John Groce out to build trusting relationships in Illinois

"We'd be foolish not to recruit and develop relationships (in Chicago)," Groce said at a media stop here Monday. "We want that brand of the University of Illinois resonating inside of our state, whether that's in Chicago or Springfield or Bloomington or Peoria. At the end of the day, it's about building trusting relationships."

Groce expects some prospects to take unofficial visits at Illinois this weekend.

He said he looks for competitiveness, a desire to improve and an importance on earning a degree out of the players he recruits. Groce talks frequently of "fit."

Shannon Ryan