BLOOMINGTON — Since Luke Goode began his IU men’s basketball career, he hadn’t been able to heat up.
The Illinois transfer, billed as the sort of outside shooter Indiana needed, started 28.6 percent from 3-point range through the first seven games of this season. Fans, coaches, and teammates alike — and surely Goode himself — hoped that every triple he knocked down would be the one that got him going. But he just hadn’t found much consistency in his shots.
That is, until Tuesday. Goode drilled a career-high five threes on seven attempts and scored 18 points — also a career-high. The senior led an important charge off the bench for IU in a 97-71 victory over Sam Houston State at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
“I believe in myself and know I’m one of the best shooters in the conference, and I feel that way every day. I go through the same routine I do every day regardless if I shoot well, if I shoot well, and approach the game that way,” Goode said after the game. “It was good to see shots go down.”
Goode’s production mostly came in the first half, as he entered halftime with 13 points after shooting 4 for 5 from beyond the arc. By the fourth 3-pointer, he was clearly in the zone. The wing shivered at the IU bench after he hit the shot, displaying a confidence he had not yet shown this season.
When Goode shoots like that, it changes Indiana’s offensive potential and the team’s outlook for the season.
“It opens up everything that you do from an offensive standpoint. You can take 30 threes and only make two or three. That doesn’t do you any good,” IU head coach Mike Woodson said. “We been shooting the three ball pretty well. Goode is a big part of it. That was one of the reasons we went out to recruit him. Tonight it showed big time for us. We benefitted from it, him making the five threes that he made.”
The Illinois transfer wasn’t the only player on IU’s bench to deliver on Tuesday.
Bryson Tucker has impressed on several occasions already, and he turned in another solid effort against the Bearkats. The freshman chipped in eight points on 2-for-5 shooting, with three assists, two rebounds, and a steal. He finished plus-31, the second-best mark on the team.
Anthony Leal also turned in some understated but important contributions off the bench. The fifth-year had played in just two games this season before Tuesday, but with Kanaan Carlyle and Gabe Cupps unavailable, the Hoosiers had minutes open in the backcourt. Leal chipped in four points, four rebounds, and four assists, and finished a team-best plus-39 across 25 minutes of action.
The Bloomington native played a similarly key role in several games last season. It’s not easy to get into the flow of a game after not seeing significant court time for so long, but Leal capitalized on his opportunity yet again. And his peers recognize how important that is.
“I think Anthony is one of the best teammates I’ve ever played with,” Goode said. “When you have a guy like that that you can depend on that’s so selfless to take a step back and not get minutes and still be a great teammate, and then to come in like he did today, it’s special.”
Multiple Indiana starters had tough games on Tuesday. Mackenzie Mgbako scored 13 points, but continued defensive struggles contributed to finishing minus-one. Trey Galloway struggled all night. Oumar Ballo played only six minutes in the second half because IU’s two-big lineups weren’t working well.
And yet, the Hoosiers rarely, if ever, left this game in doubt. Their bench picked up the slack.
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