[Brock Landers]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...,4045279.story

Indications point to Ohio coach John Groce arriving in Champaign on Tuesday to become the next Illinois basketball coach, according to Tribune sources.

A flight from the Illinois airport to the Ohio University airport in Athens, Ohio, was scheduled to land at 1:47 p.m. CST. The Illinois spokesman said he was not aware of any developments in the hiring process, and said no news conference was scheduled.
Sources said Croce was expected to get the job, barring unforeseen circumstances arising. Athletic director Mike Thomas did not return a text message from the Tribune.

Groce, who has coached at Ohio since 2008, has led the Bobcats to two of the last three NCAA tournaments. They played in the Sweet 16 this season after beating Michigan and South Florida.

Groce’s MAC background falls in line with athletic director Mike Thomas’ hiring history. He has ties to the Big Ten as an assistant under Thad Matta at Ohio State.

Illinois initially offered the job to Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart and Butler’s Brad Stevens, who turned down the job, according to sources.

Thomas fired coach Bruce Weber on March 9 after nine seasons.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

I like it actually.

[Brock Landers]

I like it actually.

he doesn't blow my hair back, but lets see what he can do

[CMNoney]

Swing and huge miss by Illinois.

Might work out, but clearly they were aiming higher than this when they fired Weber.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Swing and huge miss by Illinois.

Might work out, but clearly they were aiming higher than this when they fired Weber.

99.9% of the D1 schools in the country would swing and miss on Stevens. Hes holding out for one place and he is entirely pussy whipped. His wife is partner at a firm in Indy and he won't get any poon tang if he runs off to anywhere but Bloomington.

[Frisco]

Read a story how Calipari is interested in the Knicks job and will take it if they win the ncaa championship this year. It also speculated Shaka Smart would then go to UK. Might be complete BS but it seems plausible

[ChalkyDog]

Illinois fans are gonna roll over and start spinning the positives of this. You're a fan - WTF else you gonna do, bounce to another fan base?

I don't have much of a dog in this, but my opinion - Illinois went even lower than I thought to pull a hire.

Needed to wait until UW was done playing on the year... Romar would have listened, and in comparison to this hire - he would have been worth that stupid amount of cash.

Illinois is a long way from gettin' back if this guy is your next coach.

Sad to say.

[ChalkyDog]

Man, I can't wrap my head around how South Carolina is able to pull a name coach, with nice recruiting ties into a lower profile lower paying job than Illinois.

Hell, Groce barely makes sense for SC. I'm sorry gents, but I am not even an Illini fan, just a fan of college ball in general, and this hiring saddens the shit outta me.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Illinois fans are gonna roll over and start spinning the positives of this. You're a fan - WTF else you gonna do, bounce to another fan base?

I don't have much of a dog in this, but my opinion - Illinois went even lower than I thought to pull a hire.

Needed to wait until UW was done playing on the year... Romar would have listened, and in comparison to this hire - he would have been worth that stupid amount of cash.

Illinois is a long way from gettin' back if this guy is your next coach.

Sad to say.

Just a dumb comment. There is no telling who would have done a good job. Groce could end up working out better than Shaka Smart would have. There is absolutely no way to know because I doubt you have been in the same room with him while he is recruiting a kid.

If he can put together a good staff (Jerrance Howard/Robert Smith), since he is considered a great recruiter, Illinois will be in a very good position.

Think about it... most people are way too focused on tournament success from one year to the next. Here is the truth, if the tournament isn't expanded from 65 to 68, no one in the country even knows who Shaka Smart is.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Man, I can't wrap my head around how South Carolina is able to pull a name coach, with nice recruiting ties into a lower profile lower paying job than Illinois.

Hell, Groce barely makes sense for SC. I'm sorry gents, but I am not even an Illini fan, just a fan of college ball in general, and this hiring saddens the shit outta me.

