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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
GOODRICH'S JOURNEY
NOV.14,2007
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2012
Bonnie Henrickson announces the signing of a three recruiting which included Goodrich. Current player senior Aishah Sutherland was also part of the class.
OCT.21,2008
In her second practice as a Jayhawk, Goodrich tears her anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. She missed the entire season.
OCT. 29, 2008 Goodrich has reconstructive knee surgery on left knee.
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APRIL 15,2009
APRIL 15,2009 Goodrich medically cleared for full participation in practice.
NOV.15.2009
Goodrich makes her Kansas debut against Oral Roberts. She finished the game with 10 points and seven assists.
Kansas win over Creighton, Goodrich sets her career high of 20 points. She also added eight assists.
JAN. 12, 2010
-
Kansas v. OSU Goodrich tore her ACL and suffered meniscus damage in her right knee
JAN. 15,2010 Goodrich has reconstructive knee surgery on right knee.
MID-JULY 2010
MID-JULY 2016 Goodrich medically ford full participation in practice.
FEB. 9, 2011 Goodrich breaks the single game Allen Fieldhouse assist record with 15 in an upset of Iowa State.
MARCH 3,2011
Goodrich named a finalist for the V Foundation Comeback Award. She was one of ten women up for the award.
Kansas women's basketball team plays exhibition games in Italian tour.
AUGUST 10-19,2011
JAN. 5. 2012
In a win over Texas,
Goodrich broke her own Allen
Fieldhouse record with a career-
high 16 assists.
JAN. 21, 2011 Even though the Jayhawks lost to the Aggies of Texas A&M, this game marked Goodrich's career-high 28 points.
FEB.17.2012
Goodrich named a finalist for the Nancy Liberman Award, the honor given to the top female college basketball each season.
FEB.21,2012
After recording eight assists against Texas Tech in Kansas' first win in Lubbock since 1978, Goodrich broke a 24-year-old single-season record for assists.
Other times, she stabilizes herself on her hands and knees trying to regain her breath after being bowled over by a behemoth of a post player.
At times for Goodrich, charges seem as brutal as a head-on car collision. Sometimes she lies on the ground staring up at the top of the arena.
GOODRICH FROM PAGE 12
"That's like a big momentum change when that happens." Goodrich said. "It just really gets people hyped and I want to be able to get my teammates hyped."
THE FINALIST
Goodrich is a finalist for many reasons, but most of all because of her determination on the court.
She has proven herself as the unequivocal leader for the layhawks as they continue to work toward the team's first NCAA appearance since 2000.
What makes Goodrich a respected floor general is her willingness to take the time to teach her teammates. A quality not every athlete shares.
"She's a very caring person. She's very quiet, but not near to where she doesn't care about what's going on," Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
"The most important thing is to give someone your time, and I think she's willing to do that."
Goodrich was recently named a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award, an honor given out to the nation's top female point guard. She's also second in the NCAA with 212 assists.
A (FRIENDLY) SIBLING RIVALRY
Goodrich grew up in Stilwell, Okla., a tiny town near the Arkansas border.
The middle child of Fayth and Jonathan Lewis, Angel showed her competitive nature at an early age.
The children were raised at Faytin's father's house, playing on a gravel and dirt court. No asphalt to be found. The backboard and rim were pinned on a nearby tree.
When bad weather arose, Goodrich and her older brother Zach played basketball in the hallway of their home.
The hallway wasn't much wider than four or five feet. Zach and Angel imagined they were Reggie Miller or Michael Jordan, and the games would get fairly heated.
"They'd be real competitive. Some games we wouldn't finish because we'd start fighting, but it was out of love and being real competitive," Zach said.
THE TAHLEQUAH TREASURE
Sequoyah High School girls basketball coach Bill Nobles knew right from the moment Goodrich stepped into his gym that he had a special player.
In her first three years, Goodrich helped lead the Indians to three consecutive Oklahoma 3A state titles.
By the time her senior season came around, Goodrich and her team drew crowds of thousands into their home gym. In fact, people were turned away routinely if they did not arrive early.
