Andrew Force:
Future150 National Analyst. Covering High and Middle School basketball.
Campbellsville, KY (Future150) -- Tuesday Quentin Goodin cut his list to five schools.
Louisville, Florida, Miami, Western Kentucky, and Xavier are Goodin's finalists. He has not given a timetable for his decision.
Fitting in
Unlike most guards, Goodin will fit in with any team on his list. The coaches recruiting him will find him playing time in year one. He is just that good.
Miami
Miami seems like a crowded backcourt that Goodin would struggle to crack in the fall of 2016. Davon Reed, Ja'Quan Newton, and James Palmer can all play. Reed and Palmer are off the ball mostly, but Newton is unequivocally a point guard. Usurping Newton right away seems unlikely.
If Coach Larranaga decides to play Newton, Reed, and Goodin together it could work. Surely, a coach would find time for Goodin, but he will essentially be accompanying an establish floor leader should he pick Miami.
The Hurricanes have offered nine PGs and desperately need to build depth. It is just difficult to say 'Yes' to a program with a young, top 50 guard in place.
Louisville
With Coach Rick Pitino and Louisville, Goodin finds the best mixture of high achievement and playing time availability. Starter Quentin Snider is ok, but remember Ville passed on Snider. He initially verbally committed to Louisville as a young, young prospect. Then he verbally committed to Illinois because Ville was full and essentially didn't need him. Once JaQuan Lyle didn't qualify/commit they asked Snider back into the fold.
This tells you all you need to know about his value within the program. He is filling a role, until they find a better solution.
Snider is that solution and this should be his pick.
Xavier
With Xavier, Goodin should start from the first day. Veteran Larry Austin Jr. is good, but Goodin could play alongside. When Goodin arrives Austin will be a junior, returning-starter.
Also filling in that backcourt will be Myles Mack, an undersized off guard, SG J.P. Macura, and Edmund Sumner. That bunch has plenty of room for playing time, especially for a four-star recruit.
The X has reached the Sweet 16 in four of the last six years, so choosing the newly-named Big East program does not missing out on Big Boy Basketball.
Western Kentucky
The WKU Hilltoppers are an outlier on this list. Xavier used to be a mid-major like WKU, but they left that behind when they joined the Big East.
WKU has zero top 150 guys on their roster. They do have a tradition of producing a pro every five years, but it is an uncommon path for Goodin and elite prospects.
If he chooses WKU, Goodin will play 25.0 mpg from the jump.
And NBA scouts will find him. Also, family will be able to attend almost every game. Xavier and Louisville offer this benefit too though.
Florida
Of his five finalists Florida is least desperate for a premiere playmaker. When Goodin enters college they will have two elite ballhandlers (Kasey Hill and Chris Chiozza) running the show. Goodin will be able to help, but his impact will not be nearly as critical as say a WKU or Xavier freshman season.
Florida has a brand new coaching staff and a new direction. Programs like Xavier and Louisville are more entrenched at their respective universities, but a coach like Chris Mack is more likely to jump at a new job offer.
It all comes down to program and university fit. Honestly, too many recruits overlook the school, the campus, the people they will be spending time with. Basketball is most of their lives, but they have to eat, sleep, and play around the student body.
Always remember the coaches are not always interested in your very best interests. Many coaches only care until your interests no longer coincide with their career aspirations.
Good luck to Quentin Goodin as he makes a difficult life choice.
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