East Tennessee State guard Patrick Good opts out of upcoming season, cites COVID-19 concerns

East Tennessee State guard Patrick Good has opted out of the 2020-21 season.

In a tweet, the redshirt senior sharpshooter cited a recent positive COVID-19 test result and family reasons — including worries about putting his daughter at risk — for choosing to forgo his final season of eligibility.

First-year Bucs coach Jason Shay released a statement about the Good’s decision that was obtained by Johnson City, Tenn. news station WJHL 11.

“After having multiple conversations with Patrick, he decided to utilize the NCAA 2020 Opt-out opportunity for his final season,” said Coach Shay. “During our meetings, I made it very clear that I support his decision to opt-out for the health and safety of his family. Due to the uncertainty related to competing, and his concerns related to COVID-19 and the health and safety of his family, he informed me it was in family’s best interest for him to utilize the opt-out option granted by the NCAA. He has been a tremendous asset to ETSU, and we wish Patrick and his family the best of luck.”

The announcement is seemingly the first in what could be a number of similar decisions as players more clearly weigh their options now that a concrete picture of the upcoming season is in focus. With relation to Fall sports, the NCAA Board of Governors announced in August that member schools would be required to allow student athletes to opt-out due to concerns about COVID-19 and honor those students’ scholarships.

On the basketball court, the move is a big loss for Shay as he seeks to continue the momentum ETSU built under his former boss, Steve Forbes. Good was a former all-league player that brought experience and continuity to a team with 10 new players.

Yet as the 2020-21 season approaches, Good’s decision provides a visible reminder that there are bigger issues involved than basketball.

Good leaves an impressive legacy at ETSU. The local product from David Crockett High School transferred home after spending his freshman season as a role player at Appalachian State. He became an immediate starter following a redshirt year in 2018-19, providing an outside scoring punch (10.4 PPG, 39.0 3P%) for a team that went 24-10. He earned all-SoCon third team honors that season as well.

Last year he remained a key part of the Bucs’ 30-4 steamroller, starting 20 games and averaging 7.5 points per game. Notably, he scored 26 points in ETSU’s regular season finale against Western Carolina, which included a game-winning three with under 10 seconds left.