By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — For Luke Goode, it was just a matter of time, a matter of persistence and work, before the senior forward’s acclaimed perimeter shooting form emerged in an Indiana uniform.
But to understand what Goode could really mean for the Hoosiers (6-2), look past the 18 points in 23 off-the-bench minutes he scored in Tuesday night’s 97-71 win over Sam Houston State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, and consider this:
With IU owning a double-digit, first-half lead, freshman Bryson Tucker was fouled hard on a drive to the basket and hit the floor harder. Goode sprinted to help him up, encouraging teammates to join him.
It was a little thing with potentially big implications. It’s what leaders do, what winners do, and Goode, once a Fort Wayne high school standout and then a mainstay on last year’s Illinois Elite Eight team, is all of that, and more, while finding his Hoosier difference-making rhythm.
“He’s a huge leader for us,” forward Malik Reneau said. “He shows it in the huddles with what he says to us, the way he gives us encouragement. He tries to put us in the right position.
“He’s been in the Elite Eight. He knows what it takes to get to that stage. Having him as one of our leaders helps us a lot.”
https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/12/3/mens-basketball-postgame-quotes-sam-houston
Goode’s 5-for-7 3-point shooting generated buzz as a follow up to the nine points he scored in last week’s Providence victory in the Battle for Atlantis finale. It countered the 28.6% 3-point shooting average he had entering the game, which was down from the 38.8% he’d shot as an Illini.
“It’s just a testament to the process,” he said. “I believe in myself. I know I’m one of the best shooters in the conference. I feel that way every day. I go through the same routine I do every day regardless if I shoot well.
“Seeing some shots go down is good for the confidence. It helps the team when I hit shots.”
Added Reneau: “When he shoots like that, it opens it up for everybody. It’s not just in the game. Luke shows it every day in practice. That gives us confidence in him. Even when he misses, we tell him to keep shooting.”
https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/12/3/mens-basketball-postgame-notes-sam-houston
This was why IU went after him when Goode entered the transfer portal last spring, coach Mike Woodson said.
“He was fantastic,” Woodson said. “When he shoots like that, it opens up everything you do from an offensive standpoint. That’s one of the reasons we went after him. Tonight, we benefited from it.
“Getting him meant a lot. He was so happy when we recruited him to bring him back home. He’s been everything we thought he’d be. Tonight, he did what we expect him to do when he comes into the game.”
Goode said playing for the Hoosiers fullfills a childhood dream.
“The first game I played at home, it was cool,” he said. “It was like a shock. To be able to wear the candy stripes and play here, it’s a dream come true.
https://iuhoosiers.com/watch?Archive=17201&type=Archive
“I hope people realize that when I go out there, I play as hard as I possibly can to represent this program the way it should be represented.”
Guard Myles Rice also regained his shooting form after Battle 4 Atlantis offensive struggles (11 total points in three games). He finished with a team-high 19 points on 9-for-12 shooting, and added three rebounds and three assists.
“He’s still thing to figure out the surrounding pieces,” Woodson said. “He’s a good pick-and-roll guy who can get downhill.
“He’s capable of making shots. He struggled in the Bahamas. To see him come back like this, I’m proud of him. We have to keep him headed in the right direction.”
Reneau had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, plus five assists. Swingman Mackenzie Mgbako had 13 points.
https://iuhoosiers.com/watch?Archive=17200&type=Archive
With IU guard Kanaan Carlyle again out with an injury, Trey Galloway started for the second straight game and struggled with three points, no assists and three turnovers.
Senior guard Anthony Leal saw his first home action of the season and finished with four points, four rebounds and four assists in 25 minutes.
Guard Jakai Newton, who has barely played this season because of injuries, had four points in three minutes.
IU ended any hope of a Sam Houston State second-half comeback with 17-for-19 free throw shooting in the final 20 minutes. It finished 22-for-29 for the game while scoring a season high in points. It shot 62% from the field.
This was a strong bounce-back performance after the 1-2 Battle 4 Atlantis performance and blow-out losses to Louisville and Gonzaga.
“It’s all toughness,” Goode said. “We have one of the most talented teams in the country. The talent we have is ridiculous. It’s probably the best this program has had in a long time.
“It’s not about that. It’s who played the hardest. We didn’t do that in the Bahamas. We fixed that. We changed that tonight.
“We have to be the hardest-playing team. That’s something we have to reach. That’s why we lost those games.”
As far as the game, an Oumar Ballo dunk and an Mgbako 3-pointer boosted IU to a quick 5-0 lead. Sam Houston State (4-5) countered with its own 5-0 run for a tie score after four minutes.
The Bearkats inched ahead 9-7. The Hoosiers responded with an 10-0 run and a 17-9 lead nine minutes into the game. A Goode 3-pointer and a Galloway 3-point play made it 23-11 with 8:34 left in the half. Goode added another 3-pointer, then another, then another. The Hoosiers surged ahead by as many as 22 points before settling for a 42-25 halftime advantage.
https://iuhoosiers.com/watch?Archive=17199&type=Archive
Sam Houston State opened the second half with a dunk and two-point and 3-pointer. IU countered with a Reneau dunk, a pair of Mgbako free throws and two center Oumar Ballo free throws.
The Bearkats surged to within nine points at 48-39 four minutes into the second half before the Hoosiers surged back behind Rice, Reneau and Goode to take control they never lost.
“It was a total team effort,” Woodson said.