If you think Illinois would have touched Frank Martin, you are kidding yourself.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

You have to understand that Anthony Grant built up VCU and left it in great shape for Shaka Smart... and even then, he had to scratch and claw his way into the tournament both years and he is some kind of legend now? Its all well and good but it is not reality.

Groce took over a below average MAC team and got them 3 tournament wins in 4 years, when they only had 4 in their history. Based on their resources, Groce's performance was more impressive.

[ChalkyDog]

PWAD, spin all you want brother.

This Groce hire is akin to signaling for a hit and run, and grounding into a fielders choice. You just replaced one mope for the next, and are not any better off.

You are going to "grocely" overpay for this cat's services.

And you're right, I don't know how he is going to work out. The guy could be the next Bill Self. With that said, it's a shame that a brand like Illinois can't get anything more than a prospect based on blind faith.

The Illinois' brand, with the money it is offering, if nothing else, should be able to win the press conference, and give the fan-base something to puff their chests out about, knowing without a doubt, they are in a better spot than when they had Weber. You guys can't do that, and it is a damn shame.

Real bad play. AD was lost on this one.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Bruce Weber couldn't beat Michigan with 5 times the talent on board and Groce beat Michigan with Ohio and basically one decent player.

It is all about coaching. Groce appears to know how to coach. Weber appears to not know what the fukk he was doing the last 4 years.

Honestly, if we land Shaka Smart and he is successful, hes gone in 3 years and we have to pray for another successful hire.

If we land Groce and hes successful, he'll probably stay for a long time.

The risk/reward needs to add up and what is the point of getting guys that are just going to use us as a stepping stone program if they are successful?

[ChalkyDog]

Bruce Weber couldn't beat Michigan with 5 times the talent on board and Groce beat Michigan with Ohio and basically one decent player.

It is all about coaching. Groce appears to know how to coach. Weber appears to not know what the fukk he was doing the last 4 years.

Honestly, if we land Shaka Smart and he is successful, hes gone in 3 years and we have to pray for another successful hire.

If we land Groce and hes successful, he'll probably stay for a long time.

The risk/reward needs to add up and what is the point of getting guys that are just going to use us as a stepping stone program if they are successful?

C'mon man - Weber's game plan was played out. UM didn't have the book on Ohio or Groce like they did on Weber. Mid-majors are able to get a decent run in these tourneys, because the big boys take them lighter, and have a lot less scout time on them.

You complained about everyone being all up on Shaka, because of some fluke runs recently, and everyone is stuck in the immediate. How the fukk are you able to distinguish that from Groce even being able to sniff this gig?

Dude won a game or three in the dance, and now he is good enough for a top 15-20 gig? Please.

[flyingillini]

Long Live Groce!!! He is our hero and Jimmy and Wayne also think it's a great hire... Groce is our man!!!!!!!!!! ILL INI ILL INI ILL INI ILL INI.... I can see Brock smirking all the way to Quincy as we speak!!!

[PickWinnerAllDay]

C'mon man - Weber's game plan was played out. UM didn't have the book on Ohio or Groce like they did on Weber. Mid-majors are able to get a decent run in these tourneys, because the big boys take them lighter, and have a lot less scout time on them.

You complained about everyone being all up on Shaka, because of some fluke runs recently, and everyone is stuck in the immediate. How the fukk are you able to distinguish that from Groce even being able to sniff this gig?

Dude won a game or three in the dance, and now he is good enough for a top 15-20 gig? Please.

3 wins in 4 years for a program with 4 wins in their history is impressive.

A coach should be judged based on what he did with what hes got. Groce did a lot with a little. If he can continue that success here, he'll do a ton with a lot. He is a tireless recruiter and that is what we need.

[ChalkyDog]

Man, this is your team. So rally around the flag, and your new man Groce. It's just a sad day when Illinois fans have to be grasping at straws trying to convince themselves, that their new multi-million dollar leader, was what you all wanted.

