Illinois basketball: Illini land 2021 shooting guard Luke Goode

The Illinois basketball coaching staff was able to land their first 2021 recruit Friday evening.

Luke Goode announced on Twitter that he is committing to Illinois on Friday night. He is a 6-foot-5, 175-pound shooting guard from Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Goode is rated a four-star recruit and is ranked as the No. 97 player in the class of 2021 and the No. 22 shooting guard in the nation. He is also the No. 7 player in the state of Indiana.

Goode had a ton of recruiting attention and roughly 10 scholarships already. But Illinois beat out programs such as Butler and Maryland to land this talented wing. He is the first player to commit to Illinois in the class of 2021.

Illinois assistant coach Stephen Gentry led the way in Goode’s recruitment. This was a good addition because this commitment could be the beginning of a pipeline from Indiana. He also fits Brad Underwood’s system of players who can shoot the ball at a high rate.

The Illini were in need of a shooting guard after the 2020-21 season. With Alan Griffin transferring and Trent Frazier and Da’Monte Williams both departing after this season, and Illinois will need replacements for them. I also imagine that Adam Miller could have a big freshman season and declare for the NBA Draft.

Goode brings a lot of shooting talent to the table but, most importantly, he adds depth. He most likely will be the back-up shooting guard or start at the small forward position. I think he could be a big contributor to this Illinois basketball team in the future.