WHEELING — Kelvin Goodwin Jr. has spent the last five years sitting on the bench at Linsly watching and learning as Dave Wojcik led the Cadets into the national spotlight. Now it’s his chance to keep them there.

Goodwin Jr., aka Bubby, is the only 3-time first-team All-West Virginia Class AAA selection in Wheeling Park’s illustrious boys’ basketball history. He takes over for Wojcik who left the program earlier this fall.

“It feels good. It really does. I’m very excited,” Goodwin Jr. said. “I’m only the interim coach right now, so all I’m going to do is focus on this year and see what happens after that.”

Wojcik, who had several stops at the NCAA Division I level, including San Jose State, taught Goodwin Jr. a lot more about the game than he already knew.

“He taught me how to be patient at times and the intensity it takes to be a head coach,” he said. “As the leader of the program, it is my job to make sure everybody is ready, from the players being ready to play day-in and day-out to the coaching staff needing to be intense and focused.”

Goodwin Jr. was a lightning-quick guard with a soft shooting touch. He wants his team to be in the same mold.

“We’re going to try and play fast. We’ve got a lot of guards so we’re going to try and use our speed to our best. We’re not as tall as we usually are. We’ll shoot the three-pointers,” he said with a smile. “You know that.”

He averaged 19.6 points and 5.5 assists per game as a senior for the Patriots while shooting better than 44 percent from behind the three-point arc.

When asked what Linsly basketball means to him, he replied, “Hard work. Discipline. Just putting your best foot forward every day … trying to get better every day, not only on the court but off it as well. It’s part of my job to raise these guys to be fine young men and be respectable like they are.”

The Cadets have five players back from last year, including Jasckson Bonar, Biram Ndiaye, Nolan Smith, Charlie Dong and Guilherme Almeida.

“Jackson is going to play a big part for us this season,” Goodwin Jr. said. “I’m expecting those guys to lead us and teach the new guys how we do things around here.”

Linsly will have some new faces on the schedule this year, including ISA (International Sports Academy) from the Sandusky area, Westerville North, River View, Tyler Consolidated and Erie Prep.

“All I want my team to do is compete and work hard,” he said.

A 2011 graduate of Wheeling Park, Goodwin Jr. went to West Liberty University for three years, although he red-shirted as a freshman. He played at Slippery Rock for a season and finished his collegiate career at Point Park in Pittsburgh.

“I’ve always had a love for basketball and this was a way I could stay around the game I love and be involved with the kids, helping the future guys with my knowledge of the game,” Goodwin Jr. added.

He is employed at Backyard Escapes LLC of Wheeling.

“I would like to thank my late dad, Kelvin Goodwin Sr., and my mom, Denise Long for all of their support along the way, as well as Rod Lee and Coach Woj for helping me get to this point in my life.”

One of the most decorated high school basketball players in Ohio Valley history, Goodwin Jr. was a three-time first-teamer and two-time captain of The Intelligencer’s All-Valley “Big-School” Team. He led the Patriots to three straight state tournament berths, earning three All-Tournament selections at state tournaments. He scored a game-high 33 points in the 29th annual West Virginia North-South All-Star Game and had 25 points to pace the victorious West Virginia team in the 34th annual Ohio-West Virginia OVAC All-Star Game.