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  • Goodwin making adjustment to point guard

    By: LARRY VAUGHT



    He came to Kentucky known as a scorer, and freshman Archie Goodwin certainly has been that during UK’s first four games. However, because of circumstances no on anticipated, his bigger role for this team now — and maybe all season — has been learning to play point guard.

    He had 28 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field and 12-for-17 at the foul line in Wednesday’s 81-70 victory over Morehead. But he also had six rebounds, four assists and even three blocked shots in 36 minutes of play. He also had four of UK’s 13 turnovers, but as the team’s primary ballhandler that could have almost been anticipated against the pressure Morehead put on him hoping to fluster him and UK’s offense.

    But with sophomore Ryan Harrow, the expected starting point guard, still out due to illness/personal reasons, Goodwin is now UK’s point guard and will be again Friday night against Long Island.

    “It is not as difficult as it probably would have been the first couple of games of the season because I work so hard at it. Coach Cal doesn’t let me rest. He is on me hard, especially playing that position and having to do it full time now so quickly,” said Goodwin Wednesday. “It is something that I am a lot more confident in myself than I was coming in and I give that credit to coach Cal because him staying on me has helped me a lot.”

    Even though Morehead coach Sean Woods boldly predicted that his team planned to test young’s ballhandling ability under pressure, Goodwin admitted the Eagles surprised UK early when they went on a 16-0 run and helped the Cats scoreless for almost seven minutes.

    “They came out with a lot more intensity then we anticipated they were going to come out with. That was the reason we played the way we did. Second half, we turned it up and we got the win,” Goodwin said. “It was just (Cal) preaching intensity and being tough, that was really the whole reason for the speech we got at halftime. We came out and showed a little bit of both and we got the win.”

    Kentucky coach John Calipari admitted he played Goodwin too many minutes because of his “will to win” that UK needed. Goodwin got leg cramps at the end of the game and had to be carried off the court by teammate Julius Mays. “That was a first. If I would’ve got up, it would’ve been ugly. I couldn’t have gotten up because my leg was cramping to bad,” Goodwin said.

    Goodwin said he knew UK could not lose this early non-conference game.

    “They played their heart out tonight and that’s a good team, but that’s just one of the teams you can’t lose to, especially at a time like this. We came out in the second half, brought it together and we said we have to step it up and that’s what we did,” Goodwin said. “This was probably the most physical game we have had. It was something we needed. We needed to be pushed and see that we needed to go inside and then inside-out.

    “I am still learning and trying to get better. I listen to Cal and feed off what he tells me. I just have to find a way to improve.”

    Morehead coach Sean Woods credited Calipari for making Goodwin’s transition to point guard easier and making it harder for the Eagles to pressure Goodwin into more miscues.

    “We didn’t wide them a lot because John did a good job of spreading us out to where we couldn’t trap. The only thing we could trap was ball screens,” Woods, a former UK point guard, said. “We couldn’t trap in our full court pressure, but we kept enough pressure on them to where they just couldn’t breathe and make easy cuts or easy passes.

    “John is compensating for it and doing a heck of a job. He is giving Goodwin situations where he doesn’t have to think. We had a hard time staying in front of him. When he had to set up and make a play, he struggled. When he did not have to think and just attacked the rim, he is good. That’s how John has to have success with Goodwin at the point guard position.”

    Goodwin likes not having to overthink what he’s doing at point guard.

    “We are running simple things for me. Some quick hitters and stuff where I just make quick basketball decisions,” Goodwin said. “I am quite aware that most people can’t stay in front of me if I really attack the rim. Just know Cal and the staff has confidence in me helps a lot.”
    Comments 3 Comments
    1. Darrell KSR's Avatar
      Darrell KSR -
      He's doing fine, but the team isn't doing as well as it could with a pure point, IMHO. Interestingly, I noticed that he often ran point even with Polson in the game. Jarrod seemed to play more of an off guard position.

      I think we're pretty much maximizing what we can do right now from there (I might try to insert Twany a bit, but if there's any improvement, it would be marginal, if that) unless and until we get Ryan Harrow back in the lineup. Harrow has talent.
    1. MickintheHam's Avatar
      MickintheHam -
      That's been my point for several weeks now. We don't have a point and Cal will be reluctant to go with Polson at point. But without Goodwin at the 2, we have a problem there as Polson does not look as comfortable playing there. but that may well be how we go through the season: AG at point and others at the 2.

      This year is Cal's biggest challenge. It is going to be a difficult year for the fans.
    1. bigsky's Avatar
      bigsky -
      Mick I think we fans should be okay. We won the 'ship last year and it will be interesting this year to watch Cal coach his way thru what is increasingly (Twany, Harrow) his most challenging year since before he came to UK.
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