Gaines declared for the 2023 NBA draft but withdrew on May 30, 2023.

On April 5, 2024, Gaines declared for the 2024 NBA draft.