SAVON GOODMAN has found basketball freedom at a high school named Constitution.
Pretty cool coincidence, right?
At his previous stop, Academy of the New Church, Goodman was mostly an inside player and, let's face it, at high schools across the country, guys who stand 6-6 are often told to stand on the blocks and never think about venturing more than 5 feet.
Goodman not only faces the basket, sometimes he begins moves so far away, he can barely see it.
From behind the arc? Routinely. From out by halfcourt? Sometimes. (In transition, of course.) And it's not impossible to see him make a steal at the opposition's foul line and motor all the way downcourt by his lonesome.
The occasion Thursday night at Ben Franklin High was a showdown between Constitution and Math, Civics & Sciences for the top Class A seed in the upcoming Public League playoffs.
Or was it The Savon Goodman Dunking Exhibition?
By the end of the night, the rims were begging for mercy.
As ConHigh won, 76-66, in overtime, the onetime Villanova commit hustled and bustled for 30 points, 15 rebounds, six steals, three blocks and two assists.
Five of his buckets came on wolf-downs and on one of those, people sitting nearby insisted Goodman was outside the lane when he started his soaring experience, on the left wing, at almost a 45-degree angle. Maybe even way outside it.
"I don't really try to dunk," he insisted. "I just take what the defense gives me. I like to think all my dunks are special, but they're all just two points.
"A layup. Something from halfcourt. A cartwheel dunk . . . sike. Any way I can get the ball into the basket, I'm doing it."
When he and ANC parted company, Goodman chose Constitution, to some degree, for the chance to expand his skills set. He desires to be a small forward.
"Here, I'm free to do what I want," he said. "I can grow and learn. If I want, I can take a rebound coast to coast. There's no problem if I make a mistake. Sometimes, I felt like I wasn't allowed to go outside of my element. With the offense we run, you have to be able to put the ball on the floor. And you have to protect it, because this is the Pub and you're not always going to get the [ticky-tack] calls. Everything about this place favors my game."
Goodman shot 11-for-20 from the floor and 8-for-10 at the line. He had a somewhat low-key first half, and the Generals wound up trailing, 32-19.
