The jump from junior varsity

With Penn down by 23 points to Saint Joseph’s in the waning moments last week, the Quakers’ final possession was meaningless to the game’s outcome — a mere formality to conclude another winless season in the Big 5.

For senior Drew Godwin, however, those last few seconds were an opportunity to score his first collegiate varsity points, the culmination of a four-year journey toiling on the junior varsity team in the hopes of one day getting the call to the big stage.

“Coach [Jerome Allen] told me to go get the ball and call high-13,” Godwin said. “My eyes kind of glossed over at first when I first got that basketball, turned around, and looked my opponent in the face. I put it up and it was good, and I heard my family go crazy.”

The Yardley, Pa., native said it has been a longstanding dream to follow in the footsteps of his father, who played Division I basketball at Lafayette. The elder Godwin was so excited to hear of his son’s promotion that he taped the pre-game warmups when Drew suited up for the first time Jan. 6 against UMBC.

“It was a big dream of both of ours growing up,” Drew said. “As much as he’s pushed me while playing basketball, he’s been a coach, a father and a best friend.”

In high school, Godwin was “recruited a bunch” but decided to come to Penn for academic reasons.

“When the ball stops bouncing,” Godwin said, “you have to think about where you want to be.”

After trying to walk on, Godwin failed to make the varsity team. Luckily for him, Penn is one of the few colleges that still sponsors an official JV team.

Last season, playing primarily against top prep schools featuring major college recruits, the team pulled off a .500 record, according to Godwin. (The team’s statistics and records are not publicly published.)

Godwin said it was sometimes discouraging to never get noticed, so he hopes that his story can be a motivation for younger players to stick with the team.

Godwin still attends every JV game and is a presence at practices when time permits. Recently, the senior played in a game against Northfield Mount Hermon.

While JV teams are an endangered species across the country, Allen and Godwin believe that Penn’s team is a valuable tradition that is worth saving.

“I always looked at all the guys — whether they played varsity or JV — as part of the Penn basketball community,” Allen said. “There are some guys who have played JV who have been instrumental in helping the program.”

Godwin — one of the JV team’s captains — faced long odds against being promoted, but a perfect storm of events finally allowed him to reach his goal in his final semester.

A slew of injuries opened room on the roster this season, and Godwin had previously caught the eye of his JV coach — none other than Jerome Allen.

“He was a great leader and very vocal and brought the guys together,” Allen said. “Those are the types of qualities that you look for in young men when you want to have them [as] a part of your program.”

Godwin has had to adjust to a complementary role, but he has fit in well with his new teammates, especially the seniors and de facto team leader Zack Rosen.

At his first practice, the team joked that he should be forced to run 75 suicides for all the ones he missed first semester. All kidding aside, Godwin has impressed the team with his strong work ethic.

“When you get an opportunity like this, you can’t be the last guy in sprints and you [have to] dive on the floor for loose balls,” Allen said. “He’s had a great attitude.”

For Godwin, a Philosophy, Politics and Economics major who enjoys poetry and playing video games, the increased time commitment has been an additional adjustment.

“It’s been a grind,” Godwin said. “You gotta really learn time management. Penn has no mercy.”

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