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April 23, 2012

Goodman Update For Today

Filed under: Basketball,Recruiting — Chas @ 2:16 pm

Savon Goodman continues to play coy about his decision for 2012. He hasn’t ruled out prep school. He hasn’t ruled out playing this year, with his family stating that he is eligible.

He was in Pittsburgh this past weekend for the Under Armour Hoop Group Pittsburgh Jam Fest. But…

This wasn’t the best weekend for Savon Goodman, who struggled offensively in a half-court setting

That was echoed in other reviews of performances.

The 6’6” forward mainly floated around the perimeter and when he did take the ball to the hoop, had trouble finishing — a rarity for him. On the recruiting front, Goodman said he has no particular list at the moment but claimed offers from Pittsburgh and Temple as well as interest from UCLA and St. John’s, adding that Villanova is out of the picture.

The possibility remains that Goodman will take a prep year and join the 2013 class but he is still unsure of when that decision will come.

“I don’t have much control over that right now,” Goodman said, “my family is handling all of that.”

I’ve been feeling a bit pessimistic about the chances of landing Goodman, the longer he has delayed his decision. It just seems that he is waiting for something else. Something he believes will be a better offer.

It doesn’t help that all signs point that direction both in longing and desired style.

He added that he’s looking to play for a team with a “run n’ gun” style that likes to pressure the ball at the next level. It’s no wonder that Goodman said he’s hoping to garner some interest from John Calipari and Kentucky before it’s all said and done.

It’s no secret that Pitt is not a “run n’ gun” team. They aren’t built that way. It isn’t going to happen. And if that is what Goodman wants — as opposed to just wanting to get an offer from Kentucky — then both sides should just forget it now.

Pitt is a half-court team that wants to be very efficient with its possessions. It isn’t that Pitt won’t try to increase the pace when it can, but they won’t do so by sacrificing efficiency.

College Basketball Stats by StatSheet.com

Last year, given the injuries and struggles, Pitt was one of the slowest teams in Division 1 basketball with only 62.8 possessions/40 minutes. It should improve this year, but I would be surprised if Pitt’s possessions/40 minutes exceeded much more than 64.

Again, I don’t know how much Goodman really wants to be on a fast-tempo team. As explosive as Kentucky could be, they were not a particularly up-tempo team. Only 66.3 possessions/40 minutes — which is 202d nationally. When you consider some of the other teams he likes to mention: St. John’s (139/67.4), UCLA (245/65.2) and Missouri (177/66.6); then he really doesn’t know what he wants — other than an offer from Kentucky.

Temple, his local team, seems to be more of a fit lately. They were 75th last year with 68.9 possessions/40 minutes.

Honestly, I don’t see him coming to Pitt at this point. I just don’t see Pitt squeezing someone off the team this year for him. So, I would say Temple has become the most likely place for him in 2012. If he preps, I think it is because he wants to get (or believes he will get) an offer from Kentucky or some other big, big name school in 2013.

The latter seems to be where Goodman’s interests lie. In the biggest, best offer he can get.





Hes holding out for UK but they wont offer

Comment by Tony C 04.23.12 @ 2:34 pm

Chaz, If he’s not keen on coming here, then you really don’t want him. Pitt doen’t need another Kehm Birch. Birch actually hurt Pitt, because he took the scholarship from Jaylan Bond who looked to be a good fit.

Comment by Justinian 04.23.12 @ 2:35 pm

Seth Greenburg just got the axe —- possible Asst hire for Pitt? – he certainly knows the ACC

(of course, provided that Dixon isn’t hired at Va Tech)

Comment by wbb 04.23.12 @ 3:42 pm

Yeah, I’m not interested in a kid who want to run ‘n gun and thinks he’s good enough to get meaningful minutes at UK aaannd doesnt know the game well enough to know which schools are run n; gun programs. He sounds like trouble to me and I dont think he’s good enough to warrant it. Save the scholarship for someone that fits better.

Comment by PantherP 04.23.12 @ 7:11 pm

If Pitt truly has a top program it is time to say NO to players who are projects.

