10/18 John Groce & player interviews

Dan · Oct 18, 2012, 06:07 PM

mdonsbach · Oct 18, 2012, 06:14 PM

Been waiting for these too!

Dan · Oct 18, 2012, 06:27 PM

Quote:

"Success is like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you get tired. You quit when the gorilla gets tired!" -John Groce quote of the day

http://twitter.com/momash09

Dan · Oct 18, 2012, 07:26 PM

Some of the things Groce said in the video-

On grading the players in the Orange & Blue Scrimmage-

"We'll chart everything. There's two parts to it- One is statistics and the other part is just the coaches' feel or insticts of how tough are ya, how together are ya, body language. Those types of things that don't show up on a stats sheet.

"We'll grade out the film especially on the defensive end. And we'll grad our transition defense and post defense, and ability to keep the ball in front. Our positioning on defense. We'll grade out all those things and evaluate where we're at and try to get better from there."

Any expectations on how they'll grade out Monday?

"No, it's still early. We're in that learning curve where everything's new, offense is new, defense is new. It's like having 14 freshmen, other than the fact that we've got some older guys that are experienced in terms of playing college basketball. But the system itself -- offense and defense -- is new and they've done a great job of picking it up so far.

"Biggest thing that I expect on Monday is that we compete our tails off. That, and that we play together."

Who are you going to matchup against one another?

"We're going to toy around with it. We'll have 3-4 eight minute scrimmages. We'll change the lineups in all of those. That way we've got guys playing in different lineups, playing with different people. I think it's important that we get a feel for what groups play well together and who plays well with one another. The only way you do that is by adjusting the lineup, and we'll do that throughout the 3-4 scrimmages."

How nice is it to be in season finally?

"It's great. This is a great time of year.

"I love the first two weeks. This is as important a time as any in the entire basketball season. You start to develop your identity. You start to -- in this case with a new team -- you're teaching offense and defense. From a system standpoint it's as if you're coaching 14 freshmen. This is all new to them, in terms of our style of play. That part's exciting."

Dan · Oct 18, 2012, 07:29 PM

Quote:

The Flowgame offense

Rob McColley

Dan · Oct 18, 2012, 07:55 PM

illini80 · Oct 18, 2012, 07:59 PM

Thanks Dan! Been waiting a long time for basketball season to roll around again.

Groundhogday · Oct 19, 2012, 12:40 AM

Rob McColley is a horrid interviewer. Talk about leading questions.

kuhl84 · Oct 19, 2012, 05:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

Rob McColley is a horrid interviewer. Talk about leading questions.

Yea, no agenda in that interview at all:rolleyes:

Ransom Stoddard · Oct 19, 2012, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

Rob McColley is a horrid interviewer. Talk about leading questions.

When I see a video that has Berardini in it, and then I see McColley's byline, its an instant pass.

justsomedude · Oct 19, 2012, 09:48 AM

Love this from DJ on Myke Henry

"Myke Henry is playing good. For his size he’s banging down low with the bigs. His footwork got a lot better, he can still shoot the ball, he’s been doing a good job down low, getting a lot of offensive rebounds. He’s tough, he’s a dog, and we need him to do more of that, be that dirty guy, dirty nasty guy to get in there"

I really think he has the 2nd or 3rd highest upside on the team and if he's buying in and contributing it really could bode well for the next three years.

thenoodler · Oct 19, 2012, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by justsomedude

Love this from DJ on Myke Henry

"Myke Henry is playing good. For his size he’s banging down low with the bigs. His footwork got a lot better, he can still shoot the ball, he’s been doing a good job down low, getting a lot of offensive rebounds. He’s tough, he’s a dog, and we need him to do more of that, be that dirty guy, dirty nasty guy to get in there"

I really think he has the 2nd or 3rd highest upside on the team and if he's buying in and contributing it really could bode well for the next three years.

Saw on another message board, that, when pressed, Groce listed Henry as a starter if the season started today. This is excellent news! I believe Henry has the most potential of any of the members of the 2011 recruiting class, though Abrams and Egwu have produce more to date.

Henry has a knack for rebounding (especially on the offensive end). Hopefully, Groce can continue to motivate him. If Henry is good enough to be our starting 4, a guy like McLaurin is able to fit a role better suited to his skills within the Groce scheme.

Henry's potential re-emergence is the best news I've heard yet with respect to this year's team.

