They all like Mike

Goodwin may not play major minutes, but his role is not downplayed by Mighty Oaks’ coaches, players

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

CARNEYS POINT – Mike Goodwin hasn’t gotten a lot of minutes for the Salem CC basketball team this season and the minutes he does get usually come in the closing minutes of a game whose outcome has long been decided.

But the first-year forward is just as important to the Mighty Oaks’ process as any of the other 10 players ahead of him in the box score. And, some say, without his often unseen contributions some of what they are enjoying this year as the No. 1 team in the country might not be possible.

Goodwin is the epitome of a deep reserve. He walked on this year with Penns Grove roots, by way of Kingsway and Lake Nona, Fla., keeps his head down, his nose clean and competes with his teammates every day in practice. His work ethic has been rewarded with late-game minutes in the post.

He’s Mike Green’s kind of player.

“Love him, love him,” the coach said after the Mighty Oaks’ latest win, a 124-70 rout of Passaic Saturday. “He comes to practice, he works, he celebrates his teammates the whole game. And he’s getting better. He’s improved big time. When we got him the glass was empty, now we’re about three-quarters full. It doesn’t show on the court because we’re kind of 5-6 guys at his one position, but he comes to practice every day and competes.

“He works hard. When I recruit I’m not just recruiting everybody I think can score the ball or do something. You need to recruit guys who give you extra numbers in practice, go hard in practice, that’s good on the scout team, guys who want to get better get in the gym, guys when you’re down they can pull you up out of it. Everybody here loves Mike. They respect him. He’s a great asset to our team.”

The 6-foot-4 forward has played in 12 of the Mighty Oaks’ first 21 games for a total of 53 minutes. He has eight points, 14 rebounds and blocked five shots. 

He got five minutes in Saturday’s game and although he didn’t score and felt he could’ve done more than he showed he did well enough on the floor to keep the pieces moving for the Mighty Oaks to set the program’s revival-era single-game scoring record.

“I tried to go out there and work on what I worked on with my coaches,” Goodwin said. “I had the chance to be aggressive and give it my all because I know my teammates are going to give it their all every time.

“I wasn’t looking at the clock. I was more worried about the scoring record and going out there and getting my teammates open so we could get that scoring record.”

Of course, he’d like to play more, but it’s the work that drives him.

There’s something to be said for being on the No. 1 team in the country that has real thoughts of winning it all.

“I’ve got that passion to get better every day,” Goodwin said. “Having that passion and pushing hard every day in practice, it pushes everybody else to be better. Nobody wants to be left behind, so me pushing myself I’m also pushing my peers. I’m just blessed to be on this team and be able to experience this with these guys.

“Obviously, from a selfish perspective, I wonder if I’m gonna get in. Sometimes I want to get in, but I’m in the role I am right now. I don’t feel ashamed, because all these other guys are great. It’s competitive. Being competitive obviously I want to play sometimes, but I’m in the role right now it drives me to get better and me getting better my teammates can get better.”

The players appreciate his effort. They pull hard for him because he works so hard for them.

“One thing about Mike, he’s the first person in the gym every day,” said freshman guard Nasseem Wright, the Mighty Oaks’ second-leading scorer and leading rebounder and shot blocker. “Any of the guys know he’s there for us. He’s a workaholic. He brings the energy. Every game we meet at half-court Mike has the most energy; he’s yelling and screaming. On the bench he’s yelling defense first. Mike is kind of like the energy guy for us and gives us that push and motivation in games like this so we can get him out there.

“On this team we all look at each as equal. None of us look lower at Mike because of his play time. From the guys who play the most minutes to Mike, to us everybody’s equal. It’s important to have guys like that because he knows his role, he knows what he has to do to benefit the team. Without Mike some of this might not be possible.”