Is Georgia’s No. 1 prospect headed to the West Coast?

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Is Georgia’s No. 1 prospect headed to the West Coast?

10:30 am June 24, 2011, by Michael Carvell
ajc.com


Some people think Georgia’s No. 1 college basketball prospect is already starting to pack his bags for UCLA.

Shaq Goodwin, the 6-foot-8 power forward from Southwest DeKalb High School, said that’s not the case. He’s heard the rumors, about how he will follow his AAU basketball coach to UCLA, and he said they are untrue because he’s undecided. However, Goodwin confirms that UCLA is one of his leaders, along with UGA, Memphis, Florida and Alabama.

“I havent’ decided anything,” Goodwin told the AJC.

Goodwin got a “shout out” when his AAU teammate with the Atlanta Celtics, Jordan Adams, committed to UCLA earlier this week.

“I want Shaq Goodwin to come with me [to UCLA],” said Adams, the former Central Gwinnett shooting guard who transferred to Oak Hill (Va.) prep school last year.

Goodwin heard the words loud and clear. He attended the announcement of his longtime summer club buddy. “That was cool; I expected it [Adams to commit to UCLA]. He had some good reasons for going to UCLA. We’ll see what happens with me.”

Discussion of the Georgia-to-UCLA recruiting pipeline started after the Bruins hired Korey McCray as an assistant coach a few weeks ago. McCray was the CEO of the Altanta Celtics, and Adams cited McCray’s hiring as a major factor in his decision. Goodwin admits it gives UCLA an advantage, too.

“It will be a little bit of a factor he’s the reason I got most of my looks from the colleges,” Goodwin said. “But I don’t think it would be the only reason for me to go there, if I picked UCLA.”

Goodwin said he will try to take two unofficial visits over the summer — to UCLA and Memphis.

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Shaq Goodwin on recruiting and his name


Posted on June 22, 2011 by Jody Demling
ajc.com


One name that had been connected with Kentucky in recruiting was Shaq Goodwin, a 6-foot-8, 235-pound forward from Decatur, Ga.

Goodwin said he has “everybody calling” him from colleges “except UConn, Duke, North Carolina and Syracuse and I’m waiting on Syracuse.”

Goodwin played at the NBA Players Association top 100 Camp and said he hasn’t heard form Kentucky in a while but noted he was “still wide open.”

“I talk to a lot of other players at my position to see who has offered,” he said. “Kentucky has offered a couple of guys at my position, so I don’t know.

“The recruiting process is just crazy for me.”

Goodwin was asked how he got the name “Shaq” and he started laughing and said he had to tell the story about how him mom named him.

“When I was born my mom told me 21 inches or longer my middle name would be Shaquille,” he said. “If I was shorter than 21 inches then I was going to have my dad’s middle name – Stephania. That would have been pretty weird.

“I’m glad I got 21 inches.”

For more on Shaq Goodwin, see earlier post.