Did you notice that word IU wing Luke Goode included in his senior day video?
“I just want everybody to know that I gave my all this year, as it could be my last year,” he said.
Could be?
This is Goode’s fourth year of college basketball, three with Illinois and this year with Indiana. But he only played 10 games during Illinois’ 2022-23 season. And it’s that season that creates the possibility of a fifth year of college basketball for the Fort Wayne, Ind. native.
Players who suffer injuries that force them to miss a significant portion of a season can petition the NCAA for a fifth year of eligibility via a medical hardship waiver. Fans are no doubt familiar with the process after Xavier Johnson received an extra season two years ago.
Goode first suggested the concept of obtaining a medical hardship waiver in an interview with TDH last April. And he said it was something the IU staff brought to his attention when they were recruiting him after he entered the transfer portal.
“They (IU) actually brought that up to me on my visit,” Goode told TDH. “I went into that year knowing that I potentially wouldn’t get it back, but the staff did bring it up that I could potentially get a fifth year. That’s 100 percent something that I would look forward to.”
On the radio broadcast of the Indiana vs. Ohio State game, IU radio voice Don Fischer amplified the possibility when he said Goode was planning to petition the NCAA for the fifth season and could be back next season.
There would be multiple potential barriers as it relates to a potential return by Goode.
First, he’d have to decide he wants to play a fifth season of college basketball for what will be a third different coach.
Second, he’d need to secure a medical hardship waiver to get an extra year of eligibility. There’s an approval process for that with the NCAA. Historically there have been two key criteria to obtain the waiver. First, the player cannot have appeared in more than 30% of their team’s games in the applicable season, and second, they cannot have appeared in the second half of that season. Recent rulings have demonstrated that these are not rigid requirements, however.
Goode played in a tick over 30% (9.9) of the games, and his 10 games in 2022-23 came at the end of the season. So he doesn’t have a clear cut case.
And the third consideration — Indiana’s new coach would have to welcome Goode back to the program. That seems like a no-brainer as Goode has been a very positive force for the Hoosiers both on and off the court. He’d be an excellent foundation for the rebuild that’s coming.
There is still much to play out here. But for now, Goode’s choice of words signals there is a continuing possibility of a return to IU for the 2025-26 season.
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