Luke Goode breaks down thoughts on Illinois basketball and his game

Luke Goode would undoubtedly be a great pick up for the Illinois basketball team.

Goode, a 6-foot-6, 180-pound junior from Homestead High School, has started to really turn heads in the recruiting world. He has shown off his abilities in high school and during the AAU circuits where he suits up for the Spiece Indy Heat.

247Sports now has Goode ranked as the No. 70 player in the class of 2021. This is a high ranking that will only continue to get better by the month. He hasn’t even started his junior campaign yet and teams are already drooling over what he can do for them on the court. One of those teams is Illinois.

Illinois recently came in with a scholarship offer just a couple of weeks ago when Goode was on an unofficial visit to Champaign. This is where the relationship started between the young guard, who averaged 9.8 points per game during the AAU season, and the Illini coaching staff.

“I actually visited Illinois and Coach Underwood gave me the offer,” said Goode, “Coach Walker is the recruiting coach that I talked to, though.”

This offer makes sense for Illinois. They need a player like Goode, and the interest is mutual as well.

“I was very excited about the offer. Growing up watching Big Ten basketball, I know Illinois has had success,” said Goode, “Also, I knew Coach Underwood was an established and respected coach, so I was excited about the offer.”

The excitement is there for the fanbase too. Goode is a player who could help elevate this Illini offense as well as shut down opposing offenses. This sentiment was expressed by the coaching staff.

“They mentioned that they love my shooting ability and ability to play fast,” said Goode, “Also, they like my defensive ability as I can guard positions 1-5 being 6-foot-6.”

There isn’t a ton on Goode as far as video and analysis go. He is from the class of 2021, which is a couple of classes away still. So, I wanted to know what strengths he has on the court that not many people know about. What is a surprise to the fans when you watch him play?

“One thing I am good at that not many people notice is my passing ability,” said Goode, “I feel like when I am not shooting well or my teammate is shooting well, I do a great job of getting my teammates involved.”

Having a good wing who can distribute the ball as well is great. But every basketball player has flaws. The ability to have the awareness to identify these flaws and work on them is important. I wanted to know what is the biggest flaw he is working on right now.

“One of my weaknesses, at the moment, is my ball handling,” said Goode, “At the next level, I will most likely be a No. 2 guard or a wing, so I will have to be able to handle the ball well.”

Goode is a talented recruit who will continue racking up scholarship offers. This kid is rising on the recruiting lists for many programs. He seems to have a nice connection with Illini as well. Hopefully, we can continue building that relationship and eventually land him for the class of 2021.