USC’s Chevez Goodwin seeks a Hollywood ending to six-year college career

Chevez Goodwin’s Apple Watch began lighting up seconds after the USC’s choice into the NCAA event was introduced, and amid the flurry of texts from family and friends in South Carolina, there was a prevailing sense of disbelief within the serendipity.

After two years spent greater than 2,000 miles away from residence, after a university profession that spanned three faculties and the second-most basketball video games performed in Division I (171), Goodwin’s final trip will begin the place all of it started in South Carolina.

“It was destined,” one good friend texted Goodwin simply as USC was introduced as a No. 7 seed within the Midwest Area, slated to face Tenth-seeded Miami in Greenville on Friday.

It positive appeared scripted to USC’s sixth-year ahead, a budding screenwriter who has penned a couple of film scripts. However even he wouldn’t have imagined such a storybook ending. Goodwin grew up an hour away in Columbia, spent his freshman season at School of Charleston and the subsequent three at Wofford in close by Spartanburg.

“I nonetheless really feel like a South Carolina child, by means of and thru,” Goodwin mentioned. “I can’t wait to really feel the humidity.”

Over his first 4 seasons, Goodwin by no means established himself because the frontcourt power he hoped he’d turn out to be. He left Charleston in quest of alternative, then left Wofford for USC initially of the pandemic in late March 2020 in quest of the identical.

He discovered it intermittently in his first yr at USC, incomes an everyday function within the rotation as a high-energy massive man off the bench through the Trojans’ Elite Eight run.

But it wasn’t till this season that Goodwin settled in. He’s averaging 11 factors and 6.5 rebounds per sport because the Trojans’ most bodily presence within the frontcourt. USC coach Andy Enfield referred to as him “one of the improved gamers in our league.”

“He’s a high-energy man that’s actually arduous to protect and arduous to play towards as a result of he’s nonstop,” Enfield mentioned. “He’s turn out to be a go-to man within the low put up. We are able to throw him the ball, and he’ll end.”

That reliability has been a calling card all through his school profession, even when the minutes weren’t at all times there. Goodwin has by no means missed a sport over 5 seasons, a exceptional iron man streak that meant repeatedly shaking off nagging accidents. The truth that he’s additionally performed extra school basketball video games than all however one participant in Division 1 historical past makes his streak all of the extra beautiful.

The one participant with extra video games, Iowa’s Jordan Bohannon, occurs to be taking part in in the identical area of the event.

“Chevez, let me let you know, is among the hardest employees I’ve ever seen,” Trojans ahead Max Agbonkpolo mentioned. “One factor you at all times know is Chevez goes to play arduous each sport.”

That received’t change Friday, when Goodwin’s household and mates pack the world in Greenville, wanting to see USC face Miami. The one query the USC ahead has forward of his journey is what Southern fast-food fare he plans to hit first.

“Gonna get some Bojangles, some Cookout, Smoothie King, Publix,” Goodwin mentioned. “Oh my gosh, I would simply be out getting meals all the time.”

Dixon-Waters, White nonetheless out

Two essential reserves may miss USC’s first-round matchup.

Freshman Reese Dixon-Waters (groin harm) and senior Isaiah White (wrist) each missed USC’s observe to open the week, and each are “questionable” for Friday, Andy Enfield mentioned.

Dixon-Waters strained his groin forward of USC’s loss to UCLA within the Pac-12 event semifinal. Earlier than that, he’d been one in every of USC’s most constant bench gamers, averaging 8.8 factors and three rebounds per sport over his final 5.

White’s function diminished through the season as he handled a lot of nagging accidents. However as a starter throughout USC’s Elite Eight run, White was indispensable, making seven three-pointers throughout wins over Kansas and Oregon.