The Eastern Illinois men’s basketball team has added junior college All-American guard Montell ‘Silk’ Goodwin to the Panthers roster for next season as the NCAA spring signing period began on April 13. Goodwin joins All-State guard Logan Koch (Mill Valley HS – Shawnee, Kan.), who signed with EIU in November.
“I really like the versatility, athleticism and competitiveness that Silk will bring to our program,” said EIU men’s basketball coach Jay Spoonhour. “He is a guard that can shoot the ball, handle it and make plays. Silk was the leading scorer on the 18th ranked team in the nation, but at the same time is a very unselfish player. He comes from highly successful programs with great coaches. He’s a playmaker, and I’m excited for what he can bring to our team. We are fortunate to have him.”
Goodwin is a 6’2 guard from Warrensville Heights, Ohio that played last season at Mineral Area College. Goodwin earned NJCAA honorable mention All-American honors averaging 12.9 points per game while shooting 38 percent from 3-point range. He led the team to a 25-5 record as they were ranked No. 18 in the final NJCAA rankings. Goodwin was named a first team All-Region XVI selection and first team All-MCCAC Conference selection. He played his freshman season at Lakeland Community College in Ohio earning NJCAA All-Region XII honors after leading his team to the OCCAC District 11 Championship. The team went 3-1 at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament finishing fifth in the nation. He was the second leading scorer in the conference averaging 16.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. He earned All-OCCAC honors shooting 40 percent from 3-point range and 52 percent from 3-point range. His jump shot with 1.8 seconds left in the District 11 Championship game sent the team back to the national tournament for the third time in school history. Goodwin played high school basketball at Warrensville Heights HS earning first team All-Lake Erie League honors. He led his team to a district championship as a senior.