What’s it like to be a highly recruited prep sports star?
The question can be lost in a morass of numbers and titles: gaudy averages, national rankings, state records, All-America selections, player of the year awards, championships.
While central Arkansas produces more elite football talent, highly sought basketball recruits of late have included the likes of Parkview’s Quincy Lewis and Central’s Joe Johnson.
Add Sylvan Hills’ Archie Goodwin to the mix.
ESPN ranks the 6-foot-4 shooting guard as the 17th-best player in the nation for the class of 2012. About 25 schools and counting want him, including Arkansas, Memphis, Kentucky and North Carolina.
He averaged 25 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals per game as a sophomore last year and was putting up about 28 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two blocks and three steals per game through the first twelve games of this year.
Sync wants to go beyond the numbers.
Beyond a one-time write-up.
That’s why we’re tearing a page from the world’s largest basketball magazine, SLAM, and giving Goodwin space on a regular basis to tell us what’s going on in his life.
Call it a Player’s Diary.
We’ll check in on the progress of his team’s season (the Bears won nine of their first 12 games) and the status of the schools courting him. A couple of his teammates from the Arkansas Wings 17U AAU team — Razorback signees Rashad Madden and Aaron Ross — have urged him, sometimes publicly on Facebook, to rejoin them in Fayetteville in 2012.
But we also want to hear about Goodwin’s life off the court. What is it like to balance class, cross-city commutes, practice, study, individual workouts and games? Not to mention college coaches’ constant calls, increasing media attention (guilty as charged), and a family life in which he’s the only male among seven children? Is there any time to be a “regular” teenager?
Look for the first installment of this Player’s Diary in the coming weeks.
Q&A with Archie Goodwin
Q: Sylvan Hills opened conference play Friday night by beating Monticello 76-44. How did you enjoy playing in the first game since your gym’s recent refurbishing, and did any college coaches come to watch you?
A: It was nice. The gym has new bleachers and new painting. A [University of] Tennessee assistant coach was there.
Q: How do you feel the team is developing this season?
A: We’re still trying to come together as a team, but it looks good. Everything’s looking like it’s clicking for us.
Q: Did you watch the Sugar Bowl with your family? Do you consider yourself much of a college football fan?
A: I’m not much into college football. More into basketball. I watched the first part of the game with my stepdad, but when it looked like we were going to get beat badly, I left. [His three sisters, niece and mom didn’t watch].
Q: Snow has wiped out school on Monday. Any plans with the family? What about practice?
A: We’ll probably do a little snowball fighting, nothing serious. If I can’t get out, I’ll do pushups and things around the house. Otherwise, I’ll go to UALR and practice there.
Sylvan Hills, third in Class 5A by the Democrat-Gazette, won nine of its first 12 games.