Goodson a quick study

Demetri Goodson is fast, and apparently a fast learner.

The true freshman point guard has made a swift impression at Gonzaga through the first week and a half of practice.

“He’s further along than any of the freshman guards we’ve had in since maybe Blake (Stepp),” Bulldogs head coach Mark Few said. “He’s physically ready and so mentally tough. Usually you get your freshman point guard rattled a little bit or he gets down on himself, but he certainly hasn’t had any of that. He’s an entity that we just don’t have or haven’t had for quite a while – just quickness and speed.

“And he gets it. He has a real good basketball IQ.”

That’s notable praise from Few, who has coached a number of quality point guards in his decade as head coach, including Matt Santangelo, Dan Dickau, Stepp, Derek Raivio and current senior Jeremy Pargo.

“He (Goodson) really catches on quickly and he’s doing the right things,” sophomore forward Austin Daye said.

Goodson averaged 16.7 points and 7.7 assists as a senior at Klein Collins High and earned All-Greater Houston Team honors. At Gonzaga’s Midnight Madness event earlier this month, the 5-foot-11 Goodson displayed his leaping ability in the dunk contest and performed well in the scrimmage. At one point, he drew a charging foul on Pargo.

“He’s a little water bug, he can fly and he causes lot of problems on defense because he’s so quick and he gets up on you,” junior guard Matt Bouldin said. “He pushes the ball really hard.”

Asked if Goodson is the fastest player in the program during his time at GU, senior center Josh Heytvelt said: “(Goodson) and P-MAC (ex-Zag Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes) would have to race. He is definitely quick and full of energy. I don’t think he gets tired.”

Post position

Few said the Bulldogs are pretty deep, with the exception of the center position. Heytvelt, who had off-season foot/ankle surgery, and 7-5 junior Will Foster are the only healthy posts as sophomore Robert Sacre heals from a foot operation.

Foster has played just 97 minutes in 24 appearances the past two seasons, but he’s in line for more time, particularly with Sacre on the injury list.

“Will and Rob were having a pretty good, even battle (before Sacre’s injury),” Few said. “It’s certainly allowed Will to get more reps and he’ll be on the floor at critical times this year. I think the staff is comfortable with it and I think the players are, too.”

Sacre watched Monday’s practice from a chair with wheels, scooting up and down the sideline to view different drills. He had a bone growth stimulator on his surgically repaired right foot. He said it’s tough watching practice, but he hopes to be back for the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., in late November.

Notes

Daye, returning from a couple months of inactivity to rest a knee injury, said he’s able to do everything at practice, “but I’m still behind in my reactions and getting back to the way I was.” That’s to be expected, Few said: “When you miss all summer, you’re just not going to come back quickly. He was all primed to make a big jump and he basically sat out from July to the middle of September.” … Few’s recap of the first week-plus of practices: “They’re further along than we have been, I’ll give them that. They took a little step back in the second scrimmage. I wasn’t real happy with some of the things going on. They’re still going to have to figure out who is going to make up the board work that (Abdullahi) Kuso and ‘Pendo’ (David Pendergraft) did, some of the toughness plays, but I think that’s normal for this time of year.”