Illinois basketball buys into John Groce's system fast

A 37.6 percent shooter his first three years, Paul is shooting 48.3 percent this year. He's also 10th in the Big Ten with 3.7 assists per game, nearly double his 2.1 assists his first three years.

Another big beneficiary is 6-9 senior Tyler Griffey, who's averaging 10.9 points per game after being a 3.3-point afterthought his first three years.

"This system's been great for us," said Paul, an off guard who also spells Tracy Abrams at the point. "The type of players we have works well with this style of play."

Herb Gould