On the same day his high school team was included in MaxPreps.com's
preseason national rankings, five-star senior forward
Shaq Goodwin of
Southwest DeKalb (Decatur, Ga.) made a verbal commitment to Memphis.
Goodwin, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound power forward ranked No. 16 in the MaxPreps Class of 2012 Top 100, delivered the news via Twitter, using the hash tag "#memphisbound" around noon on Thursday. He picked the Tigers over Alabama, Florida, Georgia and UCLA.
Shaq Goodwin
Photo courtesy of adidas
College basketball's early signing period begins Wednesday and runs through Nov. 16, providing senior prospects with their first opportunity to lock in commitments. Goodwin won't be the only highly-regarded recruit to make a decision this week.
Top 25 prospects
Alex Poythress of
Northeast (Clarksville, Tenn.) and
Robert Carter of
Shiloh (Snellville, Ga.) are expected to announce decisions Thursday. Poythress, a versatile 6-7 forward, will decide between Florida, Kentucky, Memphis and Vanderbilt. Florida, Georgia and Georgia Tech are reportedly the favorites for Carter, a 6-8 power forward.
Goodwin led Southwest DeKalb to a 24-6 record as a junior, earning Class AAAA first team All-State honors and posting over 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. Goodwin and the Panthers were ranked No. 25 in MaxPreps' preseason national rankings released Tuesday. He also plays football at the school, lining up at wide receiver and tight end.
The future Tiger played on the summer circuit with both the Atlanta Celtics and Memphis YOMCA, helping the latter reach the championship game of Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League.
For Memphis, the decision is the latest recruiting coup for Tiger head coach Josh Pastner. Goodwin joins fellow Top 100 talent
Damien Wilson of
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in the 2012 class. Pastner kept local star Adonis Thomas home last year and welcomed one the nation's top recruiting classes to campus in 2010.
