LINCOLN -- The Rolling Stones sang, "I can't get no satisfaction," something Lincoln graduate Shandon "Biggie" Goldman experienced while trying to find his niche in college basketball.
But not anymore.
Shandon made his debut as a member of the Northern Iowa men's basketball team with the Panthers winning their season-opener on Nov. 6, 2018, at home in Cedar Falls, Ia., over Bemidji State University by a score of 97-51.
Shandon missed his first five shots, then scored his first two points as a Panther with a rim-rattling two-handed slam dunk accomplishing what every basketball player wants to do -- show their father they can play at game level in whatever league they choose to compete in.
Shandon's father, Greg Goldman, of Evansville, is not your average basketball fan.
His high school exploits along with current Lincoln boys head coach Tim Rich are legendary at Lincoln. Greg Goldman has done everything within his power to make certain the legacy was passed on to the next generation.
Greg Goldman raised his son on basketball, never anticipating Shandon would reach a 6-foot-10 height.
Greg and his wife, Alicia, Shandon's mother, were in attendance and suitably impressed with how Shandon handled adversity. Despite not having a good shooting night, making 1-of-6 field goals and going 0-for-2 on 3-pointers, Shandon found a way to impact the game. In 23 minutes of action, Shandon pulled down 12 rebounds.
"He had three (shots) go in-and-out, just couldn't buy one, but the dunk was awesome, 12 rebounds was awesome, too, led the team," Greg Goldman said.
Shandon blocked a pair of shots, one of which set up a 3-pointer by teammate Miles Wentzien putting Northern Iowa up 42-20 with 3:17 remaining in the first half. Goldman also dished out an assist.
"He's having fun playing basketball again, loves his teammates," Greg Goldman said. "A lot different than his Little Rock debacle."
Tall and lanky, Shandon's skills did not diminish as he experienced a growth spurt in high school. He dunked in his last high school game at Regionals against Baptist Prep, of Little Rock, which sported a pair of 7-foot brothers, junior Brandon Vanover (7-0) and freshman Connor Vanover (7-2).
Upon graduation from Lincoln, Shandon tipped the scales at 190 pounds, which made him undersized for college basketball. Recruited by many schools including Clemson, Shandon didn't want to be typecast as a shooting power forward who can pull defenders away from the basket because of his long-range proficiency.
A decision was made opting to put off college for one year while Shandon worked out and bulked up.
Still he knew he had to be involved in competitive basketball. The question was where?
Shandon settled on Tennessee Preparatory Academy, which according to its website, is "a christian-based school, that teaches principles of the Holy Bible, and believes wholeheartedly in the Bible's teachings and biblical concepts utilizing these principals to shape daily interaction between faculty and students as the foundation upon which to build."
At Tennesee Prep, Shandon averaged 13.5 points, 8 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game while shooting 48 percent overall and 42 percent from 3-point range and was part of the Diplomat-Lions' 2016 National Association of Christian Athletes Elite Division 1 national championship team.
Shandon chose to begin his college career at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He appeared in five games as a true freshman in 2016-17, concluding the Trojans never intended to play him as a shooting forward. Shandon felt they were looking at his height, now over 6-feet-9 and planned to put him on the low block. That was not his game, so he transferred out of the Trojans' program May 24, 2016, landing at Panola College in Carthage, Texas. Shandon started 25 games and averaged 9.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists while shooting 47 percent overall and 41 percent from 3-point range (52-of-128).
Shandon's play at Panola put him on the radar of Division I programs: Washington State, Utah, Boise State and Northern Iowa.
Shandon enrolled at Northern Iowa March 16, 2018, announcing his decision with a tweet, "I'd like to thank all the coaches who recruited me during this process and all my coaches at Panola, who made this possible! And especially my family, who believed in me and supported me throughout my whole journey. I'd also like to thank Coach (Ben) Jacobson and his staff at UNI for a great visit and the opportunity to play for a great program with a great fan base!"
Sports on 11/14/2018