Think back a week, and if you heard Groce was the guy - you would have been pissed the fukk off. Hell, a week ago, PWAD was slurping Shaka, now the dude is calling him a flash in the pan chump.

It's your coach, you gotta live with him, but this is in no way a hire befitting a top 20 program.

[ChalkyDog]

Illinois didn't have much of a shot at Jabari Parker anyway. The kid seems to be tagged for Duke.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Just looking at the facts... Groce took a bad program and turned it into probably the best program in the MAC based on where they're at now.

Shaka Smart took a good VCU program and continued to keep it good. How is that more impressive? Like I said... if the tournament isn't expanded from 65 to 68, you don't know who the fukk Shaka Smart is. No one does. And instead of dreaming of the Kentucky job, he is wondering if he is good enough for the Virginia Tech potential opening.

[jjgold]

Illinois has no talent to compete at a high level in any sport

[Brock Landers]

Illinois has no talent to compete at a high level in any sport

hopefully we get there now!

[zoo youk]

Great hire for Illinois. Groce is a great coach. Not often you see teams like Ohio get to sweet 16 twice in last three years with no NBA talent.

[HoulihansTX]

Great hire for Illinois. Groce is a great coach. Not often you see teams like Ohio get to sweet 16 twice in last three years with no NBA talent.

They made it once, but he still deserves credit for being a consistent coach. Means he can recruit.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Great hire for Illinois. Groce is a great coach. Not often you see teams like Ohio get to sweet 16 twice in last three years with no NBA talent.

The more I think about it, the more I like it. He is considered a great recruiter and the big difference I see from him and not Weber is enthusiasm and he inspires people. I listened to his pep talk at the half against UNC when they were down and he fired them up and they should have won that game and made it to the elite 8.

If Groce can get the more talented players at Illinois to buy into his system and what he is selling like he did at Ohio, he will be very successful here.

Weber's half time pep talks sound like he is talking at a funeral the way nobody responds. I don't think anyone wanted to play for Weber... I think the recruits Illinois DID land went there because of Jerrance Howard.. he was the lead recruiter on almost all of them and I think as long as Illinois retains Howard than they will be positioned to win.

[Ralphie1412]

What a desperate hire. Guy has made one run. Pathetic.

Illinois looks bad.

[zoo youk]

What a desperate hire. Guy has made one run. Pathetic.

Illinois looks bad.

no they beat Georgetown few years ago first round wasn't just this year

[flyingillini]

Illinois has no talent to compete at a high level in any sport

We were national champions in men's Tennis and other sports on recent years!

[CollegeOverUnder]

As an illini fan this was a sad hire but probably a blessing in disquise

[InTheDrink]

It's official!

[Mr. Doughnut]

This article says it all. What a joke this job search became.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...-illinois-fans

And I understand the Illini fans being excited. It's your team, you're going to be excited if they hired a turd. I understand that. But to sit there and try to say you are completely satisfied with how this went down is ridiculous. Even further to sit here and trash on guys that you once gushed over (As in Shaka, and yes, I'm looking at you PickWAD), just makes you all look like loonies. It's time to get a grip. Illinois is not an ELITE job. The rest of the college basketball world has weighed in, and it's time to accept your place in the current college basketball landscape.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

This article says it all. What a joke this job search became.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...-illinois-fans

And I understand the Illini fans being excited. It's your team, you're going to be excited if they hired a turd. I understand that. But to sit there and try to say you are completely satisfied with how this went down is ridiculous. Even further to sit here and trash on guys that you once gushed over (As in Shaka, and yes, I'm looking at you PickWAD), just makes you all look like loonies. It's time to get a grip. Illinois is not an ELITE job. The rest of the college basketball world has weighed in, and it's time to accept your place in the current college basketball landscape.

You're an idiot. Groce is probably a better get than anyone else that was available besides Stevens and Smart... the fact Illinois didn't get coaches who want top 5 jobs or bust does not mean they are not a top job.

