Recruiting Report: Trace Goven (2020)
The Rugby Panthers won 20 games a season ago and looked capable of contending for a state title before getting knocked out in the region tournament. They return just about all of their top players. The best one of the…
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Continue ReadingThe Rugby Panthers won 20 games a season ago and looked capable of contending for a state title before getting knocked out in the region tournament. They return just about all of their top players. The best one of the bunch may be star guard Trace Goven.
Goven averaged better than 17 points per game as a junior, establishing himself as one of the elite guards in North Dakota. He’s one of the best returning players in Class B and should have a great opportunity to earn an all-state nod. He’s been busy this summer playing in various weekend tournaments with his Rugby teammates.
“We played in a lot of team camps with some bigger schools and really good teams,” Goven said. “We handled the competition well and I think we’ll be in good shape come the season. I think the summer went really well. We have some guys who will step into new roles but there’s a lot of talent. I think everyone knows their role so as long as we play together, it’ll be good.”
With so many top players back, Rugby’s going to be a top-five team in Class B. Few teams have the kind of talent and size the Panthers do and because of that, expectations are incredibly high.
“We like to say we don’t [think about] but when you are a top team, you think about it,” Goven said. Last year we got up to number two. We got to regionals and just had one of those games at a time where you can’t have one of those games. We lost to an underdog and it was disappointing. This year, I think if things go good and we play together, we can win state. We have a lot of talent, a lot of height. We’re one of the longer teams, and we’re athletic.”
Goven is a big key to that hype. He’s an athletic wing who can shoot from deep and get to the rim with relative ease. He’s got good size for a guard and finishes well in traffic. He’s active on the defensive end of the floor and has the physical tools plus the intelligence to guard at a high level.
“I think I played well going against bigger schools and bigger guys,” said Goven. “When I play against bigger, stronger teams, it raises my game. I do things that I didn’t always know I could do. . I want to be more consistent with my catch-and-shoot 3-point shot. I’m pretty quick on defense. Maybe that first step I’m a little slow but I’m working on lateral quickness. So hopefully once the season starts it’ll all be tuned up and ready to go.”
Goven’s a fairly well-known commodity in North Dakota and has drawn a lot of interest from a number of schools throughout the state. He’s interested in criminal justice after high school. That will factor into his decision.
“I’ve been in contact with Minot State, Mayville, Jamestown, Valley City and Lake Region,” said Goven. “I’ve talked a lot with Lake Region, I’m pretty close to their coach. I plan on playing at the next level.”