The apex of the season came on March 8, 2008, when top-ranked Sequoyah faced off against second-ranked Millwood in front of 11,000 people at the Oklahoma State Fair Arena.
"That whole group, including Angel, was a pretty inspiring group to a lot of kids around here and a lot people," Nobles said.
That year, Goodrich averaged 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 5.9 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Despite the loss, the accolades rolled in for Goodrich. She grabbed a Top 50 recruiting spot on several websites, First Team All-State selection and a Fourth Team All-America by Parade Magazine.
The Indians came up just short of a historic run and lost 63-60.
Goodrich played in one more big game before becoming a Jayhawk. She competed in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-American game in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Goodrich scored seven points in the showcase, but what stood out about her performance was something unheard of in a glorified scrimmage.
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Goodrich arrived in Lawrence in fall 2008 with the intention of beginning the turnaround of Kansas women's basketball. She saw it as challenge to turn the Jayhawks into a consistent postseason contender.
She took a charge
Then, in her second practice, Goodrich suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee. She spent the rest of the year rehabbing and returned to Kansas' lineup the following season.
Going through the mental and physical toll of a knee injury can be brutal for an athlete. There were murmurs that she may never play again.
THE KNEE INJURIES
Even though it wasn't an easy road, Goodrich pushed forward.
After playing 15 games in the 2009-10 season as the Jayhawks' starting point guard, she tore her ACL in her right knee during a game on Jan. 12, 2010.
"The one thing I feel like I learned the most was just learning to lean on others that are willing to be there for you." Goodrich said. "When I go through something I always get into myself and I want to fix it. I want to be in control of what's going on."
After the knee injuries, she battled a short period of seclusion, but eventually opened up.
"At the beginning of it I did isolate myself a little bit, and it just didn't feel right," Goodrich said. "I wasn't myself, and when I opened up all the support I had from my family to my teammates, and my coaches, it made it a lot easier and stronger as well."
"I wouldn't be here without him. Like I said with my knees, people thought I'd give up, but I feel he was always there for me, and he is always there," Goodrich said.
Goodrich relied on her faith in God to help her through the trying times.
Before every game, Goodrich takes a moment to thank God. While the national anthem plays, Goodrich closes her eyes, lowers her head and says a prayer.
Goodrich also improved her vocal leadership. A natural introvert, she continues to learn to express herself more on the court.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ALL-AMERICAN CANDIDATE
Out of all her attributes, Goodrich takes the most pride in her defense. At 5-foot-4, she's usually matched with a taller opponent, but that's never bothered her.
BONNIE HENRICKSON head coach
And not to be forgotten is Goodrich's ability to find the open player. Currently she is second in the NCAA with 7.6 assists per game.
In her sophomore season Goodrich put together impressive numbers. She started all 27 games, averaged 7.5 points per game and ranked sixth in the NCAA with 6.3 assists per contest.
"I wasn't a scoring threat at all last year," Goodrich said. "It made me feel disrespected. So I need to do something to make this different."
However, one part of Goodrich's game was missing; the ability to knock down the outside shot.
This summer she spent hours in the gym developing her three-point stroke. Now she ranks as the sixth best three-point shooter in the Big 12 this season, making more than 36 percent of her attempts.
"Defense is one aspect of the game I've been trying to grow. That is one where, I don't want to get scored on," Goodrich said.
"It's not like something. I practice," Goodrich said of her passing ability. "It just who you're playing with and if you're ready to catch it or not. It's just knowing your personnel
"Just in every little thing we do, we look up to her and make sure we're doing right," Knight said. "If we have any questions, Angel's always the first person we go to. She's a good role model."
on the team."
Freshman guard Natalie Knight shares some of the duties at the point and has learned a lot from Goodrich this year.
AMERICAN INDIAN ROLE MODEL
From the beginning of her high school career Angel recognized that she would be a role model on and off the court for the all-Indian community of Sequoyah High School.