You should do a little research on Groce. You sound ignorant.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Here is something that is very big to the Illini program.

Jabari Parker is very close with Ohio star DJ Cooper... Cooper told Parker that Groce lets them play and show what they can do at the next level and is a 'great coach.'

That is very big for Chicago players like Jabari Parker who are hopeful 1 and dones. People who are writing off Groce know very little about him.

Another thing to consider is that Ohio was a missed shot at the buzzer of regulation from going to the elite 8 this year and they have zero seniors on the team so this team should be very good next year as well.

I fail to see how Groce has done less than Shaka Smart. Arguably, he has done more with less resources. Anthony Grant left the VCU program in pretty good shape.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

All indications are that John Groce is going to accept the head coaching job at the University of Illinois, as soon as the finer details are worked out.
And the bickering that goes along with that move has already started.
Chicago Public League coaches claim to have no idea who Groce is (even though he convinced a Chicago boy, albeit from the Catholic League, to come play for the Bobcats). Illini alums are worried that the coaching search has been haphazard. And Illinois AD Mike Thomas has never really had the support of the board of trustees.
But here is the thing: Groce is a better candidate than any of the other names that have come through the door to interview for the job.

Sure, Groce is the current flavor of the month in college basketball. He is the this year's Brad Stevens, or Shaka Smart. He led a team with a double-digit seed into the Sweet 16, so he must be a great coach.Sometimes it is the case that coaches have a good team. Just ask Dan Monson about that.
But Groce has built success at Ohio, a success driven by his recruiting and team building skills, not by a flash in the pan.
D.J. Cooper might have been the driving force behind Ohio's run to the Sweet 16, but he had help from Walter Offutt and Nick Kellogg in the tournament. Reggie Keely made huge contributions during the MAC Tournament to get Ohio to the tournament in the first place.
Cooper is the star, but there is a strong foundation around him.
Smart and Stevens have built the same kind of success at their schools, but there is a definitive difference between Groce and the two candidates who spurned the Illini.
Groce has experience in the Big Ten as an assistant for Thad Matta at Ohio State. He helped recruit at the highest levels. He has gone from the Butler, to Xavier, to Ohio State, understanding how things work at every level, learning what types of players he should be targeting at every step. Smart may have been an assistant with Clemson and Florida, but he didn't get the breadth and depth of experience that Groce had with Matta.
There is a big difference between the guys that you go after at Xavier and Ohio State. The level of recruit is different, in the same way that there is a difference in the level of recruit between Virginia Commonwealth and Virginia, or Butler and Indiana.
Smart and Stevens might have a chance to get a better level of recruit now, but it would be a rarity.
That Groce is an "unknown" in Chicago shouldn't matter, at least not right now.
Recruiting relationships take time; they aren't built overnight by just a hire. If Illinois were that concerned about recruiting the city (and no, getting top junior Jabari Parker to come to Illinois will not change the fortunes of the Illini), they wouldn't be looking at mid-major coaches outside the area. They would be looking at big names, or assistants who are already recruiting the area, college coaches already with a firm connection to the city.
But you can win at Illinois without the top stars from the city, who are more likely to spurn the state school for bigger programs elsewhere.
Groce can build those relationships if need be. He has done so in the past with Ohio State, and he is still a name around Ohio. Yes, Illinois might look like Ohio State-West for a year or two, in terms of the home state of players coming in. But Groce has established connections in Columbus, and around the state.
He will just be talking to the top player on a team, as opposed to the second or third best guy.
Things will change in Chicago. Groce and his assistants will come into the city more and more. The coaches who think he is a nobody now will learn what he and his program stand for. Chicago will open for Illinois and its likely head coach.
It will take time, time that Illinois will have to give Groce to build things his way. It won't be easy with the way the Illini fans overreact to every breath a player takes, but it needs to work itself out.
There are no quick fixes, not even if they are named Smart or Stevens.
There is only a process and his name is John Groce.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Recruiting

* He likes to go after guys that can shoot and penetrate. Although he took a couple of guys at Ohio he might not ordinarily take, he generally likes higher-character guys. He's an aggressive recruiter but his claim to fame is how well he builds relationships. I know several players when he was at Ohio State that called him 3, 4, 5 times or even everyday of the week. His best roots are in the state of Indiana, but he's a very down-to-earth personality that I sense will work hard at building relationships in Illinois.

