terps drop goodman

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Mike DeCourcy TSN: "Jewish Jordan"
Out At Maryland--(Sept. 24, 1999)

Ordinarily we don't spend a lot of time writing about guys from the "other" coast, unless they play here in SoCal at some of the big events or play with some of the SoCal-based teams, but given our prior coverage of Maccabi athletes and the Maccabi games the past several years, we found it extremely interesting that the Sporting News would devote not just a couple of lines, but an entire column to the topic of the recruitment of Tamir Goodman by the University of Maryland. Unlike a lot of the national scouting services who were quick to write Goodman off as overrated or a phenomenon who was able to attract the attention of the colleges in the East and a verbal commitment to play for Maryland as a junior, Mike's article takes a contrary approach, and suggests that Maryland, in backing away from it's commitment to Goodman has taken the low road, while the young man sticks with his beliefs no matter how much playing time it might mean.

Here's Mike's article, below. These things are usually archived at The Sporting News, but occasionally they change the physical location of where they are stored, so to insure a continued access to the story, we've also reproduced it below (hey, TSN guys. . . "fair use" please, we don't make a dime off this and it's purely for commentary. . . and it might also boost your readership :^0)

Terps dropped the ball on Goodman move
SEPTEMBER 21, 1999

Mike DeCourcy
The Sporting News

It's possible you have heard by now that Tamir Goodman, the Baltimore high school guard unfortunately dubbed "the Jewish Jordan," simply cannot play. This is an accurate assessment, so long as it is confined to the period between sundown Friday and sundown Saturday.

That is the Jewish sabbath, or Shabbat, during which Goodman has promised to honor the demands of his religion. He will not play or practice in that time. "It is between him and his Creator," said Harold Katz, the coach who taught Goodman how to play basketball.

It also has become a matter between Goodman and Maryland coach Gary Williams, who accepted a commitment from the 6-3 shooting guard last January even though the sabbath restrictions meant the Terps would have had to seek scheduling relief from the Atlantic Coast Conference and likely the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

That commitment was rescinded when Goodman deduced he no longer was wanted by the Terps. His scholarship offer was still in place, but he claims Williams began to assert that the inability to participate one day each week could cause problems in Goodman's pursuit of playing time. Feeling unwanted, perhaps even rejected, Goodman decided to look for other opportunities.

There are two possible explanations for why this deal fell apart, and neither reflects well on Maryland:

1. Goodman's play at the ABCD and Five-Star camps during the summer convinced Maryland he was not athletic enough to play in the ACC, and the program needed an excuse to bail.

2. Maryland naively believed the lure of big-time college basketball would convince Goodman to abandon his observance of the sabbath. After he stated he would not change during numerous interviews, the Terps coaches decided it would be better off without the hassle.

Williams knows the truth about why the Terps soured on Goodman, but he is prevented from commenting by NCAA rules. It seems this is one time he might be pleased to be constricted.

Katz believes passionately in the latter explanation, because he cannot conceive of Maryland concluding Goodman is not good enough to play for the Terps. "He is a tremendous shooter," Katz said, "and as a passer I would put him up against anyone in the country."

He makes this claim with sufficient knowledge of the prospects to whom Goodman might be compared. He drops names like "Taliek," meaning Brown, and "Andre," meaning Barrett. Katz is convinced Goodman fits in the category of the best senior guards.

In his aborted week at ABCD, however, Goodman arrived with an injured knee and played in only one game. He did not produce the sort of dazzling numbers that became so common for him as a high school junior, when he routinely topped the 40-point mark. He shot 3-of-9 from the field and passed for six assists.

At Five-Star, he still was not healthy, and this time failed to dominate a batch of players that included fewer than a dozen top 150-caliber players.

Given that Goodman received national publicity on the Today Show and in other media outlets following his commitment to Maryland, many recruiting analysts were eager to label him a bust. In that climate, it would be no shock for Maryland to retreat.

Katz is correct about Goodman. He is talented enough to play in the ACC -- to play well in the ACC -- provided he is able to gain weight and strength as he matures.

Representatives of Israel's pro league reportedly talked to Goodman's advisers about the possibility of him playing professionally in Israel, with estimates of a possible offer reaching as high as $1 million. Katz is certain Goodman eventually can make it as an overseas player if he does not become a pro in the U.S.

Although he did not make a lot of shots at Five-Star, Goodman was playing point guard and making an effort to run a cohesive team. During the course of the week, he demonstrated an exceptional grasp of the game and the rarest of passing instincts. He understands the game's geometry. He moves beautifully without the ball. He knows how to get fouled and makes most of the free throws he earns. Those who have seen him work out in shooting drills are amazed at his form and accuracy, and Katz claims Goodman is exceptional athletically.

Ordinarily, when a player has been in competitive basketball for as short a period as Goodman -- two years -- his "upside" is celebrated. Goodman's is largely ignored.

Goodman was pleased to receive some good reviews for his game. "I'm not hearing a lot of positive things right now," he said. He is not without flaws, notably his obvious frustration with the style of play at the camps. It's not reasonable to expect complete strangers to form a precise unit. Goodman was smart enough as a player to stick with his approach to the game. He needs to be mature enough to understand that's enough. The schools he is said to be considering are Bowling Green, Towson State, Maryland-Baltimore County and possibly Delaware, although Katz said several high-major schools are interested. He declines to name them because he does not want Goodman to deal with the media surge that likely would result. Which brings this back to the true injustice of Maryland's behavior in this episode. If Maryland retreated from its attraction to Goodman because of its evaluation of his ability, it should not be excused for so obviously jumping the gun on the offer of a scholarship. A school never should pursue an early commitment in the absence of conviction about the player's talent.

If Maryland really believed it was going to change Goodman's mind about the sabbath, it should have come to the conclusion sooner given his repeated statements in an endless succession of interviews that nothing would change.

The truth is, his observance is not a whole lot bigger issue than the Ramadan fasts so many Muslim players follow. Precious few college basketball games are scheduled for Saturday afternoons, and the school that gets him can endeavor to schedule fewer.

The ACC Tournament would be the biggest obstacle. "A guy said the ACC tournament has been played on Saturday afternoon for 25 years," Katz said. "But Shabbot has been on Saturday for over 5700 years." As for the NCAA Tournament, the school that gets Goodman could get a scheduling dispensation from the selection committee without compromising the integrity of the competition, much as Brigham Young has for many years.

It seems most likely the Terps were running from Goodman the player rather than Goodman the person. Either way, they are heading in the wrong direction.