CHAMPAIGN — Luke Goode could have easily gone the football route with his recruitment. The Fort Wayne (Ind.) Homestead quarterback pairs good size at 6-foot-6 and 185 pounds and athleticism.
Don’t discount his production either. Goode led the Spartans to an 11-1 record and a regional championship appearance — the Class 6A quarterfinals — as a junior in his second season as starter by completing 175 of 286 passes for 2,778 yards, 27 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Football is also in Goode’s family. His grandfather, Irv Goode, was an All-American offensive lineman at Kentucky and played 13 seasons in the NFL. His dad, Craig Goode, played at Indiana, and his uncle, Conrad Goode, was an All-American at Missouri and played three seasons in the NFL.
Don’t forget his mom’s side of the family. Goode’s uncle — by marriage, but it still counts — is former longtime NFL quarterback Trent Green, which means he’s cousins with Northwestern quarterback TJ Green and SMU quarterback Derek Green. Former Northwestern and now Notre Dame graduate transfer wide receiver Ben Skowronek is another cousin.
Football could have become Goode’s college athletics path. Instead, basketball has always come out on top, and the consensus four-star recruit and top 100 prospect committed to Illinois to play for Brad Underwood — and not Lovie Smith — last Friday.
“He’s going to step away from the football field and concentrate completely on basketball,” said Jared Balf, the Indy Heat director. The two-sport athlete played for Indy Heat last spring and summer on the Nike EYBL circuit.
“I think that will be the thing that pushes him over the edge,” Balf continued. “I think that will be huge for him.”
Balf also recognized how football has helped Goode’s growth as an athlete — and leader. Playing quarterback gave Goode a broader perspective of football, and that can translate to the basketball court.
“Being the quarterback, he had to know his position plus all the other positions on the field,” Balf said. “Where that translates on the basketball court is he understands what he needs to do plus all the others, which I think leads to some of his leadership qualities. He’s not afraid to grab a guy and tell them what they need to do correctly, but at the same time he understands what his part of success is for himself individually and for his teammates.”
Basketball success followed Goode’s standout fall on the football field. Homestead might have had a somewhat disappointing season in 2019-20, finishing with a 16-9 record while dealing with multiple injuries, but Goode still produced. He averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists as a junior after putting up 14.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore for the Spartans.
“I was actually playing out of position this year,” Goode said. “I played point guard the whole year because our point guard was hurt. That actually helped me develop my game. I was able to develop ball handling better and just become a better player.”
Part of Goode’s development also came last summer with the Indy Heat.
He spent most of the spring and summer playing on the 16U circuit before an injury on the 17U team opened up an opportunity for advancement. Goode played in 11 games at the top EYBL level, including Indy Heat’s run to the Peach Jam quarterfinals, and averaged 7.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and two assists.
“He stepped right into a role, and that’s what was great about him,” Balf said. “He didn’t have any expectation that he had to play this or had to play that. He just came in and was a great teammate. He stepped in and hit big shots and wasn’t afraid of what the 17U EYBL is all about. He helped us win and get to Peach Jam, and we had a great run down there.
“He stepped in and played against some of the best players in the entire country and showed he could do it. He was out there hitting threes, he was getting to the basket, he was rebounding and he was defending guys. For us, we’re not huge believers in guys that are younger playing up, but he stepped in and did exactly what the coaching staff asked of him.”
Goode would have had an expanded role for Indy Heat this season if not for the coronavirus pandemic. The EYBL postponed its first two events that would have taken place this past weekend and this coming weekend, with future events in limbo.
The pandemic changed Goode’s recruitment, too, with no clear answer on if or when he’d be able to take more visits. The combination of the relationship he built with Illinois coach Brad Underwood and Illini assistant coach Stephen Gentry, in addition to his unofficial visits to Champaign and one of the program’s first virtual visits, made him comfortable enough to commit to the Illini.
“They see me as a wing guy that can really space the floor out with my shooting abilities and just IQ of the game,” Goode said about what the Illinois coaches discussed with him. “Bringing me in with (2020 recruits) Andre Curbelo, Coleman Hawkins, Adam Miller, they really think I would fit in with them bringing size as a wing next to a great point guard like Andre and to play alongside the other two recruits. They thought it would be a great combo.”
With basketball as his clear future, Goode said he’s ready to start doing some recruiting of his own with other 2021 prospects. He also understands he has work to do both physically and with his game.
“Everything can get better,” Goode said. “I’ll never be satisfied with any part of my game. Another big thing is my body.
“To play basketball in the Big Ten — to be a wing in the Big Ten at 6-6 — I’ll have to gain a lot of weight and get stronger. That’s definitely something I’ll be focusing on now that I’m committed.”
"football" - Google News
April 22, 2020 at 08:00PM
https://ift.tt/2xQEVD1
Basketball, not football, is how Goode's Illini tenure will be defined - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette
"football" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ST7s35
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Basketball, not football, is how Goode's Illini tenure will be defined - Champaign/Urbana News-Gazette"
Posting Komentar