Cool Hand Luke · Oct 19, 2012, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groundhogday

Rob McColley is a horrid interviewer. Talk about leading questions.

Can anyone explain to me why this guy is allowed access to players?

Ress · Oct 19, 2012, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

Can anyone explain to me why this guy is allowed access to players?

He has a column he writes for a website.

Ransom Stoddard · Oct 19, 2012, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ress

He has a column he writes for a website.

That doesn't explain why the DIA gives him credentials.

WesterveltVictoryCigar · Oct 19, 2012, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

Can anyone explain to me why this guy is allowed access to players?

IIRC Mommy is well connected.

Sure Shot · Oct 19, 2012, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ransom Stoddard

That doesn't explain why the DIA gives him credentials.

Dealing with folks like McColley who are trying to get you to say a certain thing is all in a day's work for our coaches and players, they can handle it.

I just don't understand why anyone would still be wanting to read about Bruce Weber conspiracy theories and hit pieces. They had their place the last couple of years, but that's all over now.

Sure Shot · Oct 19, 2012, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WesterveltVictoryCigar

IIRC Mommy is well connected.

It doesn't take a lot to get credentials from the DIA. I worked with WPGU a million years ago and very occasionally got a credential, and I still get e-mails from the SID's that have sign-ups for credentials.

justsomedude · Oct 19, 2012, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thenoodler

Saw on another message board, that, when pressed, Groce listed Henry as a starter if the season started today. This is excellent news! I believe Henry has the most potential of any of the members of the 2011 recruiting class, though Abrams and Egwu have produce more to date.

Henry has a knack for rebounding (especially on the offensive end). Hopefully, Groce can continue to motivate him. If Henry is good enough to be our starting 4, a guy like McLaurin is able to fit a role better suited to his skills within the Groce scheme.

Henry's potential re-emergence is the best news I've heard yet with respect to this year's team.

There would be one other big benefit to Henry (and Shaw) really showing some development this year. If Colbert says no, it really gives you more flexibility to not reach on a fifth freshman in the spring. If you can get a 5th year guy, or a real difference maker (due to a coaching change or something) great, but if not roll the ride and have more balance. If Henry and Shaw prove capable, that helps a ton.

Peoria Illini Fan · Oct 19, 2012, 12:13 PM

I would have rather had an article on the Flowgame offense as opposed to another rip on the motion offense.

Anyone have anything about the Flowgame offense?

PIF

Illini70math · Oct 19, 2012, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peoria Illini Fan

I would have rather had an article on the Flowgame offense as opposed to another rip on the motion offense.

Anyone have anything about the Flowgame offense?

PIF

Groce's offense uses a lot of Mike D'antoni's principles, so a look at D'antoni's offense should give you some ideas of this offense compared to the ball-control motion offense we used in 2005, say:

http://knickerblogger.net/what-is-mi...ffense-part-i/

These points could be key for us:

"A couple of points I want to emphasize:

The dribbler on the pick and roll has to make a lot of tough decisions, but outside of him, the thing that sets SSOL apart from other pick and roll offenses is, in my opinion, that it demands less decision making to get a good shot. It increases the probability (by spreading the floor and moving quickly) that the first pass will lead to a high percentage shot.

SSOL does not thrive off of guys who are good at scoring on their own. Players who score for themselves are unnecessary, as SSOL is designed so that when players catch the ball, they already have the advantage."

Peoria Illini Fan · Oct 19, 2012, 02:50 PM

thanks math!

AzIlliniFan · Oct 19, 2012, 04:19 PM

I understand that JG's system borrows heavily from D'Antoni's. All I can say from watching the Suns play here while he was the coach is that they were always fun to watch on offense, always. I only hope that JG devotes a lot more time to coaching the defense than D'Antoni.

Cool Hand Luke · Oct 19, 2012, 06:15 PM

I don't really know where else to put this and this seems like as good a spot as any since there are so many other videos. I had forgotten DJ Richardson could actually do this. Hopefully we see more of this kind of stuff this year...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZHi1anENJY

And a bonus from Joe B and BP3...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeiF9fnyp7A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grCBcz4mY5M

Dan: Sorry if these shouldn't go here. Also, I need to figure how to embed YouTube videos.

WesterveltVictoryCigar · Oct 19, 2012, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cool Hand Luke

Also, I need to figure how to embed YouTube videos.

