It has nearly been two years since Upper Arlington sophomore Dane Goodwin first arrived on the radar of the Ohio State men's basketball program. Scorching Medina for nearly 40 points in a scrimmage at the Ohio State team camp in June 2014, Goodwin, who was just an incoming freshman at the time, showed the top-flight potential that eventually led to an offer from the Buckeyes.
Some 23 months later, Goodwin, who sports No. 23, is an Ohio State commit and leading Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League in scoring at the 16u level, a feat that no Ohio player has done in recent years.
"[The EYBL] has been a good experience so far," Goodwin told Eleven Warriors. "There's a lot of good players and teams, which really makes you bring out your best to win games."
And win is all Goodwin has done. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard led All-Ohio Red's 16u squad to a championship in New Jersey during Session 1 of the league in early April. Much of that success is due to a few changes that Goodwin has made to his game.
"I think as a player I've gotten more competitive playing in these big games," Goodwin said. "I've used my size more this year and am getting in the post to take advantage of my height."
Scouts, players and coaches alike have also taken notice of Goodwin's development this spring.
"I think the biggest change with Dane is his confidence," Corey Albertson, owner and scout for Triple Double Prospects, said. "He's just got more of an edge to him where he believes that he belongs on any list of top players."
In an EYBL league that features the absolute best talent in the country, Goodwin has been nothing short of spectacular. Shooting 57 percent from the field, Goodwin leads all players in field goal percentage, which is really impressive when you factor in that the 6-foot-5 sniper is also shooting greater than 50 percent from three different spots behind-the-arc.
Dane Goodwin (@all_ohio Red) is shooting 57% from the field to lead all @NikeEYB U16 Players #KFACTS pic.twitter.com/zcUCPVQfqh
— Krossover TV (@krossovertv) April 28, 2016
"I've been getting easy shots early in the game around the basket and getting into a little bit of a rhythm," Goodwin said of his offensive approach. "Having good guards finding me when I am open also certainly helps."
Those guards Goodwin speaks of are none other than Clarkston (Mich.) point guard Foster Loyer, who has already received an offer from Michigan State, and Hilliard Bradley point guard Braden Norris. Two high-IQ ball-handlers that fit Goodwin's style of play, Loyer and Norris have helped Goodwin get into early grooves this AAU season, illustrated last weekend at the Spiece Run-N-Slam in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Despite a rather up-and-down weekend for All-Ohio, Goodwin was again impressive, scorching the nets against quality opponents in the Iowa Barnstormers, Illinois Wolves and Mac Irvin Fire, an EYBL team based out of Chicago. Goodwin was especially lethal against Mac Irvin, leading all scorers in a close loss for All-Ohio.
With the AAU season nearly half over, Goodwin has already begun thinking about the 2016-17 season with an Upper Arlington team that was led by the star sophomore to a district title in March. As a deep 2016 class moves on to the college ranks, Division I in Central Ohio has never been more wide open.
"For us as a team, we should expect to win our division [OCC-Central]," Goodwin said. "I should obviously expect to be better than last year, as I'm going to have to take more of a leading role, not only scoring, but organizing and being a captain."
Already considered one of the top players in a promising 2018 class in Ohio, Goodwin has only elevated his stock with elite performances in the district tournament and EYBL season in 2016.
"As a player right now, Dane could arguably be No. 1 [in the 2018 class]," Albertson, who has tracked Ohio's top prep talent from start to finish for the last several years. "But kids like Dwayne Cohill, Darius Bazley and Jerome Hunter have more natural talent, so it's still to be determined, but he's somewhere in the top four for sure."
Labeled as a 'shooting specialist' after his storied performance at the OSU team camp two years ago, Goodwin has worked hard to refine his entire offensive game.
"Dane is known for his shooting ability, but his all-around ability to create a shot for himself is underrated," Albertson said. "I've been particularly impressed with his willingness to use his body to create space for pull-up shots around the rim this spring."
While many felt Ohio State's offer to Goodwin in 2014 might have been a risky move, the results since then have proven otherwise. The departure of former assistant coach Jeff Boals to Stony Brook to become the program's new head coach has ushered in a bit of change for Goodwin, however, his relationship with the Buckeye coaching staff has remained very strong.
'It's been different of course, [Boals] would be the one I would call the most," Goodwin said. "But mostly [assistant coach Greg Paulus] now is the one I have been talking to."
