16 point guard says hes neutral in UK-UL rivalry
Advertisement
Friday night, bitter rivals Kentucky and Louisville face off in the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament.
Most of the prospects both the Cards and the Cats sign to scholarships each year aren't from the Bluegrass State. Thus are ignorant to how much the rivalry really means to the people who call the Commonwealth home.
2016 Campbellsville (Ky.) point guard Quentin Goodin is in contact with both programs and is being actively recruited by both. Goodin has not received an offer from either school, but that doesn't mean he isn't subjected to the banter that goes along with the rivalry.
"[I] grew up a Louisville fan because my family are Louisville fans, but when John Wall went to Kentucky I switched over to Kentucky. Now I'm not a fan because it's chaos."
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Taylor Co. Cardinal tells Kentuckypreps.com there's a lot more Wildcat fans than Cardinal fans in his hometown. "Kentucky fans are always telling me to go to Kentucky. Louisville fans are always telling me to go to Louisville. My answer is I don't have an offer from either school, so I can't."
Goodin wouldn't give a true prediction, but he did put some keys to the game out there. "I know the Harrisons have been turning the ball over a lot and Louisville is known for pressure. So it could be a key for Louisville. But Kentucky played like a team their last game and when they play like that they could be hard to beat. So it'll be interesting."
The rapport between he and the in-state powers is "Close, my dad talks to them almost every day to update them on how I'm playing, my stats, grades and my upcoming games so we can keep a good relationship."
Former Mt. Washington (Ky.) Bullitt East forward Derek Willis is the most recent in-state prospect to chose between the schools. He's the only prospect to decide between them during the state's recent takeover of college basketball.
Willis' collegiate legacy still weighs in the balance, as the No. 115 player in the 2013 Rivals150 is only a freshman. Regardless of how it pans out, as soon as he chose the Wildcats it forever etched his name into the rivalry itself.
As for the current status of Goodin's recruitment, Murray St. is the latest team to offer. The Racers join a list of schools that includes Indiana and West Virginia. B1G schools Michigan and Ohio State are said to be in constant contact without having extended an offer.
It was recently announced that Goodin would be playing with the NIKE EYBL organization the St. Louis Eagles this AAU season. This move could prove to be a big one in his recruitment.