Former Darlington player Tyshawn Good is the leading scorer in NCAA Division II with an average of 27.4 points per game. (Contributed photo / Belmont Abbey)
Good, who graduated from Darlington in 2009, is a senior member of the Belmont Abbey Crusaders basketball team — and a prominent member at that.
The former Tiger is the leading scorer in all of the NCAA Division II with an average of 27.4 points per game.
In fact, his average ranks at the top of the list in all three of the NCAA’s divisions.
He has been the top scorer for the Crusaders’ offense in 25 of their 28 regular-season games, and has helped Belmont Abbey become the sixth-highest scoring team in Division II with an average of 87.5 points per game.
“It feels great,” said Good about his achievements.
“My team is having a lot of success, and it’s been a great experience with those guys.”
Belmost Abbey completed its regular season with a 19-9 record, and will open the postseason on Monday, when the No. 4 seeded Crusaders host No. 5 seeded Queens for the first round of the Conference Carolinas tournament.
Good’s scoring average this season isn’t just a blip on the radar.
Rather, his offensive abilities have allowed him to leave his mark permanently at Belmont Abbey.
His bulky numbers represent the highest points-per-game average in the history of Belmont Abbey, a record he broke this season when his average reached 27.1 points per game.
Good — a native of Jamaica, New York — also shattered the school record for most points in a season.
The former record of 651 season points was set during the 1953-1954 Crusaders basketball season, and was surpassed by Good on Feb. 23 during a lopsided victory over Lees Mcrae.
Since breaking the record, Good went on to climb to 770 regular-season points, an extensive 129 points above the previous record — and he still has the postseason to build on it even more.
Good’s successful basketball career was launched at Darlington during the Jim Van Es era.
And if Good is the person who is most pleased with how his senior year has played out, his former head coach comes in at a close second.
“I’m just really proud,” said Van Es.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to have a lot of kids to go on and play in college, and Good ranks on top with the numbers he’s putting up.”
Good said his coach-player relationship with Van Es is an important part of his career.
“(Van Es) is like a father figure to me,” he said. “He’s been a great mentor all my life.
“He made me confident in my game, and he’s not just a coach; he’s more like a life mentor.”
And fittingly, when Van Es speaks of Good, he sounds like a proud parent.
“He’s doing great in school, and he’s a great citizen,” said Van Es. “He’s an all around good guy.
“Everyone at Darlington is really proud of him,” said Van Es. “He’s like my son, and he’s a wonderful young man.”
Even with all the dream-like aspects of Good’s college stint, the 6’1” guard sees his senior year as more of a beginning rather than an ending.
“It’s the start of something I’ve always wanted for all my life,” he said.
That “something” is making it to the next level — a feat that both Good and Van Es are hopeful and positive about.
“I feel certain that we’ll see him somewhere on the next level,” said Van Es. “He’s really playing well and getting a lot of notice right now.”
“Going out on a bang like this and preparing for the next level is something I’m enjoying right now,” added Good.
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