Offense

* He'll probably run the four-out, one-in offense as he's been exposed to a lot of that with Thad Matta and, to a lesser extent, having some of the spacing principles coaching with Herb Sendek in his version of the Princeton. Nonetheless, you'll see a lot of dribble-weave offense and good spacing with high ball screens. You'll see a lot of drive-and-kick like they ran at Ohio this year, though it will be less dependent on 3-point shooting once he gets better athletes in to run the offense.

Defense

* He's pretty big on man defense. I don't think you'll see a lot of zone when he can avoid it. Last I knew, he was big on switching ball screens 1-3 and sometimes 1-4. Again, that's when the personnel allows. If he gets the 6-6, 6-7 versatile players that he probably will be targeting, I think you'll see a lot of that.

His teams won't be the fastest tempo, but they won't be deliberate either. They'll run when given opportunities but work hard for the best possible shots when not.

As his players have already attested, he's a player's coach that gives a lot of freedom to take shots within the flow of the offense. You're going to see a lot of trust in his best guys to make plays.

--- This is all anti-Weber pretty much. The real reason Weber missed out on top notch Chicago talent is because he is the opposite of a player's coach. Players hated him. They only came to Illinois for Jerrance Howard, who hopefully Groce is able to convince to stay.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

So here is what I know about Groce:
Illinois is getting a top-flight recruiter. Groce didn't get this job with coaching chops alone. If you care about meaningless awards, Rivals.com named him recruiter of the year in 2006 when he landed Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Daequan Cook, which resulted in a NCAA finals appearance. Check out Ohio State in the Final Four this weekend. Groce was still on staff when most of the current team was being recruited.
Don't believe the noise, especially for them, that Chicago coaches won't like him. They will like him just fine, once they meet him. He will recruit Chicago better than the Illinois coaches that preceded him. His assistants (according to the Chicago Tribune, some of the holdup was due to his salary demands for them) and Jerrance Howard (if he stays) will complement Groce, who does fine on his own.
Groce got D.J. Cooper, the feisty Chicago point guard, to commit to Ohio by leading the recruiting charge himself. He first saw Cooper play for Meanstreets AAU club shortly after getting the Ohio job, and summarily impressed Cooper's then-assistant coach at Seton Academy, Brandon Thomas.
"Ohio doesn't get D.J. if Groce is not recruiting himself," Thomas said. "He showed he wasn't too big to drop by school himself."
Cooper isn't Jabari Parker, the crown prince of Chicago, but I have a feeling Groce will have a shot with Chicago's best players. Cooper has been telling people that Groce will do very well in his hometown, and tweeted congratulations to current Illinois guard D.J. Richardson.
More on Groce's hiring

ESPNChicago.com
They might have stumbled on John Groce, but the Illini will be glad they found him, writes Jon Greenberg. Story
• Groce's 6 objectives
• Simeon coach as assistant?
• Ten recruiting targets
• No reason he can't win
• Colleges blog | ESPNChicago.com

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"He is a fantastic recruiter, fantastic," ESPN analyst and Indianapolis radio host Dan Dakich said on the "Waddle & Silvy" Show Monday on ESPN 1000. "No messing around. No, 'Well, he doesn't do this.' Terrific, terrific in people's homes, terrific in terms of being able to evaluate."




You really can't find someone who knows him that will say a negative word about him as a coach/recruiter.