Postseason honors still rolling in for Althoff’s Goodwin, East star Pickett

While his high school basketball season has come to end and, the honors keep rolling in for Althoff High junior Jordan Goodwin.

Goodwin was recently named a MaxPreps Junior All-American and this week was named to USA Today’s All-USA Team for Illinois. Belleville East junior Javon Pickett was a second-team All-USA selection on the USA Today team while Althoff coach Greg Leib, who guided the Crusaders to the Class 3A state championship, was USA Today’s Illinois Coach of the Year.

On Tuesday, the Crusaders were guests at the Illinois state capital in Springfield being honored and recognized by the state legislature. Althoff won its first state basketball title, in March, knocking off Lincoln-Way West 67-32 in Peoria to finish 32-2.

The 6-foot-4 Goodwin, one of the state’s top Division I recruits, averaged 18.6 points and 12 rebounds to earn Belleville News-Democrat Large-School Player of the Year honors for the second straight season.

Joining him on the MaxPreps Junior All-American team were Columbia (Mo.) Father Tolton star Michael Porter Jr., Wendell Carter from Pace Academy in Georgia, Tampa (Fla.) Catholic guard Kevin Knox and Apple Valley (Minn.) guard Gary Trent Jr.

The All-USA Illinois first team included Memphis recruit and Morgan Park star Charlie Moore, who was named Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year and Illinois Mr. Basketball, along with Simeon’s Gonzaga recruit Zach Norvell.

Also on the first team were Hinsdale South’s 6-10 center and Northwestern recruit Barret Benson and Fenwick guard Mike Smith.

Pickett, a 6-4 junior guard headed to Illinois, made the second team along with Westchester St. Joseph’s 6-11 USC recruit Nick Rakocevic, Glenbard West guard Justin Pierce, Dixon senior Isaiah Roby and LeRoy 6-6 senior Matt Chastain.

Pickett finished fourth in the St. Louis area scoring race, averaging 23.5 points and 6.4 rebounds for the 18-11 Lancers.

He had nine games with 30 or more points, including games of 41 points vs. Springfield and 42 points against East St. Louis.

Goodwin’s list of scholarship offers continues to grow. Among the top candidates are Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Missouri, Iowa, Northwestern, Virginia Tech, Creighton, St. Louis University and Illinois State.

Goodwin and Jeremiah Tilmon, a 6-foot-10 former East St. Louis High junior center who finished the season at La Lumiere Academy in Indiana after transferring, are teammates on the St. Louis Eagles AAU team.

Tilmon suffered a shoulder injury recently while playing in the Dick’s Sporting Goods High School Nationals championship game against Oak Hill Academy from Virginia.

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 1:12 PM with the headline "Postseason honors still rolling in for Althoff’s Goodwin, East star Pickett."