Archie Goodwin
The Kentucky Wildcats season was a disappointing one to say the least. Coming off a stellar National Championship run their entire starting five made it into the NBA. Kentucky then had another great recruiting class with highly touted center Nerlens Noel and four star prospect Archie Goodwin. The 2012-13 season turned out badly as they finished with a 12-6 record in conference play and 21-12 overall. To make matters worse they lost Noel to a knee injury, did not qualify for the NCAA tournament and then lost to Robert Morris in the NIT.
Goodwin, a 6’4 190 lb. shooting guard is an interesting prospect to keep an eye on from both a positive and negative standpoint. The physical tools are there, having a 6’9.5″ wingspan which is outstanding for a guard his size. His athleticism is explosive as well as his quickness in transition. Offensively, he averaged 14.1 PPG which came off of transitional offense and easy dunks and lay-ups. Shooting the ball has been a real struggle for Goodwin for he shot a decent 44% from the field on the season but according to Synergy, he was only shooting 33% of all attempted jump shots and 27% from three-point. His decision making is poor and has questionable consistency.
On the defensive end is where Goodwin will have to find his niche, he will need bulk up and add some more strength and also learn to use his massive wingspan and quickness to his advantage as it should translate well going forward.
Goodwin is a one and done prospect declaring for the 2013 NBA Draft. He decided to leave Kentucky because he likely felt his playing time might be reduced by the incoming recruiting class which is being touted as the best all-time. Top recruits Aaron Harrison and James Young figured to eat into some of his time on the court.
Goodwin should be considered a risky draft prospect because even with the potential he has shown, too much inconsistency and poor shooting along with character and maturity issues will hinder him from developing into an efficient immediate contributor to an NBA team. He’s the youngest domestic player in the 1st round mix. Teams will be looking a him based on his potential down the road.
Draft projections for Goodwin is being a late first-rounder around the 16-20 picks to possibly dropping in to the second-round. Teams like the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls could take a chance on Goodwin mainly for his defensive capabilities and can develop his offensive game down the road.
Thanks to NetScouts Basketball Scout Derek Brennan for this article.