Comment by isnore 04.23.12 @ 7:44 pm

“I don’t have much control over that right now,” Goodman said, “my family is handling all of that.”

I’m certainly a lot smarter and experienced than I was 20 years ago, but I was at least involved with making decisions affecting my future.

Doesn’t sound like much of a leader or someone I’d want in my program.

Comment by CnorwoodAZ 04.23.12 @ 9:07 pm

Dixon will not publicly spurn a player, but I agree the kid is not mature enough. That does not bode well for anyone.

With an attitude like that, even a team in transition like Duquesne will treat him like a leper. Prep school would give him the chance to mature. Go Prep young man.

Comment by SFPitt 04.24.12 @ 2:00 am

Isnore, theres a problem with that…. Pitt cant get ALL elite players. Until theyre in the final four/nc range the best class they will get is something like this one. Its a top 10 class if you include zeigler but its also kind of an anomally. I mean, what are the odds of coming across adams?

Comment by Pk 04.24.12 @ 7:10 am

Thank goodness for Pitt Blather because I think the Post-Gazette has given up providing insight to Pitt football when The Pitt Redshirt Diaries headline is Spring Practie # 11.

Comment by Tackle made by Hugh 04.24.12 @ 7:29 am

PK hit it on the head. Adams at this time for Pitt is an anomally. If he was an American he would be rated the #1 center, possibly #1 recruit. His skills surpass any American big man his only conern is lack of playing experience in big time circumstances and knowledge of his own abilitiess and willingness to use them.

I hope Jamie pumps this kid up and allows him to work on his incredible talents in the non-confernce schedule. Also if he performs as I hope make certain our senoir guard realizes that this is not his team “this notion has to be stopped anyway; especeically since Pitt’s has never had a guard who was a go to player.”

Where are all Pitt’s “there team player’s playing now and in the future (Krauser, Fields, Gibbs, Woodall).

Comment by drw 04.24.12 @ 9:37 am

Hugh, if you scroll the bottom of Reshirt Diaries and clcik on ‘Prev’ it will take to a few more recent issues than Practice 11 … but your point is well taken. Don’t expect a whole lot from Zeise unless there is actual Pitt news .. although I find it troubling that to my knowledge, there has been little or no mention of the 2 recent commits.

In fact, the whole new online Post Gazette seems totally disoriented. On the main sports page, they still show stories that are 12 days old … I have found myself spending much less time these days following the PG.

Comment by wbb 04.24.12 @ 9:40 am

I don’t know why i read anything Dick Vitale has to say anymore, but he does not have Pitt in his top 40. Even the most cynical Pitt fan has to believe we’re gonna be at least a top-40 team next year.

Comment by PantherP 04.24.12 @ 10:00 am

Oh come one DRW. The only guard of those 4 that showed any signs of selfishness is Gibbs, who isn’t even a PG like the other 3.

Fields had a great senior year and was one of the best PGs in the country.

Krauser’s senior year had probably the worst talent in Jamie Dixon’s tenure at Pitt. Yuri Demetris started 14 games, Mark McCarrol started 7 games, John Degroat backup point guard was freshman Ronald Ramon and Chris Taft was in the process of checking out. Krauser led the team in minutes, points, steal and assists and was third in rebounding. It is a miracle that the team even made the tournament.

Woodall played hurt all year just to give Pitt a chance to win. And when he was healthy the team actually played well.

Comment by Wardapalooza 04.24.12 @ 10:32 am

PK…Prep School for Goodman and then a scholie to Pitt. It has been reported that Goodman has had some academic issue (??) a year away from home might do him a world of good.
THE LAST THING THAT JAMIE NEEDS NOW IS ANOTHER BIRCH!

Comment by isnore 04.24.12 @ 11:19 am

Ward you make good points. But I wouldnt exactly say when Woodall was healthy the team played well. They played 4 good games.

