Harrison Goodrick, junior marketing major, grew up playing rugby in his home country of Australia but later found a passion for basketball.
Goodrick gave up rugby to pursue his love of basketball and is now one of the top players at NSU.
He spent his first collegiate season in Colorado, playing with Division II school Metro State. In his freshman season, he helped the team earn a 32-2 record and advance to the national semifinals in the 2013-2014 season.
After his freshman season with Metro State, Goodrick transferred to NSU, where he has become an integral part of the men’s basketball team.
In his first season with the Sharks, Goodrick ranked tenth overall in the Sunshine State Conference with a 53.9 field goal shooting percentage. In the 2014-2015 season, the Sharks advanced to the semifinal round of the SSC Championship, where Goodrick scored a total of 18 points against Barry.
Along with teammate Chris Page, Goodrick was named to one of the 2015-2016 All-Sunshine State Conference teams. Thanks to his impressive 15.6 points per game average, Goodrick qualified for the second team, after various league coaches voted for him.
Goodrick offered some insight into his passion for basketball.
How did you start playing basketball?
“I played rugby in Australia all the way up until about grade eight. My dad was my coach, and I had planned to continue playing, but then in grade eight, I started to fall away from my love of rugby and started to get into basketball. My body shape changed, so I decided to start pursuing basketball instead because I did love it a lot. Ever since then, I’ve just gone up the ranks, and that’s how I ended up here.”
How did you end up at NSU?
“It was really weird, actually. I was at practice one day, and the coach there had an affiliation with the Metro State program in Denver. So I walked in to practice, and he told me that the coaches over there were interested in me. I had never really been looked at or done any type of recruiting before, but I took a look at the campus online that night and had a look at their program. Then, a week later, I spoke to their coach and I ended up there for a year. After my first year, I wasn’t really too happy there, so I reached out and kind of just ended up talking to Coach Tuell. I’ve been happy ever since.”
What do you think is the most difficult part of playing basketball?
“Probably bringing it on the floor every night. You can’t just have an off night or have a mental lapse or just take a day off. If you come to the game, especially in this league, and do that, you’re going to get beaten pretty badly. So coming in with the energy and intensity every night to win is probably the hardest thing.”
What has been the most rewarding part of playing basketball?
“Seeing my teammates succeed is what I enjoy the most. Even from the higher levels here to the level of playing back home with my family and friends, I love seeing how excited they get to play and what kind of success they have.”
How would you describe yourself as an athlete?
“As an athlete, I’m probably not very well-liked by other teams or other coaches. I’ve always been kind of the hard-nosed guy who leaves it all on the floor, and I wear my emotions on my sleeve. I’ve taken that role on for my entire career, but I’ve enjoyed that role. I concentrate on the game, but I also get very energetic and play with a big, high passion, so that’s probably my role on the team.”
Have you had any coaches who have influenced you during your basketball career?
“Back home, I used to find it hard to say no to people because, once you have a little bit of success, people start to come out of the woodwork and want to talk to you, but I came to the realization that there were only a few people whom I really needed to have in my life. Obviously, my parents, but Jim Arkell and Robbie McKinlay as well. McKinlay actually used to coach over here in the same conference as Coach Tuell, but he coaches back home now, and we’re still really close. My high school coach, Arkell, is still very close to me, too.”
What has been your greatest achievement as an athlete?
“At my first school, we made it to the Final Four, and that was a lot of fun. But there have been a lot of achievements over the years that I’ve been pretty excited about and enjoyed. In high school, we played against our cross-town rival, who we hadn’t played in years, and we came in and beat them. That was pretty amazing. It’s always nice to win.”
Are there any professional athletes whom you look up to?
“Kawhi Leonard. I love how he plays the game. When he’s out on the floor, you won’t even know that he’s out there; he just does his job quietly. He’s one of those players who doesn’t really take that much; he doesn’t want all of the spotlight. It’s pretty amazing to watch a guy like that on such a successful team. He does his own job and doesn’t really look for gratitude for what he’s doing. I also like Russell Westbrook just because of the energy he brings every night. He comes in with an attitude to take out the opposition and get it done night in and night out; it’s fun to watch.”
Do you plan to continue playing basketball after college?
“After college, I’m still open to the idea of playing, but I’m just going to play it by ear and see what other opportunities come up. At this point, I may go back home and play there, or there’s also the option of playing in Europe, but I really just want to see what else is available first.”
Aside from playing basketball, what would you like to do career-wise?
“I’m a big fan of photography, and I love being in the marketing side of things, so, ideally, I would like to do something with marketing, advertising or photography. But I’ll always sort of be ingrained in basketball because I’ve got younger brothers who love the game, so it’ll always be in the family now.”
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
“Back home, we would always go to the beach with all of our friends to go bodyboarding and surfing. We’d go spearfishing or do road trips down the coast and explore all of the hidden beaches ― all of the stuff that no one else ever really sees. So, in the time that I have off, that’s what I like to do with family or friends.”
