Welcome to A10 Talk’s Preseason Top 25 Player Countdown for the 2018-19 season. Each day, we’ll be publishing a new article counting down our best 25 players for the coming season, as voted on by our staff of writers. Today, we feature #3 Jordan Goodwin of Saint Louis.
What He’s Done
When Jordan Goodwin committed to SLU, it was the first big sign that Travis Ford was turning the Billikens after Jim Crews had drained much of the life out of the program. The Centreville, Illinois product was the best player in the St. Louis area and ranked 55th in the country. Convincing a player with Goodwin’s pedigree to come play for a 12-21 team over schools like Illinois and Northwestern might be Travis Ford’s greatest recruiting coup ever. Goodwin then proceeded to get off to an absolutely atrocious shooting start to the season. Despite shooting under 30 percent at the beginning of the season, Goodwin’s ability to affect the game in a variety of ways was immediately apparent, and as the season wore on, the shots began to fall. Goodwin really came into his own during conference play, averaging 11.2 points per game, 8.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists per game, 1.8 steals per game, and nearly a block per game. Goodwin also notched SLU’s first ever triple double, in a win against Duquesne, and nearly had triple doubles in the games preceding and following the Duquesne game.
What He’ll Do
Expectations are sky-high for the Billikens and Goodwin is a big part of that reason. At 6’3, 210 pounds, Goodwin is the most physically imposing point guard in the A-10, and will pair well with grad transfer Tramaine Isabell in the backcourt. He’s been working on his shot this offseason, and if Goodwin is a consistent threat from outside, he’ll be nearly impossible to stop on offense with his quickness and strength. Goodwin is also one of the best passers in the A-10, and he will have a wealth of offensive options to distribute the ball to. Don’t be surprised if his rebounding numbers go down a bit this year, as the Billikens have one of the strongest rebounding teams in the nation, and there’s only so many rebounds to go around. Ultimately, Goodwin’s greatest contributions are the type that stats can’t capture. He has one of the highest motors in the A-10, is a pest on defense and the offensive boards, and plays with a passion that makes his teammates try harder. As SLU works to establish itself as the true hometown team in St. Louis, no one represents those aspirations more than Goodwin. He has the team and the city on his back.
Previously: #4 Josh Cunningham
