Archie Goodwin seeks redemption at Kentucky with La Familia in TBT

Archie Goodwin has four years of The Basketball Tournament (TBT) experience, helping perennial power Eberlein Drive reach the semifinals last summer; however, this year, he jumped at the chance to join La Familia for a second shot at Kentucky Basketball glory.

Goodwin played for Eberlein Drive, one of the two remaining teams from the inaugural TBT, since 2021. Last summer, he was one of the stars of Eberlein Drive’s run to the semifinals, where they lost to Forever Coogs, Houston’s alumni team. Goodwin’s season at Kentucky didn’t go as he’d hoped — after Nerlens Noel went down, the Cats failed to make the NCAA Tournament — but he is eager to reunite with Big Blue Nation and maybe get some redemption.

“It means a lot to me. I think when I was here in 2012, we had an up-and-down year. And I think that the way that season ended left a lot of the fanbase looking at that team in a certain way, in a certain light. And so for me to be a part of that team, and then being able to come back to this, if we could win or get close to winning, it could be a way of them being able to see, like, okay, hey, these guys, maybe they didn’t [win big], they weren’t ready then, but they got the opportunity to come back and make it right, and do something as well.

“It’s not the NCAA [Tournament], but it is something that’s competitive in that it means something. You’re playing against other pros and you want to win. So there’s still a competitive edge there, and it’s still something that we can win under the name of Kentucky that will mean something to the program.”

Goodwin is confident that had Noel not torn his ACL in the Florida game in February 2013 that Kentucky would have made the tournament — in fact, he thinks the Cats’ resume was good enough to make it regardless; however, he understands fans’ frustration that the squad only made the NIT, one season after winning the national championship.

“I take it for what it was,” Goodwin said of his time at Kentucky. “I think we had some highs, and we did have some lows. I think that everybody pretty much knows that if Nerlens [Noel] doesn’t get hurt, we have a different season because of what he meant to our team, but I also understand, like, hey, it did happen, and we did have the team that we did once he went down.”

“So I kind of see both, but I try to think of it in a positive light, because I understand the frustration of a fanbase and of a crowd, knowing that they want to win certain games, and we just weren’t able to, because we’re missing certain players.”

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BBN’s support: “Man, it’s amazing; don’t find it nowhere else.”

Goodwin could face his former squad if La Familia and Eberlein Drive both make it to the Lexington Regional championship Tuesday night. As a TBT vet, he likes La Familia’s chances and is going to focus on playing a supporting, not starring, role.

“I was one of the top players last year. I really just helped the team with just fitting in and doing the little things. Like, I didn’t have any crazy games like that. I had moments, but I think that it’s about just doing the little things to help the team win that’ll stand out and help us.

“We have so many guys that it could be anybody tonight on any given day. So with me knowing that, it’s just about me coming in, being a good defender, making the right plays, being a leader, vocal, and making sure we’re doing the things that we need to do to help us win, staying connected with each other. And as long as we do that, we’ll be fine.”

Of course, home-court advantage could play a huge role. Goodwin is counting on Big Blue Nation to bring it at Memorial Coliseum this weekend.

“I expect them to come out and be strong and be supportive as they always are. I think that we have a great group. I think that we’ll come out and play hard and try to win over the fans, as we always do, so we’re just looking for their support, and I know they’ll give it, because they always give it.”

Since going to the pros in 2013, Goodwin has made the rounds in the NBA, G League, and overseas. He most recently played for the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association. At almost every stop, he’s encountered Kentucky fans, proof of the fanbase’s unique reach.

“I think the difference is how passionate the fans are,” Goodwin said of Kentucky fans compared to others. “I think you don’t have too many fanbases like this in college. Maybe Duke is the only one I can compare close to the fanbase that we have here. But there aren’t many fanbases where you can go — I was in Italy one year, and there were Kentucky fans that recognized me there. You know what I mean? It doesn’t happen like that. I’ve been in Germany, and I’ve had Kentucky fans recognize me.

“So, you don’t have that everywhere, where they’re really worldwide. It’s just a different impact that Kentucky basketball has had. And a large part of that, I think, is due to Coach Cal’s era, from getting John Wall and those guys and starting that whole way that he did. I think a lot of the fanbase came from that era, and they’re everywhere. Man, it’s amazing. Don’t find it nowhere else.”

DeAndre Liggins, who has played professionally for 14 years all across the world, agrees.

“It’s a great fanbase. You’ve got other fanbases out there, like North Carolina, Duke, but it’s nothing like Kentucky. Because you hear Kentucky, it’s like, even players who never played here, they know about the tradition, and they never experienced it. They just, I tell them Kentucky, they’d be like, ‘Wow,’ so it’s just a big deal.”

Both Goodwin and Liggins are also enjoying being back in their own stomping grounds — even if it’s sometimes hard to recognize due to all the upgrades to Kentucky’s campus. Although they’re among some of the older players on the team, they’re enjoying getting to know their younger counterparts and swapping stories.

“I only played with the Doron, but everybody’s still a family; we all bleed blue and white,” Liggins said. “Every year, my family has a family reunion, like my blood family. These guys are not my blood, but we bleed blue, so to come back here and be around these guys, I haven’t seen their faces for so long. We’re all overseas playing, but come back and reunite, that’s a great feeling. Bringing up old stories from when we were here. Just a great feeling.”

“Honestly, I’m just happy to be around the environment,” Goodwin said. “The environment was what’s most important to me. Being here, being around some of the old guys, and seeing some of the old people who were here when I was here. That’s what I was looking forward to, and I got to see some people today. That’s what I want to see. And I want to see the young guys, I want to see new groups. I want to see how they are, be able to meet those guys, talk to them, interact with them, and see what their mindset is.”

La Familia opens TBT play Friday night vs. Stroh’s Squad at Memorial Coliseum (9 p.m. ET, FS1). If they win, they’ll play the winner of War Ready, the Auburn alumni Team, and X-Rayted on Sunday (2:30 p.m. ET, FOX). The winner of that game will advance to the Lexington Regional championship on Tuesday night (6 p.m., FS2).

The winner of the Lexington Regional will play the winner of the Louisville Regional in the quarterfinals on Monday, July 28, at 6 p.m. on FS1. The semifinals and $1 million winner-take-all championship game will be July 31 and Aug. 3.