If you’re putting together a list of the five greatest players the Milford boys basketball team has had, you’ve likely seen two of them over the past half-decade.
Before graduating in 2023 and signing with Calvin, Sam Lewis became the first Maverick in 33 years to score 1,000 career points, plus he led them to their first league title in 25 seasons.
Recent graduate Carson Lutz followed in his footsteps, becoming the program’s all-time leader in made 3-pointers (143), second in career steals (97) and third in points (1,062). Now, he’s headed to Adrian.
And making his varsity debut this winter could be Milford’s next great.
Meet incoming sophomore Jake Goodnough.
The 6-foot-4 guard spent last season on the JV, earning valuable experience while waiting for an opportunity to join the Mavericks’ backcourt. But with the graduation of Lutz and Benjamin Shaw, two of their three All-Lakes Valley Conference selections, there’s now room for Goodnough to begin what should be an impressive three years on varsity.
“That’s the hope,” Goodnough said during a practice for his AAU team, Inspire-U, on July 17 at the Huron Valley Athletic Complex in Milford. “Coming after those two guys (Lewis and Lutz), just learning from them over the years, studying them and watching them work out, I’ve tried to copy them myself. I’ve taken a lot of things from Carson. He’s just a phenomenal shooter, a phenomenal player. I’ve tried to copy his workouts, copy everything he does.”
Yes, it’s probably unfair to compare an underclassman who has never played a minute of varsity basketball to two of the most decorated players in program history. But everyone expects Goodnough to be a generational talent.
He possesses the tools and acumen to be a volume scorer, similar to Lewis and Lutz, has already proven himself to be a vocal leader and can be a reliable defender.
But what sets him apart is his ability to rise to the competition, shying away from no one. Don’t believe it? Despite being in the class of 2028, he played on Inspire-U’s 2027 team this summer and was one of their best players.
“If he’s not a starter at Milford, I’d be surprised,” Inspire-U coach Mike Morrish said. “When he joined our team two Marches ago, he was just a spot-up shooter who knew a ton about basketball. Now, he’s probably our most vocal guy and the smartest player that we have. He is a three-level scorer who can now guard. He’s going to make a huge impact in the LVC. And if people think that Milford is going to be down this year without Carson, you’re totally wrong, and Jake is going to be a big reason why they’re going to have a good season.”
If his name sounds familiar, you’re correct. His father is Clarkston girls basketball coach Aaron Goodnough, whose team plays in arguably the toughest division of basketball in Michigan, the Oakland Activities Association-Red. That league has sent four teams to the girls state championship in the past seven seasons, with West Bloomfield winning it all twice.
But have no fear about Jake. He’s not about to transfer to the Wolves. The Goodnough family actually owns and operates the For Feets Sake shoe store in downtown Milford. So, he’s not going anywhere.
“He’s got a high basketball IQ because he comes from a great family of basketball,” said Cody Armstrong, Inspire-U’s other coach. “So, he just loves the game, is just a sponge for it. He’s becoming a floor general, and I think that’s where you’ll see his area of growth, where he could run the ship at Milford. I think he’s already a great leader.”
So much so that Jake often asks to defend every opponent’s best player, regardless of position.
He’ll bring that never-back-down mindset to the Mavericks this winter, not that he’s about to take over the team.
He respects the leaders who are returning from last year’s 17-7 campaign, citing how he’s excited to learn from seniors Noah Pike, Dorian Wright and Caden Johnston-Thompson.
“I think our team will be really good this year because we’re already coming together as a team,” Jake said. “We’ve got some older guys stepping into roles, and we’ve got some younger guys from the JV like Aaden Franz, Rex Phillips and Nolan Wolcott stepping up with guys like myself and (Inspire-U teammates) Brendan Bjorkman and Brady Luke.”
Heck, he’s not even picky about what role he’ll get. He could play that combo guard position that Lutz excelled at, or he could be strictly a ball-handling point guard.
He knows that, as time goes on, he’ll eventually get the chance to become the star everyone thinks he’ll turn into.
“Hopefully I can play my position, help my team and try to get wins,” Jake said. “But, obviously, I’ll do whatever I need to do, like diving on the floor, playing some defense, taking a charge here and there, getting some blocks, rebounding hard and pushing the ball. I’m just trying to do everything I can to help the team win.”
He might need to adjust to the pace of varsity basketball, but given his competitiveness, it shouldn’t take long to find his groove and become a consistent contributor. After all, he’s supposed to be the next Sam Lewis or Carson Lutz, right? Those guys had no trouble rising to the challenge during their careers.
“He’s ready to make that jump. It’s what he lives for,” said Armstrong, who’s also an assistant at LVC rival Walled Lake Central. “He’s got goals he’s chasing, ones that we didn’t even give him, so I don’t see that jump to varsity being much of an issue for him. He’ll be able to control the game from a variety of positions, whether it’s as a spot-up shooter, coming off a screen or as a ballhandler.
“Let’s just put it this way: I’m not excited about defending him this winter.”
Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on his new X.com account at @folsomwrites.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Meet the next Sam Lewis, Carson Lutz for Milford boys basketball
Reporting by Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