Just stick the end of the URL, i.e. "grCBcz4mY5M" in that last one in the youtube tag.

Oct 18, 2012, 06:14 PM	#2
mdonsbach Location: Bethalto, IL Posts: 1,257	Been waiting for these too! __________________ Twitter

Oct 19, 2012, 12:40 AM	#8
Groundhogday Posts: 18,074	Rob McColley is a horrid interviewer. Talk about leading questions. __________________ ONLY ORANGE!

Oct 19, 2012, 06:15 PM	#24
Cool Hand Luke Founder, Mike Thomas Fan Club Location: Tuscola, IL Posts: 709	I don't really know where else to put this and this seems like as good a spot as any since there are so many other videos. I had forgotten DJ Richardson could actually do this. Hopefully we see more of this kind of stuff this year... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZHi1anENJY And a bonus from Joe B and BP3... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeiF9fnyp7A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grCBcz4mY5M Dan: Sorry if these shouldn't go here. Also, I need to figure how to embed YouTube videos. __________________ "The freight train is moving. Either jump on or get off." - John Groce Last edited by Cool Hand Luke; Oct 19, 2012 at 06:20 PM. Reason: Evidently I don't know how to embed videos here.

Oct 18, 2012, 06:07 PM	#1
Dan Admin Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 25,886

Oct 18, 2012, 07:26 PM	#4
Dan Admin Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 25,886	Some of the things Groce said in the video- On grading the players in the Orange & Blue Scrimmage- "We'll chart everything. There's two parts to it- One is statistics and the other part is just the coaches' feel or insticts of how tough are ya, how together are ya, body language. Those types of things that don't show up on a stats sheet. "We'll grade out the film especially on the defensive end. And we'll grad our transition defense and post defense, and ability to keep the ball in front. Our positioning on defense. We'll grade out all those things and evaluate where we're at and try to get better from there." Any expectations on how they'll grade out Monday? "No, it's still early. We're in that learning curve where everything's new, offense is new, defense is new. It's like having 14 freshmen, other than the fact that we've got some older guys that are experienced in terms of playing college basketball. But the system itself -- offense and defense -- is new and they've done a great job of picking it up so far. "Biggest thing that I expect on Monday is that we compete our tails off. That, and that we play together." Who are you going to matchup against one another? "We're going to toy around with it. We'll have 3-4 eight minute scrimmages. We'll change the lineups in all of those. That way we've got guys playing in different lineups, playing with different people. I think it's important that we get a feel for what groups play well together and who plays well with one another. The only way you do that is by adjusting the lineup, and we'll do that throughout the 3-4 scrimmages." How nice is it to be in season finally? "It's great. This is a great time of year. "I love the first two weeks. This is as important a time as any in the entire basketball season. You start to develop your identity. You start to -- in this case with a new team -- you're teaching offense and defense. From a system standpoint it's as if you're coaching 14 freshmen. This is all new to them, in terms of our style of play. That part's exciting."

Oct 18, 2012, 07:55 PM	#6
Dan Admin Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 25,886

Oct 18, 2012, 07:59 PM	#7
illini80 Location: Forgottonia Posts: 2,896	Thanks Dan! Been waiting a long time for basketball season to roll around again.

Oct 19, 2012, 09:48 AM	#11
justsomedude Posts: 1,342	Love this from DJ on Myke Henry "Myke Henry is playing good. For his size he’s banging down low with the bigs. His footwork got a lot better, he can still shoot the ball, he’s been doing a good job down low, getting a lot of offensive rebounds. He’s tough, he’s a dog, and we need him to do more of that, be that dirty guy, dirty nasty guy to get in there" I really think he has the 2nd or 3rd highest upside on the team and if he's buying in and contributing it really could bode well for the next three years.

Oct 19, 2012, 12:13 PM	#20
Peoria Illini Fan Posts: 20	I would have rather had an article on the Flowgame offense as opposed to another rip on the motion offense. Anyone have anything about the Flowgame offense? PIF

Oct 19, 2012, 02:50 PM	#22
Peoria Illini Fan Posts: 20	thanks math!

Oct 19, 2012, 04:19 PM	#23
AzIlliniFan Posts: 2,043	I understand that JG's system borrows heavily from D'Antoni's. All I can say from watching the Suns play here while he was the coach is that they were always fun to watch on offense, always. I only hope that JG devotes a lot more time to coaching the defense than D'Antoni.