Bensalem senior Delaney Bell was recognized for committing to continue her basketball career at Arcadia University.
Delaney Bell – Arcardia University (Basketball)
Major: Media & Communications
Final list of colleges: Arcadia, Elizabethtown, Delaware Valley, Gwynedd Mercy
Reasons for choosing Arcadia: “They’re really good for my major being right in a good area, right next to Philadelphia, so the internships will be really good. When I went on my overnight visit with the team, it just really felt like a good community to be in, and it just felt like I could step in and be on the basketball team and maybe not necessarily play but make an impact the first year. It
just felt like home to me when I saw the campus for the first time – I loved it.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in basketball at the collegiate level? “I grew up playing basketball and soccer. I knew I wanted to play a sport in college, but I didn’t know what it was going to be. During basketball this season, I really decided I just wanted to focus on basketball rather than soccer because there’s just something about basketball that I loved more, and the game was a lot more my style. I really think just talking to the coaches helped me pick basketball.”
Coach Steve Johnson says: “I couldn’t be happier for Delaney. Above being a great basketball player, she’s just a great kid in general. I’ve been a part of her coaching staff for three years and her head coach for two years, and anything you ask of Delaney – she’ll do it. Whether it’s getting extra shots up before or after practice, whether it’s getting the younger girls to mesh together and do team bonding activities, whatever it is – Delaney will do it for you, and she definitely deserves playing at Arcadia. She’s put 
in the work, the countless hours, and she’s just an awesome person to be around. I coach an AAU ninth grade travel team, and she comes and practices with them. She’s playing softball, and she’s texting me – ‘Coach, can we get in the gym, can I shoot in the gym? When are you available?’ That just shows you how her work ethic is.
“She’s the type of player that every year she improves on a certain skill set, so her sophomore year she was basically just a facilitator. We had Haley Keenan on our team, and Delaney was there to play point guard, run the offense. She could always shoot, but her sophomore year she was a little hesitant to shoot. She was pass first. Her junior year she burst out of the bubble, and she was one of the better shooters in the SOL from three. Going into her senior year is when she took her shooting to the next level. She developed a little pull-up jump shot, and more so than that was just attacking the basket. She rebounded and attacked the basket wonderfully. She averaged almost 10 rebounds a game while averaging 11-12 points for us. She rebounds really well for a guard, and she’ll do whatever a coach needs from her. I talk to my assistant coach every day about it – I’m like, ‘It’s a day closer to graduation, and we’re going to lose Delaney.’”
About Delaney:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite TV show: The Office
Favorite music: Country
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