Sources: Ohio's Groce set to become new Illinois coach

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Weber is known as a strong coach, but it was obvious he lost his most recent team, the one stocked with Chicago-area players. Groce, a coffee junkie, is more intense than Weber, and that should pay off when it comes to connecting with players. But he's also more likely to let talent shine. He runs an up-tempo offense dominated by fast, athletic guards. Yeah, doesn't sound like it would fit Chicago at all.
Evan Turner, who played under Groce at Ohio State is a fan. He tweeted: "Coach Groce's offense is legit. Built for guards. The big ten is going to get even better in the future. Yessir"

[Mr. Doughnut]

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.

They were also a missed shot away from not even being in the NCAA tourney. In which case no one would even know his name. This is a two-way street kiddo.

[Louisvillekid1]

Time will tell, but seems like a fail too me.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

They were also a missed shot away from not even being in the NCAA tourney. In which case no one would even know his name. This is a two-way street kiddo.

Same for Shaka Smart, who would have been a grand slam while Groce is a 'bad hire' even though Groce actually has recruiting connections in the midwest and Smart does not.

Anyone who says Groce is a bad hire doesn't know what they're talking about. But on the bright side, they won't look stupid for a while. It'll take a while for this stupidity to be realized.

Groce is a great recruiter, and lets players run an up-tempo, guard heavy offense that can advertise their skills. You're telling me this guy won't recruit Chicago well? Please.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Time will tell, but seems like a fail too me.

[ChalkyDog]

Illinois with Groce can't pull Parker if their lives depended on it. Duke.

Only chance you had at him was Romar.

[Louisvillekid1]

First off he obvious wasn't in the top tier list of coaches they wanted, after making offers to other coaches. So they didn't get their first few choices, which is a fail IMO...

Not saying he can't win a few games, but for the money they where willing to offer, they should of reached higher...

[Inkwell77]

LOL at people thinking this guy is a great hire.

You have to be insane if you think Groce is a better coach than Stevens. It's not even really comparable. Stevens has recruited Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward to Butler and both players left early, so say Stevens were to have both those guys this year I would say they would have been a pretty good team. Stevens has recruited two future NBA players to Butler out of high school, not even from a JC. He obviously can coach. I looked at Groce and can't really find anything comparable, 1 player from a JC who played in the summer league.

People like to look at RPI so lets look at RPI, since Stevens was hired in 2007 his RPI has been
2007 - RPI - 17
2008 - RPI - 24
2009 - RPI - 12 (Final Game)
2010 - RPI - 34 (Final Game)
2011 - RPI - 116

1 bad year and 2 final games of the ncaa tournament, pretty good stuff.
Brad Stevens is a top 10 coach in this country and almost every program would want a coach of this caliber. If Brad Stevens ever leaves Butler he will end up at one of these top 5 programs:

UCLA
Kentucky
Indiana
Duke
North Carolina

[ChalkyDog]

Agreed, Stevens might still get Indiana - lord knows he was being primed for it with Crean not doing a great job. Now Tom has a winning year, and a great class coming in, Stevens to Duke when K retires seems more likely.

Either way, Illinois did not have a chance in hell at Brad.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Why do people think it matters that Stevens said no to Illinois? His wife loves being a partner in a firm in Indy. Stevens might say no to anyone but Indiana. At least Bloomington is close.

[sjm5122]

I graduated from Illinois. This hire does not do a thing for me. Our football and basketball programs have been pretty irrelevant for the past 5+ years, I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

Inkwell.. Groce has been a D1 coach for 4 years... but DJ Cooper might be in the NBA eventually.

[flyingillini]

Congrats to Matt Bollant! The New Illini Women's Basketball Coach!!!!!

[ZetaPsi808]

this guy PWAD is a good writer and trying really hard to twist/stretch facts here.

2 weeks ago he loved shaka smart and now that shaka turned them down he wants to bash shaka.

[PickWinnerAllDay]

this guy PWAD is a good writer and trying really hard to twist/stretch facts here.

2 weeks ago he loved shaka smart and now that shaka turned them down he wants to bash shaka.

Not bash... but based on the offensive and defensive schemes they both implement, Groce seems like the better option in the Big 10 and in the guard-heavy recruiting pool that Chicago is.

That being said, there is no question that Groce turned Ohio around and quickly. Shaka Smart didn't turn anything around at VCU. Anthony Grant had already built VCU into an elite CAA program and Shaka has just kept it that.