Goodrich received the first Division I athletic scholarship in the
OPPOSING COACHES PRAISE GOODRICH
— Emporia State head coach Jory Collins (Nov. 6, 2011)
"I haven't seen a better point guard than Goodrich at out level. She is lightning quick and sees the floor great. When she catches the outlet, she only needs two dribbles and she is at half-court and she is on you. By that time, you are in retreat mode the entire time. She is a terrific creator and for a point guard she does what you would want a point guard to do. She makes everyone else better on her team."
("Kansas') point guard is probably one of the best in the country and I've studied them all. This kid is unbelievable. She's strong, she shoots the jumper, she leads the team and plays great defense. I think they're really onto something with Goodrich; she's really good."
Lamar head coach Larry Tidwell (Nov. 25, 2011)
"Angel Goodrich is the real deal. We recruited her out of high school and she is a very good player. (She had) four points, but totally dominated the game. We have a pretty good defensive system that creates a lot of turnovers, and she tore through it like nobody else. We just didn't have an answer for it."
Oral Roberts head coach Jerry Fink-
beiner (Dec. 21, 2011)
"They have a healthy Angel Goodrich who reminds me so much of (Monique) Smalls. I think it's going to be a great matchup at the one spot, both of them are doing so much for their team as far as really being that floor general getting some easy baskets in transition — everything starts with Angel."
Texas Tech head coach Kirsty Curry (Jan. 25, 2012)
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The team had been traveling a lot and Henrickson wanted to make sure Goodrich wasn't behind in her academics and that she wasn't holding Angel back from her classroom responsibilities.
"It was such a big deal to them because I'm representing the tribes," Goodrich said. "Little kids are always coming up to me and saying how they're inspired. It just makes me feel honored."
Coach Bonnie Henrickson stopped Goodrich after practice last week to see if she had time to talk about some plays they'd seen at practice.
NOTHING LESS THAN A B
Goodrich said she had a paper, but had only one page left.
Since coming to Kansas, Goodrich continues to succeed in the classroom. Her accomplishments include Academic All-Big 12 Second Team twice and Athletic Director's Honor roll.
history of the school.
Since elementary school, Goodrich's parents made sure she applied herself on the academic side no matter what the circumstances.
"When we were recruiting her we knew how much of a role model she was, and how many young people looked up to her," Henrickson said.
Goodrich still talks to dozens of Native Americans after games at Allen Fieldhouse, who tell her how much of an inspiration she is to them.
Growing up in the Goodrich house, there was only one way to earn play time: keeping up with your studies.
"I said, 'OK, you're not going to play if you make anything under a B.'" Fayt Goodrich said. "After
Understanding that responsibility continues to be a major aspect of Goodrich's persona. She wants to use the platform to make an impact on the next generation of American Indians.
Goodrich's main concern is making sure the Jayhawks secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The records are great, but she wants an impact that goes beyond the numbers.
That work ethic stuck with Goodrich to this day.
that they made sure their grades were up because they love the game and they didn't want to sit out for anything."
"I want to still change this program around, just set the bar for the next people coming in," Goodrich said.
"I've always had that in my head.
I don't want to get a C." Angel said.
"C is average and I want to be above average. It was stamped and printed and installed into me and my brother, but I'm glad she did that."
"She didn't come here to do that. She wanted to be a difference-maker and take this team to the next level and that what's she works on everyday to try to do."
"It isn't about records for her," Henrickson said. "She doesn't get caught up in numbers. The only numbers she gets caught up with is when she turns the ball over.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Angel Goodrich does not care about records or stats.
Goodrich hopes to pursue a career in basketball whether it's state side or across the pond after she graduates next season.
Henrickson said the sky is the limit for Goodrich, but she still has to grow her offensive game and prepare to be the floor general with people who might be 10 years older than herself.
Until then, Goodrich wants to enjoy the game and keep wowing people with her moves on the court and her kind spirit off of it.
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Her brother Zach summed it up best.
"She plays to put a smile on your face."
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Edited by Jeff Karr