New Illinois coach John Groce opens up a goal new world

"We have to get three things done," he said when asked how he'll measure success this season. "We have to [develop] a culture of toughness and togetherness. Second, we need to develop a defensive mind-set, where we care as much or more about getting stops as [offense]. And third, [we have to embrace] the concept that every day matters. Every practice, every workout, every single thing matters. We can't have bad days. I don't do bad days. Those are the three most important things to establish here in Year 1."

That's a mouthful. But so far, so good.

"He's great," senior guard D.J. Richardson said of his new coach. "He's young, he has energy. You see him in the weight room. You even see him tweet a little bit."

Herb Gould