At this stage, Dane Goodwin's commitment to Ohio State as a high school freshman is a source of motivation rather than angst.
Many his age couldn't fathom making a decision which will affect the next eight years of their lives. For Goodwin and his father, Damon, the Buckeyes provide a sense of comfort.
"We've been having discussions for about six weeks on the good things and the negative things that might come from this," Damon said. "He's going to have some bad games and people are going to say things like 'he's not good enough.' Once Ohio State offered, we knew that scenario was already going to happen."
The Buckeyes extended an offer in October, already demonstrating faith in someone who has yet to play in a varsity game or against the top high-school-aged AAU talent in the country. That could be a burden, but Dane will use it as a motivating factor. Instead of settling since accepting the offer, he hopes to prove himself worthy of the high expectations now placed on him.
"Thad [Matta] and I have talked about that," Damon said. "This is the beginning of the challenge, this is the beginning of Dane getting better every day, every year and becoming a good player at Ohio State. It's his biggest challenge and it will be difficult, at times, for a young kid."
Buckeyes who Committed as Underclassmen
It is rare, though certainly not uncommon for recruits to commit so early in their high school careers.
Once he enrolls, Dane would join Byron "B.J." Mullens as the only Thad Matta recruits to commit before playing in a high school game. Overall, the Buckeyes had five players pledge as underclassmen (data via Rivals.com):
| Name | Commit Date | Class of |
|---|---|---|
| B.J. Mullens | 12/15/2004 | 2008 |
| Walter Offut | 10/04/2005 | 2008 |
| Jared Sullinger | 05/10/2007 | 2010 |
| Deshaun Thomas | 06/01/2007 | 2010 |
| Marc Loving | 08/05/2010 | 2013 |
Dane committed early, in part, because he didn't want to juggle the recruiting process with playing in his freshman season at Upper Arlington.
"When you have a program like Ohio State – and Dane's grown up in Columbus – it's one of the top programs in the country," Damon said. "They want you as a freshman in high school, they believe in you and Dane certainly believes in them, so why not get moving forward with this?"
Why Dane Chose OSU
The on-court accomplishments of the Buckeye program under Matta are self-evident. Damon, who played at Dayton from 1982-1985, used his experience as the head coach at Capital to identify the strengths of the Ohio State program.
"We've made a number of unofficial visits there and I have been thoroughly impressed with the way their former players continue to be associated with the program," Damon said. "They come back in the summer and they all work out in open gyms. As a coach, I can say that's one thing I try to do with my program.
"As a dad, that says something to me. It shows these kids care about this place, they care about Thad, he cares about them. That is what convinced me Ohio State is the right place for Dane."
