Illinois basketball loses top 3-point shooter to the transfer portal

Illinois basketball is losing one of the fan favorites from the team last season to the transfer portal.

The transfer portal has been crazy this offseason. Entering the week, the Illini had three departures out of the program – Sencire Harris, Amani Hansberry, Danin Dainja – and four incoming players – Tre White, Jake Davis, Kylan Boswell, Carey Booth.

With the way the transfer portal works, there were bound to be more departures. There was one player everyone was keeping an eye on, and sadly, that player has now entered the transfer portal.

Luke Goode.

On Monday morning, Jeff Borzello of ESPN reported on social media that Goode has entered the transfer portal. The sharpshooting guard is leaving the program, and let me tell you, I am sad.

Coming out of Homestead High School in Indiana, Goode was a four-star recruit who was ranked as the No. 103 player in the class of 2021. He had a ton of recruiting attention, and he could have gone to Purdue or Indiana, but Goode picked Illinois.

Goode was an impact player off the bench in his first three seasons with the program. He averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as a junior in 2023-24. For his career, Goode averaged hitting 38.8% from three-point range as well.

Losing Luke Goode to the transfer portal now opens a starting spot on the Illinois basketball roster

I had a bad feeling Illinois was going to lose Goode. This kid gave the Illini everything he had. He hustled when he saw time, and his contributions to this program will never be forgotten. As of right now, Illinois has three returning scholarship players from last year’s team.

The silver lining to losing Goode is that it opens up what I believe is a starting job for next season. In my most recent projected lineup for 2024-25, I had Goode starting at the No. 2 spot.

Goode’s departure also opens up a scholarship. With Orlando Antigua back in the fold as an associate head coach, Illinois has the possibility of landing some big-time recruits and transfer portal players for next season. Let’s see how the chips fall the rest of the way out.