BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — It’s been over 50 years since the BGSU Men’s Basketball team has played in the NCAA tournament.
Only four schools in America have ever experienced a drought longer than that.
But they’ve got a great shot this year to end that drought, and one of the guys leading the charge, is a guy who almost never actually sees the floor.
Ethan Good has been at Bowling Green for four years and has a grand total of nine points. He’s played 62 total minutes in his entire career. The stats aren’t jumping off the page and he isn’t going to make it on the all-conference team. But what he brings to this team can’t really be quantified.
“The things he brings to the table you never really see on a stat sheet,” said Head Coach Michael Huger. “We really love having Ethan with us.”
There is no one, and I mean no one, that has more fun during a Bowling Green Men’s Basketball game than the senior from Wapakoneta. His antics at the end of the bench can light up the entire building. He has gladly taken on the role of bench mob leader.
"One of the things I tried to do in high school and growing up was just make everyone on the court better if you're on the court," said Good. "But I feel like I can still try to make people better on the court even if I'm not there. Making them just understand that they should play free, they should be confident."
"Have you seen Justin Turner, Dylan Frye, Trey Diggs, Daeqwon Plowden? It's hard to stay in your seat when you watch those kids play," added Good.
His celebrations have taken on a life of their own and it’s impossible to ignore. In a time when most kids would hate being stuck on the end of the bench with almost no chance of getting in the game, Good has seized the opportunity to carve out a role for himself. It’s certainly appreciated by his teammates and coaches.
"He brings a certain energy that kind of no one can replace," said junior Justin Turner. "He makes the game fun. He's also pretty smart. He sees a lot of things that we don't see on the court. A lot of people don't know, but he helps us in a lot of ways so it's very helpful and it impacts us in ways we couldn't even imagine."
As for the celebrations, Good said, "They're completely spur of the moment. I remember watching and studying film on Monmouth. They were huge for awhile for the team celebrations. But really whatever comes to mind, I let it out and it's always loud."
"He's always ready," said Coach Huger. "His saying is always 'Coach, I got five fouls to give, I can't take them with me.' He always says that to me so I always crack up."
His energy is contagious. And they’re hoping he’s got plenty more to celebrate in the next 11 days.