By Robert Wilson
Jackson Academy boys basketball coach Jesse Taylor said that Marcus Goodloe has a gift of shooting the ball.
And the 5-foot-10 junior guard used his gift to have one of the best weeks of his JA career last week.
Goodloe averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4.5 assists and led the defending MAIS Class 6A and Overall Tournament champions to conference wins over rivals Jackson Prep and Madison-Ridgeland Academy, two of the top 20 teams in Mississippi.
For his outstanding performance, Goodloe has been named the Tatum and Wade/Mississippi Scoreboard Metro Jackson Boys Basketball Player of the Week.
Goodloe had 21 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in a 61-54 victory over Prep, ranked No. 6 in Mississippi by MaxPreps, and had 22 points, 9 rebounds, 8 steals and 3 assists in a 59-52 victory over MRA, ranked No. 17 in Mississippi by MaxPreps, last week.
“Marcus had a fantastic week last week,” said Taylor, who is in his third year as head coach at JA. “He had great performances against both Prep and MRA. Marcus has a gift to score the basketball. He’s one of the best shooters in the entire state and I don’t think that many people would argue with that. He’s an incredible young man and he will go as far with basketball as he wants to.”
Goodloe is averaging 15.5 points, 5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.3 steals this season for 20-4 JA going into Friday’s game at Presbyterian Christian School. He is shooting 38.6 percent from 3-point range (56 of 145) this year. He scored a career-high 32 points against Baker, Ala., High at the Gulfport Holiday Classic during the Christmas holidays.
He averaged 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.6 assists, and helped JA to a school record 36 wins (and one loss) and the MAIS Class 6A state and Overall Tournaments championships last season as a sophomore. He shot 39.7 percent from 3-point range (46 of 116).
Goodloe’s parents are Marcus Goodloe Sr. and Erika. Marcus went to Canton High and Erika went to Lanier High. Goodloe has four sisters, Galen, Grace, Gabby, and Gillian. Galen and Grace played basketball at Madison St. Joseph, Gabby and Gillian went to Ridgeland High.
Mississippi Scoreboard selects a boys basketball player from Hinds, Madison, or Rankin counties each week. Coaches can nominate a player by text or call to Robert Wilson at 601.506.2276.
WEEK ONE: Phil Nelson, Ridgeland
WEEK TWO: Jamarion Fleming, Canton
WEEK THREE: Mike Williams, Germantown
WEEK FOUR: Ben Segrest, Jackson Prep
WEEK FIVE: Caleb Gaitor, Jackson Academy
WEEK SIX: Kevin Roberts, Jackson Prep
WEEK SEVEN: Wiggy Ball, Hartfield Academy
WEEK EIGHT: Mike Williams, Germantown
