Ex-Rebel’s transfer to Arizona State works out

Instead of living in the shadow of his troubled past, Savon Goodman made a decision two years ago to run from it. It was his choice to leave UNLV and start over in search of the proverbial second chance.

Sometimes, the Rebels benefit from transfer players on the run. In this case, coach Dave Rice lost a player he wanted to keep.

Goodman walked in graduation ceremonies Monday at Arizona State, where he is the basketball team's leading scorer and rebounder. Rice is not surprised Goodman's story has developed in a positive light.

"I'm happy for him. He's playing extremely well," Rice said. "Somebody else was the beneficiary. He has been a very good player elsewhere.

"I always thought he was a good-hearted kid who had a bright future and wanted to do the right thing. He just obviously made a mistake."

That one big mistake is why he's playing for the Sun Devils, and it's likely why an interview request for Goodman was denied by a media relations representative at the school.

Goodman leads Arizona State (6-3) against UNLV (8-2) at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Thomas & Mack Center, where he showed promise as a freshman and is returning with his potential finally appearing fulfilled.

In August 2013, Goodman was arraigned in Las Vegas on charges of conspiracy to commit burglary, felony burglary and felony grand larceny after allegedly stealing $500, a pair of shoes and several video games from the apartment of an acquaintance. Rice suspended him for the season, and in October of that year, Goodman opted to transfer.

He was considered a potential starter as a sophomore, after appearing in 27 games and averaging 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in his first season. A top 100 recruit out of Constitution High School in Philadelphia, Goodman's aggressive play was far more impressive than the numbers he compiled as a reserve behind Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft in 2013.

"During the time Savon was here, there was never a point in practice or a game he was not giving it everything he had," Rice said. "He never took a play off. He has a motor that goes at high speed at all times. He's an unbelievable competitor."

But Goodman was forced to take some time off. He packed his baggage and left Las Vegas for Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College, where did not play in 2013-14 before relocating to Tempe. Herb Sendek, fired as Arizona State's coach in March, is one of Rice's close friends.

Bobby Hurley, the Sun Devils' new coach, is the newest beneficiary of Goodman's talents. The 6-foot-6 junior forward scored 23 points in a win at Creighton on Dec. 2, and three days later he totaled 10 points and 12 rebounds in a victory over Texas A&M.

Hurley also declined an interview request this week. Not that he will care, but he can expect to hear boos today when his name is announced because of the role he played as a point guard in Duke's upset of the Rebels in the 1991 Final Four.

After a two-year turnaround of a bad program at Buffalo, which reached the NCAA Tournament last season, Hurley followed Sendek and started to rebuild the Sun Devils, who were picked to finish near the bottom of the Pac-12 Conference this season.

The outlook for Arizona State is better than anticipated. The Sun Devils, one of the nation's strongest offensive rebounding teams, trailed by one at halftime in a 72-58 loss at Kentucky on Saturday. Goodman, limited to five points and five rebounds against the Wildcats, is averaging 12.4 points and 7.9 rebounds this season.

The Rebels' primary key to success, Rice said, will be to keep Goodman and the Sun Devils' physical front line off the glass. UNLV is athletic and big up front — led by 7-foot freshman Stephen Zimmerman Jr., 6-9 junior Ben Carter, 6-8 sophomore Dwayne Morgan and 6-7 freshman Derrick Jones Jr. — but defensive rebounding has been a weakness.

"Toughness is a critical factor in this game, and Arizona State is a tough team," Rice said. "We know from watching Savon, he's always a tough guy."

* NOTES — Arizona State won the teams' past two meetings, 77-55 last year in Tempe and 86-80 in 2013 in Las Vegas. ... UNLV point guard Jerome Seagears, a transfer from Rutgers, walked in graduation ceremonies Tuesday although he has one class to complete before earning his degree in the spring.

Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247