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Penn's Goodman, Betley take latest trip in shared journey

03/15/2018, 9:30am EDT
By Sarah Kelly Shannon

Devon Goodman (above) is one of two Penn sophomores who played on Team Philly's AAU program in high school. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Sarah Kelly Shannon (@thesarahkelly)
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WICHITA, Kan. -- Devon Goodman and Ryan Betley have put a lot of miles on their friendship.

Traveling with their AAU team, Team Philly (it’s since been rebranded as K-Low Elite), they played together in Las Vegas, Dallas, and around the country. Now the Penn sophomores are making their first visit to Wichita for the NCAA Tournament, facing Kansas on Thursday.

“It’s my first time in the heart of the country,” Betley, a Downingtown West grad, said Wednesday at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita.

“It’s a lot of land,” added Goodman, a Germantown Academy product.

In hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the city of Wichita has been eager to show visitors that Kansas isn’t as boring or empty as they might have imagined. Compared to Philadelphia, though, this town of 389,000 is undeniably spacious. But Wichita does remind them of home in one particular way.

“As far as basketball goes, it’s on par,” Betley said. “Obviously, you saw the open practice. People out here love their basketball.”

Wednesday’s open practice at Intrust drew 13,695 people, a mix of traveling fans and locals, including 4,100 students from Wichita Public Schools. Thursday’s 2 p.m. game against Kansas is expected to sell out at 15,750 people -- plus a national TV audience. Betley and Goodman are preparing to play on their biggest stage yet, 1,300 miles from home.

But a few years ago, they were just two local kids playing travel ball.

Goodman, a 5-foot-11 point guard, was a four-year starter at GA best known for his lightning-quick foot speed and ability to get to the hoop, as well as his prowess on the defensive end. Betley, a 6-5 wing guard, was the perfect complement, with his strong outside shooting ability complemented by a well-rounded scoring ability.

“When Ryan came into our program, Devon was probably one of our best shooters,” said K-Low Elite assistant director Kyle Sample. “And having Ryan come in made his job a lot easier as a point guard because now he had someone he could kick the ball to, and that chemistry right there, with them being a one-two punch in the back together, just made coaching them very easy.”

The two have always roomed together on trips, said Sample, who described the two as “brothers.”

Each kindly claims the other doesn’t snore, unwilling to sell out his best friend to prying media. They call each other “young bull.”

That closeness translates into chemistry on the court.

“We’re just comfortable with each other out there,” Goodman said. “I know Ryan’s game, Ryan knows my game. We just play off each other.”


Ryan Betley (above) has scored over 675 points in his first two collegiate years, averaging 13.5 ppg. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)

Betley, a full-time starter since midway through his freshman year, is averaging 14.5 points per game and earned All-Tournament honors last week in the Ivy League. Shooting 39 percent from 3-point range, he’s scored 20-or-more points eight times this season, including a career-high 30-point outburst at Brown earlier this month.

Goodman, one of the Quakers’ top reserves, has 42 assists and 16 steals this season, and showed his scoring ability with a 23-point outburst at Columbia in February. He’ll likely see a lot of KU’s leading scorer Devonte’ Graham on Thursday as the Quakers try to maintain their stingy defense, which is allowing just 29 percent from three.

Countless buses and commercial flights, a string of discount hotels, and dozens of unfamiliar gyms have prepared them for this moment.

“Those two had been all over the country way before they ever put Penn uniforms on,” Sample said. “That speaks to their maturity, not getting in trouble or doing anything stupid because they've been there before.

“Basketball has taken these guys around the country twice -- two or three times, actually.”

While they continue to travel the nation for basketball, playing for the Quakers always brings them back to where it all started: Philadelphia. Now that they’ve helped end an 11-year NCAA Tournament drought for the storied Penn program, they’re ready to show the world where they’re from.

“I think it’s great for the city to have another team outside of Villanova,” Betley said. “It just shows from top to bottom through the Big 5 or the City 6, the city of Philadelphia represents itself well nationally.”

No. 16 Penn will take on No. 1 Kansas at 2 PM EDT on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. TBS will broadcast the game, which can also be streamed using the NCAA March Madness Live app.


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