Goodrich grew up in Pasadena, California – and played for John Wooden at UCLA. He was a member of the Bruin’s teams that won NCAA Championships in 1964 and 1965.
After his senior season, the Los Angeles Lakers took Goodrich as a territorial pick in the 1965 NBA Draft. (A territorial pick was a type of special draft choice used in the Basketball Association of America in 1949 and later in the NBA draft after 1950, the year in which the BAA was renamed the NBA. Territorial picks were eliminated when the draft system was changed in 1966)
Goodrich mostly rode the bench behind Jerry West in his first three seasons, his height a big reason.