The UCLA Bruins basketball squad is suffering pretty hard on the court. That suffering could be extended to every other facet of their team in short order if they don't heal the wounds soon enough.
Shaq Goodwin, a forward from Southwest DeKalb High in Decatur, Georgia, was supposed to be seriously considering the Bruins, perhaps even favoring them after a recent visit. But that's apparently not the case, as Goodwin indicated he was Memphis bound earlier today. Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports filed this report.
Goodwin, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Southwest DeKalb (Ga.), chose the Tigers over UCLA, with Florida, Georgia and Arizona also in the mix. The Bruins were assumed to be in the driver’s seat for much of the last few weeks, especially after Goodwin visited this past weekend. Moreover, Goodwin’s former AAU coach, Korey McCray, is now an assistant coach with the Bruins.
Apparently none of that mattered. So why would Goodwin commit so suddenly to the Tigers?
Perhaps he really was liking how Memphis was performing on the court relative to the Bruins, who have staggered to an ugly 0-2 start. Goodwin could also have noticed how average the production of the bigs has looked, seen the instability of the program based on the recent rash of suspensions, and figured it'd be best to take his talents elsewhere. Hard to fault him for going to Memphis, but the Bruins have to be kicking themselves at letting a prized recruit like Goodwin get away.
For more on UCLA basketball recruiting, check out Bruins Nation.