“I Wish I Could Redo That Season”: Archie Goodwin Finally Breaks His Silence on Kentucky’s Tumultuous 2012-13 Campaign
Nearly 13 years have passed since the Kentucky Wildcats endured one of the most chaotic seasons in their storied history. The 2012-13 team, fresh off a national championship under John Calipari, entered the season with sky-high expectations and a roster full of talented newcomers. But what was supposed to be another magical ride through March Madness quickly unraveled and for the first time, former five-star guard Archie Goodwin is opening up about the emotional, misunderstood journey that defined his short stint in Lexington.
In a rare and candid interview on Kentucky Sports Radio with Ryan Lemond and Drew Franklin, Goodwin peeled back the curtain on the season that ended in a first-round NIT loss to Robert Morris. And perhaps more significantly, he finally got to tell his side of the story one that’s long been clouded by unmet expectations, internet criticism, and internal frustration.
A Promising Beginning, a Painful Turn
The season didn’t begin as a disaster. Ranked in the top five nationally, Kentucky opened with promise. Alex Poythress dropped 20 points and eight boards in a tough loss to Duke. The hype was alive. Nerlens Noel, the defensive phenom with a high-top fade, was swatting shots into the stands. Goodwin, a 6-foot-5 scoring machine out of Arkansas, was expected to be the offensive catalyst.
But everything changed when Noel tore his ACL in February against Florida a crushing blow that sent the Wildcats into a tailspin. Kentucky finished the year 21-12 (12-6 in the SEC) and missed the NCAA Tournament entirely, something nearly unthinkable for a Calipari-led team at the time.
“I Wasn’t Able to Put Pressure on the Defense Like I Wanted To”
While fans and analysts pointed fingers, many fell on Archie Goodwin, who shouldered more offensive responsibility than any freshman should have to and not in the role he’d anticipated.
“I wasn’t able to really put pressure on the defense like I wanted to,” Goodwin admitted. “There was a lot of times where I would get antsy and try to force things, just to integrate myself into the game.”
Goodwin entered Kentucky expecting to get opportunities at point guard the engine of Calipari’s system the same position once owned by John Wall, Brandon Knight, and Derrick Rose. Instead, he was placed at the two, forced to play off the ball while Ryan Harrow manned the point.
“I caught a lot of slack that year, and rightfully so,” he continued. “Being one of the better players, I take that on the chest. But when you can’t do anything about it because of circumstances… that was frustrating. I remember going to Coach Cal and asking him, ‘Coach, I would love to play the point.’ He told me, ‘I want you to, but I need you on the court so we gotta put you at the two.’”
A System That Didn’t Fit
Kentucky, often dubbed “Point Guard U” under Calipari, was built around attacking guards who could drive downhill and break defenses with speed and craft. Goodwin long, athletic, and capable of getting to the rim fit the mold. But he never got to show that consistently from his natural position.
“From John Wall to Tyreke Evans to De’Aaron Fox, they all got to run the show,” Goodwin said. “And I’m not saying Coach Cal was the problem. But if he would’ve let me stay at that point guard position, I think it would’ve helped us especially once Nerlens got hurt.”
The Weight of Expectations and a Changing Game
In the one-and-done era, there’s little room for second chances. Goodwin knew that if he returned for a sophomore year, he would be buried behind incoming guards like Andrew and Aaron Harrison and James Young. In today’s NIL world, maybe things would’ve gone differently. Maybe Goodwin would’ve had the financial and developmental incentive to stay, to run it back and grow.
But in 2013, that wasn’t the reality.
“It wasn’t bitter,” he clarified. “I don’t regret playing at Kentucky. But it’s something that still sits with me. Not in a haunting way but man, I wish I could redo that season. There’s so much I would do differently.”
Coming Full Circle
Now, in 2025, Archie Goodwin is getting a rare chance to rewrite the narrative if only in spirit. He’s suiting up for La Familia, a Kentucky alumni team competing in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), and will once again play in front of Big Blue Nation.
It’s not a redemption tour. But it is a reminder that behind every box score, every turnover, and every highlight is a human story and Goodwin’s is one worth listening to.
His honesty is refreshing. His words are vulnerable. And for the first time in over a decade, Archie Goodwin is being heard not as a scapegoat for a disappointing season, but as a man who wore the blue and white with pride, pain, and potential that never fully got the chance to bloom.
“I’ve never gotten the chance to really explain how I felt,” he said. Now, finally, he has.
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