Illinois Basketball: 2022-23 preview of Illini guard Luke Goode

Coming into the 2022-23 campaign, the Illinois basketball team did have some experience coming off the bench.

It was always going to be a tough task for the Illini to replace all of the production that departed from last season. But there were a couple of players who didn’t leave the team. Luke Goode is one of the few returning players on the roster.

Goode, sadly, went down with an injury in the secret scrimmage against Kansas. He has since had foot surgery and will be back sometime mid-season.

Here is the 2022-23 preview of Illinois basketball guard Luke Goode.

Past Development

If you are an Illinois basketball fan, you were probably excited about the potential of Goode entering the 2022-23 season. He showed a lot of potential as a true freshman, and that potential was supposed to shine this year.

While the stat line of 2.0 points and 1.8 rebounds doesn’t jump off the page, Goode had some big moments toward the end of the season. He was able to put up six points, five rebounds, and one block against Houston in the NCAA tournament. Goode also had nine points, four rebounds, and two assists on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range against No. 10 Michigan State.

Goode’s development was fun to watch last season. He really started to knock down his three-point attempts as well. This kid was forming into a dangerous sharpshooter from distance.

Present Impact

Even with Goode injured, he is still impacting the team. His injury is forcing the freshmen to play more minutes, which will get them more prepared for the long season ahead.

Goode will eventually be back in uniform sometime mid-season, per his tweet, so the team we see on the court in the coming months will only get deeper and better as time goes on.

When Goode does return, I expect him to be eased into action considering a foot injury is nothing to take lightly. He will probably only average something like 5-10 minutes in the regular season. His average stat line will be something like 4.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. At this point, it is not about Goode putting up big numbers in the regular season. It is about getting him healthy for another postseason run.