Notes | Goode provides spark with three-point shooting against Boilermakers

Jan. 6—WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Luke Goode's insertion into Illinois' starting lineup in the wake of Terrence Shannon Jr.'s suspension didn't exactly change his role. The Illini still looked to Goode to be a floor spacer offensively.

Goode got the same type of looks as a starter against Fairleigh Dickinson and Northwestern. The only issue was most of them didn't fall. The junior guard entered Friday night's game at No. 1 Purdue having made 1 of 8 three-pointers as a starter and just 3 of 14 dating back to Illinois' mid-December matchup with Colgate.

But shooters shoot. It's the type of mindset Illinois coach Brad Underwood wants from his team.

So Goode kept shooting against the Boilermakers. He knocked down 4 of 8 three-pointers and scored as season-high 16 points. Three of those threes and 11 of those points came in the second half as Illinois tried to mount its comeback in what ultimately turned into a 83-78 loss.

"I told him it's the only reason I play him," Underwood said. "It sure wasn't for his rebounding (Friday). You guys saw his total (zero), right? Luke's a really good player and one of the best shooters in the country. If he's not on the court, Marcus (Domask) isn't near as successful as he is and Coleman (Hawkins) isn't as successful as he is because he's a gravity guy."

★ ★ ★

Nico Moretti missed his ninth straight game Friday at Purdue as he continues to recover from a foot injury suffered Nov. 19 in Illinois' win against Southern. The redshirt freshman guard is at least out of the protective boot he wore for more than a month and getting work in on the basketball court.

Moretti had more scans of his foot completed this week, but his return-to-play process hadn't reached a point where he could play against the Boilermakers.

"I think we want to be very clear about a foot injury," Underwood said. "You don't rush that. You're not trying to be Superman and saying, 'I'm good.' You want it to be 100 percent healthy so there's no recurrence of an injury. When they all tell us he's good he'll be in an uniform. We hope that's sooner than later."

★ ★ ★

Moretti played in just three of Illinois' first five games, with his DNPs against Oakland and Marquette not injury related. Those are the only three games he's played in for the Illini after arriving in Champaign last January and redshirting the remainder of the 2022-23 season.

Not all that much to build off when he ultimately returns from his foot injury.

"I think the one thing that Nico's done is he's stayed very involved with practices, with film," Underwood said. "He's relentless. I think all of our recovery stuff here has helped expedite that process some. He's a very mature freshman, and he's very basketball savvy. I think all those things will help him in his return to play."

★ ★ ★

Illinois entered Friday's game at Purdue with six players averaging at least 4.3 rebounds per game. Ty Rodgers, the Illini's nominal point guard, ranks second behind Quincy Guerrier. Rodgers' rebounding average got a significant boost with his career-best, 15-rebound effort in Illinois' win against Fairleigh Dickinson.

"I'm facilitating so most of the time I'm at the top, but when I get downhill and pass out, it's just easy for me to find somebody, box them out and be in a great position to get a rebound," Rodgers said. "I think it's just effort, honestly. I think it's more instinct, crashing every time and trying to be in the right position."

★ ★ ★

Rodgers has also shown more assertiveness offensively with Shannon suspended. The 6-6 sophomore is attacking the basket more and is also a post-up option — much like Domask — in mismatches against smaller guards.

It's what Underwood envisioned for Rodgers when he made the decision to play the Saginaw, Mich., native at point guard this offseason.

"Well, he's 6-6 with a 6-11 wingspan," Underwood said. "Ty was a high school center at different times. He knows what he's doing down there. He's got great footwork. He's got great pivots. He can use either hand. He's very crafty. He's gained a ton of confidence because he's not afraid to get fouled anymore, and he's stepping up and banging free throws.

"He's so fast. He takes up space and creates angles. He's an exceptionally good ball handler. Those are all things that he's able to exploit and we want to exploit. We love it when he's wheeling and dealing in the paint."

★ ★ ★

Rodgers' improvement at the free-throw line has been mirrored by some of his Illinois teammates. The Illini shot just 57.1 percent from the free-throw line as a team through the first six games of the season. Starting with the early December Big Ten road win at Rutgers, Illinois shot 79.7 percent on its free throws in seven games leading into Friday's showdown with Purdue.

"As a former player, you know how mental sometimes free throw shooting can be," Underwood said. The Illinois coach was a 77.8 percent free-throw shooter in two seasons at Kansas State in the mid-1980s.

"It's not a physical thing sometimes," Underwood continued. "It's really a mental thing. Quincy was in here (Wednesday) shooting a bunch of free throws because he was upset he missed the front end of a one-and-one (against Northwestern). Coleman (Hawkins) in practice was the same way. Guys are taking pride in that. We do practice them a lot, but it's really a mental thing. You get guys with confidence that can get to that foul line, and that helps that percentage a lot."

★ ★ ★

Purdue center Zach Edey is simply the latest in what's been a nonstop line of dominant big men in the Big Ten in the last five years that includes All-Americans Kofi Cockburn (Illinois), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Hunter Dickinson (Michigan), Luka Garza (Iowa), Jalen Smith (Maryland), Daniel Oturu (Minnesota) and Ethan Happ (Wisconsin).

Edey was the consensus national player of the year in the 2022-23 season. A feat Garza accomplished in the 2020-21 season after nabbing Sporting News' award a year prior and robbing Dayton's Obi Toppin of his own consensus honor.

Underwood sees what Edey has accomplished this season and can come to no other conclusion that the Canadian 7-footer is even better now than he was a year ago.

"You just don't see 7-4 and 300 pounds," Underwood said. "We had big Kof, and Kof was 7-foot and 300, but it's amazing what the extra 4 inches does. Kofi was a dominant player in some different ways. I think in my time in college basketball I've never seen a more dominant center (than Edey).

"I think he's really, really comfortable with his teammates. This is just an observing coach, but I think there was such a reliance on him to be 'the guy' all the time. He still is that guy, but you almost see him playing better because their other guys are doing more. He's got a great ability to offensive rebound. They shoot a lot of short shots, and short shots equal short rebounds. He draws a ton of attention, and I think he's become a better passer. I just don't think he has a ton of weaknesses."

Scott Richey