I wouldnt say any of those guys, except Gibbs, were selfish. I would say they all had an inkling that they were a little better than they actually were. I give Krauser a pass to an extent but while he had the good numbers you mention, he also has the worst shooting percentage of the 7 guys getting meaningful playing time that year and had the highest TOs per game.

Its the same thing with Fields — shot more than almost anyone, had worse FG% than anyone. He was better than Krauser in that he had less TOs.

For both those guys they had great numbers reflecting what they brought to the table, but if you look at the numbers for what he took off the table those are kinda bad too.

I’m a big fan of both those guys and think they were certainly bringing more to the table than they took away, but they took away a little more than they could have. For lack of a better expresison they’re +/- were good but could have been better but for them taking too much ownership of the ball. I mean, how else to you explain high TO numbers and low FG %s but by way of saying they hogged the ball a little more than they should have.

Woodall has a simlar problem. I’d place him about where Krauser is. Woodall has better FG%, worse TOs (but not much worse). Fields had worse FG but wayyy better A:TO ratio. I dunno. Wish I was a better stat guy. But I think DRW has point if slightly exaggerrated.

Comment by PantherP 04.24.12 @ 11:36 am

PantherP, I think Vitale is correct not to have us in a preseason top 40. Pitt was that bad last season. Its not just about wins and losses, its also about how they played. Very sloppy on offesne and lazy on defense. I hope I never see that brand of Pitt basketball again. We’ll have to regain our national respect with our play this season.

Comment by HbgFrank 04.24.12 @ 12:31 pm

Karl Krauser had a career A/TO ratio of 1.44. That is SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE that Woodall’s current ratio of 2.0. Levance field’s ratio was 2.4, made that way by a 3.0 senior season.

Woodall has 51 assists and 19 TOs in the first seven games of the season. That’s a A:TO of 2.7.

TWO POINT SEVEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 TOs in those games. If you’re is not happy with those numbers, you should stop watching Pitt hoops and become a fan of the Bulls or
the Clippers.

Sure it was against inferior competition, but Krauser and Fields numbers were pumped up by playing against that same inferior competition.

Clearly Woodall was no better than 60% after he got back and got worse through the end of the season. And it showed.

If there’s one thing I know about Tray it’s that James Robinson is going to have to pry the starting PG spot out of his cold dead hands.

I’ll take that any day of the week.

Comment by cnorwoodaz 04.24.12 @ 12:54 pm

What is this “Post Gazette” you guys keep referring too?

Never heard of it.

Comment by SFPitt 04.24.12 @ 1:33 pm

Post G is so negative at Pitt that I don’t even read their on-line work. I do read the Trib more often, but they too, lack Pitt updates. Pitt’s AD really misses an opportunity with the local media in my opinion. Would have thought by now that one or more of the graduated Pitt athletes would have taken over in the local written media markets and given Pitt the coverage it deserves, but I digress.

For my money, L Fields is who I want to have the ball at the end of the game out of the group mentioned. They all carry strong characteristics, Krauser’s Heart, Gibbs shot, Tray’s quickness, but L.Fields had desire and a will to win. Mentally tough as was Krauser.

My biggest concern for Pitt BBall players is a lack of mental toughness and heart. I can’t remember when I have seen them all not committed to defense first in the Jamie Dixon era. Sometimes that happens with the more elite players except when Coach Calipari is at the helm and requires a strong defensive presence or you sit the bench approach. Pitt doesn’t have the depth for that type of stance to be taken…yet!

Comment by dhuffdaddy 04.24.12 @ 4:24 pm

I would squeeze off Wright in a heartbeat to land a beast of a PF or SF. I believe PITT would have played more uptempo this year had not Woody been injured. Dixon had to realize with no inside threat, that the half court was not desirable. If he didn’t…geez……..

If you remember the week Woody won National Player of the week, PITT played real Uptempo that week.
Of course it didn’t hurt that BOTH Woody & Gibbs were on their games that week. But with no inside threat, teams stuck like glue on those two the rest of the season.

The UCLA’ns has seen enough of slow methodical half court. Have we ?

Comment by Emel 04.24.12 @ 11:06 pm

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