Savon Goodman said a combination of things led him to transfer from Academy of the New Church to Constitution.
One of the factors, the Division I recruit said, was the chance to play with savvy guard and middle-school friend Daiquan Walker.
"With his quickness and ability to run the floor, he takes a lot of the pressure off me," Goodman said. "It's a lot of fun playing on the same team."
On Tuesday, in a Public League Division A boys' basketball game at Frankford, Goodman and Walker combined for 45 points and the Generals overcame first-half foul trouble and fought past the Pioneers, 66-57.
Of his decision to leave ANC, in Bryn Athyn, Goodman said, "I don't feel like it was the best situation for me."
Against Frankford, the 6-foot-6, 210-pounder netted 17 of his game-high 23 points in the middle two quarters. He also collected 16 rebounds (five on offense), two blocks, and two steals in 30 minutes.
In August, Goodman backed out of his commitment to play for Villanova. "I just thought it wasn't the best fit for me," he said.
The senior, who lives in Southwest Philadelphia, said he is considering UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas, Memphis, St. John's, and Temple. Missouri recently joined the mix.
"I'm definitely looking for a program that can groom me as a perimeter player," he said.
Goodman shot 10 for 20 from the field (1 for 3 from beyond the arc) and 2 for 7 from the line. In the third quarter, his back-to-back transition dunks put Constitution (5-5 overall, 3-1 league) in front, 49-37.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Walker, a senior combination guard, produced 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and five steals in 28 minutes. He shot 9 for 22 from the floor (1 for 4 on treys) and 3 for 6 from the line.
The Generals committed 12 personal fouls in the first half. After leading by 25-10 early in the second quarter, they took a 35-32 advantage into the break.
"It was disappointing," Walker said. "We have too many mental lapses. It's something we need to fix."
Frankford (5-6, 2-3) evened things, 37-37, in the third quarter on a Chris Lewis putback. Constitution responded with a 12-0 spurt, highlighted by Goodman's two monster jams.
The hosts refused to go away, closing the gap to 56-64 on Imire Taylor's right-wing three with a little more than four minutes to play. Goodman's follow and breakaway dunk, off a feed from Haneef Vaughn, provided breathing room.
Taylor, a senior wing guard, paced the Pioneers with 19 points, including three treys. Lewis, a 6-6 senior, managed 12 points and 10 boards.
Constitution 17 18 19 12 – 66
Frankford 10 22 13 12 – 57
C: Tamir Bolger 1, Craig Slade 13, Daiquan Walker 22, Savon Goodman 23, Amonie Holloman 3, Fajion Jones 4.
F: Randall Satcher 4, Imire Taylor 19, Chris Lewis 12, Donald Robinson 1, Chris Williams 13, Kashiem Poland 6, Shaquile Rone 2.
Contact staff writer Rick O'Brien at 610-313-8019, robrien@phillynews.com, or @ozoneinq on Twitter. Read his blog, "The O'Zone," at www.philly.com/ozone
