By Trey Williams
Patrick Good has moved back home only to dial long distance at a record rate.
Good, an East Tennessee State red-shirt sophomore guard, piled up an ETSU-record 11 3-pointers and scored 35 points in the Buccaneers’ 91-69 win at Western Carolina on Saturday.
Courtney Pigram previously set the record when he made 10 treys against Mercer on Feb. 28, 2009. Good made 9 of his first 10 and finished 11 of 17 from long range while becoming only the 16th ETSU player to score at least 35 points in a game.
“I remember watching Courtney Pigram play and getting my first glimpse (of ETSU basketball),” said Good, a Johnson City native and David Crockett’s all-time leading scorer. “They had some NCAA Tournament runs. Tim Smith, Mike Smith, Courtney Pigram, (Justin) Tubbs – all of those players kind of just instilled the history of ETSU at a young age with me, because obviously, I wasn’t born before Mister Jennings and Greg Dennis and all of them played. … It is special to be a part of the tradition.”
Good was thankful to achieve the feat with his family in attendance. A tight family bond was the main reason he transferred to ETSU after a promising freshman season at Appalachian State in 2016-17.
“I think it (record-setting performance) has been special in a lot of ways, but probably the most special was, you know, his family was there to see him do that,” ETSU coach Steve Forbes said. “And that doesn’t always happen, especially in college basketball. Your family doesn’t always get to see you play. And mom (Tracy) and dad (John) and brother (C.J.) and sister (Johneshia) and niece (Sadie) were all there.”
Good played for his father three years at David Crockett after transferring from Science Hill when his father was hired at Crockett. They led the Pioneers to the program’s first state tournament berth in 2016 after beating Tee Higgins-led Oak Ridge on the road in the sectional – the Pioneers’ second so-called upset of the talented Wildcats in as many meetings that season.
Good’s brother and sister were 1,000-point scorers at Science Hill and during their respective careers at King University and Milligan College. Good’s mother played at Science Hill. And his uncle Andrel was a 1,000-point scorer at Science Hill, as was his cousin Gary Carter, who was also a 1,000-point scorer at Tennessee for Don DeVoe.
“Being able to have both parents in my life has been a blessing,” Good said. “And to grow up with my brother and sister and being the youngest – being picked on is not the best at a young age, but it’s only helped to make me turn into the young man that I am now. Hopefully, I’ll just continue to be the best person that I can be and keep making them proud.”
They were surely beaming when he made each of his first three 3-point attempts at Western Carolina.
“I knew I had it in me,” said Good, who has been battling a hip injury all season and was coming off a two-point performance in a home loss to UNC Greensboro. “Even with the shooting slump I’d been in I just kept my routine and just kept my confidence the same.”
Good said his teammates were eager to help him get the record after being instrumental in his hot start. Post Mladen Armus tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds and helped open up the perimeter. Guards Daivien Williamson, Isaiah Tisdale and Tray Boyd also aided his cause.
“Actually Mladen kind of got us going first,” Good said. “Having the best big men in the league kind of just takes the pressure off the guards. You can’t really double-team them and if they’re one-on-one they can score.
“With the guards, we’re finding each other’s hot spots and where each other excels with the ball in our hands. Daivien and Tisdale, obviously, are more off the dribble, and me and Boyd are more catch-and-shoot with range.”
Forbes is eager to see what the future holds for the hardworking Good.
“Since the day he decided to come to East Tennessee State he’s been unbelievable to coach,” Forbes said. “He’s the best communicator we have on the team. He’s the best team guy. He’s the leader of the team. And that doesn’t surprise me, because of where he’s come from – from his parents, his upbringing and he’s a coach’s kid.
“The biggest thing is Pat is the type of player that deserves to have a night like that, because he puts the time in. You get what you deserve in basketball, and he puts the time in. And he’s put the time in since he was a little kid to have a night like that. He just played a flawless game on offense.”
