Goodman grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, in an Orthodox Jewish family with six brothers and two sisters. He began playing basketball at five years of age, but he first garnered national attention as a junior in high school, averaging 35.4 points per game for the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore. In 11th grade, he was ranked the 25th-best high school player in the country, and was dubbed the "Jewish Jordan". Goodman graduated from Takoma Academy of Takoma Park, Maryland, in 2000. Goodman received a scholarship to the University of Maryland, which had one of the top-ranked basketball teams in the country. The team's schedule included activities on Friday nights and Saturdays, so he declined Maryland's offer. Goodman then accepted a scholarship from nearby Towson University. Goodman was the first freshman to start at Towson in eleven seasons. He averaged 6 points, 4 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game in his freshman year in 2000–2001, and was awarded the coach's award for his performance on the court and in the classroom. Goodman continued at Towson for his sophomore campaign until December 2001, when Goodman filed a complaint that the newly hired coach allegedly assaulted him. Goodman then fulfilled a dream of his by moving to Israel and signing a 3-year contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv on July 22, 2002. To get more playing time, he was loaned to Giv'at Shmuel for the 2002–03 season, and then played for Elitzur Kiryat Ata in the 2003–04 season. Goodman went on to serve in the Israeli Defense Force, a requirement for all Israeli citizens. He suffered a knee injury that required major surgery. After nine months of intensive physical therapy, he beat the odds and went back to Giva't Shmuel to fulfill his contract for the 2005–06 season. Still recovering from his injury, Goodman dropped down to Liga Leumit to play for Maccabi Shoham. In his first two games, he played more than 20 minutes and scored close to 20 points a game. But in December 2006, Goodman's left knee gave out again and his doctors ordered him to undergo weeks of physical therapy. He did not get to play again until March 2007. In late 2007, Goodman moved back to Maryland to play for the Maryland Nighthawks of the newly formed Premier Basketball League. In his first game, he suffered a complex dislocation of his finger which required surgery and a year of physical therapy. In July 2008, Goodman signed with Maccabi Haifa. After shattering several bones in his left hand in practice, Goodman was unable to play the remainder of the season.
