Born: September 24, 1981
Birthplace: Oakland, CA
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Andrew Melvin Gooden III is a former American professional basketball player currently a sports broadcaster for Comcast. The 6'10", 250 lbs. power forward played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Kansas, where he was an All-American.
Gooden led his Gauchos to the 1999 California Interscholastic Federation Boys' Division III championship game as an El Cerrito High School senior. Washington Union High School (led by future NBA guard DeShawn Stevenson) won the championship game over El Cerrito HS by scoring 77–71.
Gooden joined fellow freshmen Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich for the 1999–2000 season at Kansas. Although Gooden was sometimes frustrated with how things were going his freshman year, he finally adjusted to coach Roy Williams' system.
In his freshman year, the Jayhawks went 24–10 and lost to Duke in the round of 32 during the 2000 NCAA Basketball Tournament. The following season, the Jayhawks went 26–7 and fell to Illinois in the 2001 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen.
In 2002, he led the nation in rebounding and was named NABC national player of the year. The Jayhawks went 33–4, including 16–0 in Big 12 Conference play to win Kansas its first conference championship since 1998. The Jayhawks advanced to their first Final Four in the 2002 NCAA Tournament since 1993; however, they lost to the eventual national champion Maryland in the semifinal.
For being named NABC Player of the Year for 2002, Gooden's jersey (#0) was retired in 2003. The ceremony occurred at halftime of a Kansas home game with Kansas State in what would have been Gooden's senior year had he not foregone his senior year for the NBA.