Savon Goodman would stand there on the black, cracked asphalt of the Southwest Philadelphia playground waiting. His time lag came longer than most then, as the other kids surrounding him would rapidly peel off to their respective hand-picked teams, leaving Goodman usually alone. The last one picked. He remembers the days when he was that kid, the one the other kids used to say wasn’t any good and wouldn’t go anywhere. The one who was wasting all that height — and for what, to miss easy layups and dribble the ball off his feet.
Yes, it really is kind of hard to believe that at one time that was Savon Goodman.
It’s hard to believe because Goodman does so many unbelievable things on the court today. The 6-foot-6, 205-pound sophomore at Academy of the New Church, located in Bryn Athyn, just outside of Philly, carries the attitude of the last kid picked, which explains why he plays with such a ferocious passion and at such a high energy level. The last kid picked still lingers inside, buried now under a mountain of talent, pushing, imploring, still motivating Goodman to climb new heights.
Goodman leads the Lions in almost every statistical category, averaging 20.5 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks, three assists and three steals a game. In an area that has produced basketball royalty such as the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, Rasheed Wallace, and more recently Jameer Nelson and Tyreke Evans — Savon Goodman could very well be the next one.
There’s no better sophomore in Southeastern Pennsylvania, a basketball hotbed that has ruled the state like an iron fist, and perhaps there are only a few sophomores in the country that are better than him. He’s 16, sleek, powerful, and playing much more consistently above the rim.
In a game against Impact Academy from Nevada, in the Big Apple Classic on Martin Luther King Day, Goodman scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. But what still has everyone talking is Goodman’s move near the basket. Goodman came down off the wing, and as an Impact player braced himself for a charge, he opened his eyes to see a pair of sneakers fly by. Yes, Goodman jumped right over him.
"It’s something you can’t teach, it’s a rare ability to do the things that Savon is able to do," ANC coach Kevin Givens said. "I’ve seen Savon’s growth in his seventh- and eighth-grade years, and he’s been building since then. The first time I saw him, he grabbed a rebound, hit a guard with a perfect outlet and then beat that guard down the court and scooped up his miss. That’s special. What’s even more special is that Savon has done it all on his own. There were a lot of people who never thought Savon would achieve the things he has. He’s had a lot of coaches who gave up on him."
Those are the little things Goodman tucks away. It’s what makes him work tirelessly on new moves, and what pushed him last summer to lift weights seriously for the first time.
"When I was 12, 13, I wasn’t that good at all, no, no, no, no, I couldn’t make a layup," Goodman said, laughing. "Basketball then was something to do and it kept me out of trouble. I didn’t take it that seriously then, not like I do now. But those are times you can’t forget. I was the kid they put down. I was the one they told wasn’t going to be anything.
Goodman
Photo courtesy of Academy of the New Church
"Other kids used to tell me that I was big for nothing; that all that height would go to waste, things like that. I still remember those times. I remember everything. I see those same kids today and I just laugh. I look at them with a great big smile, because those times gave me character. What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. I have this underdog attitude and that’s where it came from. I was the last kid who used to get picked in pick-up games, three, four years ago. That was me. That’s where the drive came from. That whole experience forced me to work harder to become better. It also taught me to never, I mean never, belittle someone else on the court, because I know what it was like being belittled."
And now Goodman’s wrath is being taken out on everyone ANC faces. Goodman has already received an offer from Penn State, and is receiving considerable interest from Villanova, North Carolina, Seton Hall and Temple. Expect the list to grow.
"Savon is right on the cusp of greatness at the high school level," said Lamont Peterson, a former Memphis assistant coach who works with many Philadelphia-area high school players. "We set goals for Savon, and the first goal was to consistently play above the rim, like Michael Gilchrist. He’s consistently trying to dunk everything on you. He’s literally jumping over people. We started Savon on a weight-training program to give him lower-body strength and explosiveness.
"Savon is very mature for his age and that has a lot do with Heather Goodman, his aunt. She gives a very structured schedule and he’s always been able to understand the importance of academics. You’re seeing a full circle with Savon. He knows what he wants to do. He has short-term goals and long-term goals. He’s very focused. A lot of kids don’t understand what their weaknesses are, Savon does. What we’ve done is by design, going on progressions to work hard. The next phase is to keep the growth going."
While Savon plays like he’s the last player on the bench scratching for minutes, he’s also applied that attitude to the classroom. Where once he was inhibited to speak up in the classroom, he’s now found a comfort zone at the elite academic school. He carries a 3.0 GPA with intentions of taking the SAT next year.
As for being "The Next One," Savon shrugs. He wants to keep his outlook on the next step, willing to let everyone else heap the accolades.
"That’s Savon," Givens said. "He’s a humble kid who I have no problem saying that if anyone is going to be ‘the next one’ from Philly, it is going to be Savon Goodman. He’s that guy."
A budding star who won’t ever be last on anyone’s selection list again.
Joseph Santoliquito covers high schools for the Philadelphia Daily News and is a contributor to MaxPreps.com. He can be contacted at
