TEMPE, Ariz. -- ASU forward Savon Goodman knows his game. His uncle, Lewis Lloyd, was one of the most prolific scorers in NCAA history at Drake, but if Goodman even thinks about attempting a three-point field goal in practice, he thinks again.
Some college players watch footage of NBA greats. Goodman watches footage of NBA forwards who are great at things other than scoring. Golden State's Draymond Green and San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard are among those on his current play list. It marks the viewing habits the mark of a man who understands and embraces his place on the floor.
"It's not always good to watch superstars," said Goodman, who at times resembled one in ASU's 81-78 Pac-12 victory over then-No. 6 Arizona on Saturday.
"I think it is good to watch role players who develop and become key players for their team. This team, we don't have any superstars or go-to guys. We play as a team, and we win as a team, and we lose as a team. I look at my situation now. My situation on this team is to be a role player. I'm not a person who is going to go out and shoot the 3s or go out there and try to score the most points. I am just going to try to get my teammates open and play for each other. It's never about me. It's always about the team. Anything I can do.
"It always seems the games that I'm playing for my teammates more, I get open more."
Goodman, 6-foot-6 sophomore forward, will be back in the starting lineup when ASU (12-11, 4-6) attempts to build on its recent success this weekend at a pair of beatable opponents: Washington State (10-13, 4-7) on Friday and Washington (14-9, 3-8) on Sunday. The Sun Devils have won four of their last six games, as roles have solidified and the rotation has thinned to seven.
An on-again, off-again starter, Goodman has played an integral part in the new rotation since gaining his eligibility Dec. 16. When he stays out of foul trouble, he has provided the Sun Devils a springy and persistent if undersized presence in the paint alongside center Eric Jacobsen.
Goodman admitted to playing last week's Arizona game on a mission. He had 15 points and nine rebounds, one rebound short of his third double-double of the season, against the taller Wildcats' frontline. Matched against 6-9 forward Brandon Ashley most of the game, Goodman made 7 of 9 field goals, one on a thundering dunk on alley-oop feed from point guard Tra Holder. It was a reversal from the first meeting, when early foul trouble limited Goodman to two points, three rebounds and 19 minutes in Arizona's 73-49 victory in Tucson on Jan. 4. Ashley had 13 points and made three early 3-pointers that day.
"I took it kind of personal, because I feel like I got lit up the first time we played them," Goodman said. "(Ashley) had his way with me down low. I came into the game definitely with a chip on my shoulder, taking it personally that he wasn't going to get a lot in that game. We felt like we got punked. We definitely wanted to make a statement, to let them know that any time from here on out, it is not going to be that easy."
A native of Philadelphia, Goodman began his college career at UNLV before being suspended and eventually leaving the program in October 2013 following a brush with the law that ended with guilty pleas to petty theft and trespassing charges. He enrolled at Indian Hills (Iowa) Community College but did not play, thereby retaining his eligibility for the second semester of the 2014-15 season.
Goodman had 24 points and 14 rebounds against Lehigh and 22 points and 11 rebounds against Detroit in his second and third ASU games before stalling against the more physical front lines of the Pac-12, scoring 37 points in the first six conference games. He had 18 points off the bench in a loss at Stanford on Jan. 24, and he had his best game -- considering the stakes -- against Arizona.
"I was the smallest person in the front court, so I knew if I was going to survive out there and play how I wanted to play, I had to be more aggressive. Those bigs," Goodman said, ticking off the names of Arizona's frontline, "I knew I had to bring another level of intensity. I also knew that I had to bring another level to show my teammates that we were not backing down."
ASU coach Herb Sendek said he has been pleased with Goodman's growth in somewhat difficult circumstances this season.
"After not competing for a year, and having to join a team mid-stream, when everyone else has already played eight or 10 games . . . that can be challenging, not just for him but for everybody else because it's a team, and all the parts have to fit," Sendek said.
"Once he got his bearings and his feet on the ground, you could just see him game by game getting better. He's an incredibly hard worker, and he has a great attitude. That's a powerful combination for improvement. He gives everything he has."
Like his teammates, Goodman believes ASU can build on its victory over Arizona.
"It can be a like a springboard," senior forward Jonathan Gilling said.
Fellow senior forward Shaquille McKissic believes the Sun Devils will approach the final eight regular-season games with a "level of cut-throatedness."
"Our backs are against the wall," McKissic said. "We have to win. When you are in that position, you scrap pretty hard. Hopefully that's what we can do, just pull it together. It's tough, but you have to love it at the same time."
Goodman said the key is staying in the present.
"Take one game of a time," Goodman said. "Take the mindset we had going into the Arizona game. We beat them, we can beat anybody on the rest of our schedule."
Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter
