What baffles me about Groce is how much he talks about wanting to give his players freedom and the ability to just play. But more often than not, he looks like the ol Weber himself yelling at players to do this or do that. There definitely wasn't much freedom there for Hill in that possession.
Ohio State 68, Illinois 63 (OT) POSTGAME
What baffles me about Groce is how much he talks about wanting to give his players freedom and the ability to just play. But more often than not, he looks like the ol Weber himself yelling at players to do this or do that. There definitely wasn't much freedom there for Hill in that possession.
I had originally predicted 7, but agree we are probably looking at 5 wins now in the conference.
Also agree in that I do not get the optimism for next season. Think we are a bubble team at best next year healthy. Not a lot of faith in the staff to position these guys any better than that.
matt1all
- Chicago, IL
247 has him rated at 116....he grew up in Cedar rapids
Hmmm lets see. National analyst? Yup! So we have to listen to him, right? That was your criteria. Appeals to authority are fun! Oh and he's an Illinois grad, who actually knows what's going on here!
Face it, you're upset because the writing is on the wall for a coach you've decided to hitch your wagon to. I'm an Illinois fan, not a John Groce fan, or a fan of any coach before the program. I've been a fan since 1985. This is an embarrassment.
IT may have something to do with evaluating talent and coaching, but That's just a guess.
I think my frustration is more with the shot selection, execution, and basketball IQ that Nunn, Hill and the rest of our team have at times. Even when Hill and Nunn are having "good games" they have at least 4-5 shots a game that I just cringe when I watch them. Even one's that go in. I just have a hard time watching bad basketball. And we can complain all we want that it isn't Groce's fault that we aren't making free throw, or jump shots, or executing on offense, but at the end of the day, when it is consistently happening, the buck has to stop somewhere. And unfortunately, you can't look any further than Groce for the probable problem.
You might want to read up on the history of Uthoff's recruitment and his path to Iowa.
Jabber Jabber
- Champaign, IL
That was some of the worst basketball I've seen in a long time - from both teams. If I were an Ohio State fan, I'd' be ripping my hair out every game with as many dumb decisions, careless turnovers and bad shots the Buckeyes take possession to possession. And somehow they still beat Illinois on the road. 
Good point, Uthoff's journey did not begin in Iowa City....
BananaShampoo
Captain 'Paign
- Phoenix, AZ
Yep. I was in school from '98 to '02. Some of the best times for both major sports. We had the '98 MicronPC bowl for football and then that awesome Sugar Bowl season and of course awesome Kruger and Self teams with Frankie and Cookie leading the way. Things were great and only looking better on the b-ball side after that. Then DWill and co left for the NBA, Dee and Augie graduated, and BW completely failed to capitalize on Illini basketball being on the highest of highs pulling a string of really weak classes. Seriously still don't know how he could have effed that up so badly - and now here we are. :tsk:
I give Groce a pass for the injuries, but I just haven't seen the coaching chops I was hoping to when he was hired. He talks a good game but doesn't back it up with anything coherent. He was supposed to be a math guy, using statistical analysis to optimize what we were doing, but I don't see how the application of anything that he's done has made the team better. Maybe it's a failed experiment and he doesn't have the ability to instill fundamental basketball strategy into his philosophy. All I know is that, as someone else alluded to in another post or thread (can't remember), there is no identity. And maybe that's his biggest flaw. All I know is he needs to come up with one, and fast, because without that it's tough to sell what you've got, and he desperately needs to be able to sell it to these '16 and '17 recruits or he's not going to be here come next April.
I know this has all been said before, and ad nauseum, but for some reason tonight, after watching another close loss, I felt the need to vent after sadly feeling almost numbness and emptiness (apathy?) about the team I've so dearly loved for the past few decades.
I do believe Carlton Bragg Jr. summed it up best when he said before he committed something along the lines of...Even if I don't go to UofI I'll still be in contact with Groce, he's a great guy. Groce seems like a guy you want on your staff as an assistant like he was at Butler and OSU but head coaching doesn't seem to suit him. You need to be well rounded in all categories (recruiting, defense schemes, offensive schemes, in game decisions, etc.) Groce may have a few of these areas down but if you don't have all of them, it's really tough to coach at a high level like the Big Ten. I like Groce and will continue to root for the Illini through thick and thin but if it's Groce's time to go, then I can accept a new chapter in Illinois basketball. Go Illini. Let's be spoilers this year and salvage some good wins. Keep the wheels on the road and move on. At least nobody can call us Illinois supporters fair weather fans.
I've felt the same way. We do take quite a few bad shots and it has been a problem since year 1 of Groce. I gave it a pass the first 2 years, because the word was that great players were going to want to play in this kind of system and Groce was going to recruit those great talents, but obviously it hasn't worked. I believe he preaches that any shot is a good shot or something like that. He's pretty much the anti-Weber in that regard. I do believe there needs to be some accountability when it comes to bad shots and bad decisions for everyone, including Hill and Nunn. We take way too many low quality shots to be a consistent offensive team. When they go in, you look great, but when they most often don't, you look like a bad high school team.
Krush was awesome tonight. Sad they don't have more to cheer for, but they bring it regardless.
Uthoff went to Wisconsin and eventually transferred. There is still hope that we t get KBD back in state, but not banking on it
Free throws cost us that game...
Not coaching...
Not Ted Valentine
Not coaching...
Not Ted Valentine
At this rate 5-13 seems like an optimistic estimate for our B1G record this year, which should put us somewhere around 11th in the league. Simply unacceptable.
Yes I have. Made a comment about it in the game thread when he did it in the first half. It's almost like he gets airborne and realizes he's way off line from being square to the hoop, stuck in no man's land, so he shoves it up there. Usually happens around the left elbow when he tries a turnaround shot over his left shoulder turning in towards the middle of the lane. He needs to turn the other way over his right shoulder, it's more natural for a RH shooter.
We tried that and lost
This team will find a way to lose. Liked the fight at the end & it seemed like we got hosed on some weird calls--but not calling a TO at the end of regulation and drawing up a play is just idiotic. Hill is having a horrible night--KN & JCL are making all the plays to drag us back in the game. And we run isolation with MH (who has a more athletic defender on him)--no screen, no action anywhere.
On a good note--the game looked great on TV! Crowd looked great, good looking floor--it's going to be awesome in there if we can ever get a coach again.
On a good note--the game looked great on TV! Crowd looked great, good looking floor--it's going to be awesome in there if we can ever get a coach again.
Yep...I'd say we lead B10 in student sections...keep it up...awesome.