Guard/forward Luke Goode is planning to leave the University of Illinois after entering the transfer portal Monday morning. Goode announced his decision via Instagram saying, “Three years, two championships, and one degree … Thank you Illini Nation, I am a Fighting Illini for life!”
The 6-foot-7 Goode has spent the past three seasons in Champaign and has averaged 4.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in 76 career games for the Illini. Known as a shooter, Goode shot 38.8% from long range over his three years at Illinois.
A four-star recruit coming into Champaign, Goode played in 28 games his freshman year and averaged two points off the bench in 8.9 minutes. However, he showed flashes of his potential as a lethal shooter for the Illini offense. Goode knocked down three of his four three-point attempts, scoring nine points, to help Illinois defeat No. 10 Michigan State on Jan. 25, 2022.
Goode struggled at the beginning of his sophomore season. The Indiana native didn’t make his season debut until Feb. 11, 2023, after recovering from surgery for a fractured left foot at the end of October. Despite only playing in 10 games, Goode shot an impressive 42.1% from three and averaged 4.0 points for the Illini in 13.8 minutes.
This past season, Goode’s role massively increased. He played in 38 games for the Illini and averaged just over 20 minutes per game. Goode shot a team-high 38.9% from long range and averaged career highs of 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds. His most impactful performance of the season came in the Illini’s 98-87 win over Nebraska in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. Goode grabbed six rebounds, including four on the offensive end, and he knocked down a career-high four three-pointers on 44.4% shooting from deep.
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With Illinois losing Goode and likely Marcus Domask (unless his sixth-year waiver gets approved by the NCAA), the team is losing its top two shooters from last season. Brad Underwood and his staff quickly signed sharpshooter Jake Davis from the portal at the end of the season to help fill the void. However, the team still has four more open scholarship spots to use, and shooting will be a top priority for them when navigating the transfer portal and filling out the rest of the roster.
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