Illinois Basketball: 5 observations from the Illini loss to Purdue

3. Luke Goode showed out against Purdue

Since Luke Goode is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, I don’t know if it is something with playing state of Indiana schools, but Goode likes to play well when going up against teams from his home state.

Last season, Goode set his previous career-high against Purdue with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor. He then had 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting from the floor and 4-of-9 from three-point range against Valparaiso earlier this season.

On Friday night, Goode leveled up once again and set a new career high. He ended the Purdue game with 16 points on 5-of-11 shooting from the floor and 4-of-8 from three-point range. He also hit both of his free throw attempts.

Goode was huge against the Boilermakers. Illinois was struggling from three-point range, but then Goode got loose on a few shots and knocked them down. He started to get into a groove, and so did the rest of the Illini squad.

The 35 minutes Goode played against Purdue was also his career high. I would like to see him play 30 or more minutes each night. I think Illinois needs Goode coming down the stretch and having him on the court is crucial for our success.

I don’t think Goode is limited to just three-and-D either. While he is really good at both three-point shooting and defense, I would like to see Goode with the ball in his hands more. There was a play in the Purdue game when Goode drove to the basket, scored, and got a free throw. He is a dynamic player who hasn’t shown us his full repertoire just yet.

Goode had another big night against a state of Indiana program. He was a big reason why the Illini came so close to knocking off Purdue. I am excited to see Goode develop for the rest of the season.