Villanova signee Savon Goodman.
Photo courtesy of Academy of the New Church
There was really only one school out there for
Savon Goodman, and no other school was even close. The talented 6-6 junior forward from Academy of the New Church (Bryn Athyn, Pa.) made it official Tuesday and selected Villanova over Kentucky, Duke, UCLA and Texas.
Goodman is coming off a very impressive national tournament, selected MVP of the State Farm Tournament in Chicago last weekend, scoring 24 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in ANC's 56-50 upset over top-rated Findlay Prep. He is ranked in the Top 100 in the Class of 2012 by MaxPreps.com and Villanova has one the nation's top recruiting hauls.
Goodman's stock has been rising the last few years in national AAU tournaments, raising the eyebrows of coaches from some nationally prominent programs. But a big priority that went into Goodman's choice of Villanova was staying close to home.
"All I can say now is that I'm happy, and happy to make the choice now and enjoy the rest of my high school career, where I can put the rest of my focus," Goodman said. "I think it's a big reason why I committed so early. We have a great team at ANC and I get a chance to play and enjoy myself, without the pressure of wondering if some college scout is watching me. I put pressure on myself, and knowing now that I'm going to Villanova is only going to make me work harder and be more dedicated."
Goodman made an unofficial visit to the Villanova campus in mid-September, and didn't visit Texas, Duke, Kentucky or UCLA.
"It's a great situation, with a great coach and the Big East is a great league," Goodman said. "I couldn't have asked for a better situation."
