Mar 31, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Zion Williamson (1) prepares to block the shot of Michigan State Spartans forward Kenny Goins (25) in the championship game of the east regional of the 2019 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

What Happened to MSU's Big Shot Legend Kenny Goins?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 2:00 PM ET

With Michigan State trailing by 1 point with 36.1 seconds remaining to the Duke Blue Devils in the 2019 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight round, senior forward Kenny Going caught a pass at the top of the key, rose up from 3, and knocked down one of the most memorable shots in Spartan history.

Goins knocked down a 3-pointer heard across the nation as that basket propelled the Spartans to their 10th Final Four in program history. Since he hit that shot, many wonder what the Spartan legend has been up to in recent years.

The Troy, Michigan native was a four-year Spartan, playing from 2015-2019. He produced a standout senior season, averaging 7.9 points on 46.4% shooting with 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 blocks per game. It was all capped off with a season-defining three-pointer to upset the Blue Devils.

Goins went undrafted in 2019, joining the Denver Nuggets' Summer League team before signing his first professional contract overseas with Pallacanestro Trapani of the Series A2 Basket league. He had a brief two-year stint in the Greek Basket League and spent 2022 in the Mexican LNBP.

Goins had a brief coaching stint as the varsity assistant at Stoney Creek High School in Rochester Hills in 2022. He coached under his former high school head coach at Warren Mott, Jeff Olind, as he taught the youth while continuing his professional career.

Goins is currently in his fifth professional season and first with the Manawatu Jets of the New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL). He is averaging 11.1 points and 11.5 per game through 13 contests. He is one of many former Spartans that are continuing their basketball careers overseas.

When his career is all said and done, there is a very good chance that Goins gets back into coaching at either the high school or collegiate levels. We have seen Spartans coach Tom Izzo bring former players back onto the staff including Matt McQuaid and Lourawls "Tum Tum" Nairn Jr.

Goins will always be remembered for the shot he hit against Duke, but there is another aspect of his college career that may hold more weight. He was a four-year guy that bought into Izzo's process of development and finally reaped the benefits in one of his final games as a Spartan.

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