As Brian mentioned earlier, Mitch Kupchak is looking for guards. Five picks after selecting Darius Morris, the Lakers plucked Andrew Goudelock, a 6-3, 200 lb point guard from the College of Charleston. The four-year student-athlete and 2011 Southern Conference Player of the Year left his Alma Mater as its all-time leading scorer (2,571 points), plus fourth in assists (424). On his career, Goudelock ranks 39th all-time in scoring in NCAA D-1 history. As a point guard, Goudelock is able to create for others, but he was especially successful with his own shot, particularly from distance. A career 41.2 percent three-point shooter in college, he never averaged below 39 percent in any season.
Goudelock did a speaker phone interview with the media shortly after getting selected, and I'll say this for the kid: He ain't lacking for confidence, nor is he afraid to speak boldly. (For my own purposes of needing daily quotes, it's imperative Goudelock makes the team.) He's not necessarily cocky in a bad way, mind you. Jay Bilas described Goudelock during ESPN's draft special as a kid who'll keep his mouth shut and work hard. Goudelock admitted his defense, while improved throughout his college career, needs work. Hell, he even copped to crying after hearing which team took his rights:
"I always looked at the Lakers as a classy organization," gushed Goudelock, later offering a laundry list of players he admired ranging from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Kobe Bryant to Derek Fisher.
Plus, Goudelock is coming off a pretty humbling experience. On June 22, with visions of the Association dancing in his head, he was first drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters, a lowly fate he never dreamed possible.
"It was crazy," recounted Goudelock of the news. "I didn't think it was serious. I never knew how that whole situation works. I was like, 'Man, that's crazy!' I saw some other guys,and I was laughing at them. Then my agent just called and was like, 'You know you just got drafted by the Harlem Globetrotters. They think you can shoot the four-point shot.' "
But like I said, the kid's steeped in swag.
Asked about the accuracy of a previous quote about being able to "shoot until the day I die," Goudelock didn't hesitate to confirm it. "Unless something happens, unless I gain some kind of disease where I forget how to shoot, I'm gonna keep shooting until the day I die." He spoke proudly about the "junk" in his game, the way he'll mix up scoring approaches (working off the dribble, off screens, etc.) And he made perfectly clear how he won't back down while matched against any opponent, regardless of professional stature or physical size.
"Being competitive on the offensive end also means being competitive on the defensive end. So I'm gonna get better every day. I'm gonna strap down on defense and if it means I'm gonna have to guard somebody 6'5" or 6'6", I'm gonna have to do that. I'm gonna have to figure it out, just like I figured out everything else. I'm looking forward to it."
Goudelock Profiles