The issue with Brad is he has a 31-45 high major conference record without Kofi Cockburn.
Illini Basketball
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The issue with Brad is he has a 31-45 high major conference record without Kofi Cockburn.
You don’t think having to rebuild had something to do with that?
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Right. The dumpster fire he inherited is irrelevant. Brilliant.
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
I don't think you know what that means.
John Groce went 18-14 (8-10) in the Big 10 the year he was fired. It’s revisionist history to claim that’s a “dumpster fire”. It was a mediocre Big 10 team, that Underwood somehow made worse before Kofi arrived.
Before Kofi arrived, Underwood in conference went:
4–14
7-13
After Kofi leaves, Underwood goes:
20–13 (11-9). A record better than what got Groce fired for, but not that much better.
Before Kofi arrived, Underwood in conference went:
4–14
7-13
After Kofi leaves, Underwood goes:
20–13 (11-9). A record better than what got Groce fired for, but not that much better.
I think he was talking about the OP excluding the years that we had Kofi.
You know Malcolm Hill left after that year right? So the team that underwood coached the following year was significantly worse. It's not revisionist history at all.
Did you expect a first year coach to make a roster that lost its top 4 scorers better?
Joel Goodson
- respect my decision™
Ransom Stoddard
Ordained Dudeist Priest
- Bloomington, IL
John Groce went 15-19 and 5-13 the year before he was fired, and 19-14/9-9 the year before that. He never won 20 games in a season with his own recruits (which were clearly not high D1 caliber), but you're going to blast Underwood for not turning Groce's roster into world beaters in a year?
Serious question--Did Underwood drive over your dog or steal your mail or something? Cuz this is some serious axe grinding based on a very subjective interpretation of facts.
InDaAZ
- Eugene, Oregon
I think you think I was referring to your post instead of to the post on top.
I was agreeing with you & WyattEarp…
I think.
ChiefGritty
- Chicago, IL
That team should have been much, much better than it was.
It has been a bumpy ride but the fullness of their tenures has shown very, very clearly the relative caliber of Groce and Underwood as coaches.
Underwood, even this year, keeps winning the kinds of gutty slugfest games against good teams that post-Dee Weber and Groce virtually never did.
your right it was a HUGE dumpster fire. The cupboard was f'ing bare when BU got here
2017-2018? They had Leron Black and not much else.
With a very good class coming in. dumpster fire is not where the program was
Trent was great as a freshman, DMFW eventually became a big time contributor, other than that what was so good about that class?
The starting five of that first year team was freshman Trent, Te'Jon Lucas, Mark Alstork, Leron Black, and Michael Finke. Sorry man, that was a bad team. I mean Greg Eboigbodin started two games.
I’m not impugning Brad’s coaching if what stayed, but Groce had more coming back on the court than just Black. Jordan, JCL and kipper, plus a stud class coming in. They didn’t all come and JCL left when Groce was fired, but it was not a “dumpster fire” under him when he got fired. I’m very glad he got fired but I agree it’s revisionist history that the program was a dumpster fire
The guy never had a winning record in conference play. Not once. For a program with UI's rich history, that qualifies as a dumpster fire in my opinion.
That’s what happens when you take out the two best seasons. So they don’t count?
Flatlined? He had to replace 85% of every major statistical category. He lost all five starters and his sixth man. Of those was a first team All American and four seniors. He put a team together, on the fly, of freshmen and transfers. He figured out 20 wins and an NCAA bid.
And it's not like freshman year Trent was a lockdown defender. Fun as hell to watch on offense but needed that time with Fletch.
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