I agree with all of this. Especially about the bad luck part. It seemed Groce had every single thing go against him during his time here. I do wonder if things would have been different if he had a few things brake his way. Obviously, the coaching ability wouldn't have improved, but I can picture better results. Anyways, I'm hoping for Keatts.
2017 Coaching Carousel
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I think if we get Williams recruits may stay.
Hopefully Groce is fired between now and Monday and he agrees to coach the NIT
so how does work from a recruiting standpoint once (hopefully) he's gone? Does Whitman have the ability to keep in touch with committed recruits and tell them it's all unicorns and rainbows and everything is gonna work out?
I was all for him, especially when Cal was on that streak in the middle of the year. Their season ended just like how Weber's used to (and actually still do)--a downward spiral into obscurity. He's got 2 5 star players and plenty of other talent. They should be winning.
Before the last month, Cuonzo was my choice. Now, he's probably a C list candidate to me. I still think he could recruit the heck out of Illinois, but its obvious talent wont carry him. Monty, Marshall, Miller, and Keatts. I'd give <25% chance any of those guys are our next HC, though.
Groce's teams are also up and down. There have been a ton of late season streaks to claw back into the fringes of the conversation only to be humiliated.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
It would be weird coaching the NIT, after getting fired. If he were resigning for health reasons or retiring, different story. Also, if we let an assistant coach the team and they go far in the NIT, then a different issue, players may want to keep that coach. Safest way to go is to let Groce coach the NIT and let him go once that is done, unless you are concerned that your guy may get away. Then you must fire Groce and get your guy. I hope this makes since.
Adjustments
Michigan took away are entire offensive scheme and we had no response. If it wasn't for Tracy's one on one performance we would have lost by 30+!! How can you have no answers in a game this important?
Michigan took away are entire offensive scheme and we had no response. If it wasn't for Tracy's one on one performance we would have lost by 30+!! How can you have no answers in a game this important?
Illiniwek06
- N of I-80
+1. Proud of Tracy, he battled. Everyone else should be embarrassed and disappointed.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
Yes, he can.
chrisRunner7
- San Diego
Anyone know the answer to this?
I guess the simple solution is to do a quick fire/hire so it's a non-issue.
Edit: Answered above.
I hope this is right. Need to start looking & recruiting right away--allowing rumors to fester doesn't seem to be the classy way I'd expect JW to handle this. JG is a good man, no reason to leave him & his family dangling.
Illwinsagain
- Cary, IL
I would certainly hope that Groce knows prior to the announcement. I would bet he knows right now. Not that it would be announced yet.
The new coach is definitely going to have some work to do. The returning players need drilled with some fundamentals: ball protection and blocking out to name two obvious issues. There are a lot of bad habits on this team, which lead to the long scoring droughts and anemic play. Very hard to tell from the outside where the returning players are psychologically, but a new coach is going to have to establish some toughness and fundamentals while while instilling a new system (ok, really actually having a system would be a new approach)
Serious Late
- Peoria via Denver via Ann Arbor via Albuquerque vi
Well here we go, this thread gets fun starting now! Lot's of quality names have been tossed about, should be interesting to see which coaches rise to the top of JW's wish list.
I have said it once, but I will re-iterate: All out push for Archie Miller!
If that is a pipedream, then I am all in on team Krystkowiak. Who is with me?
(Disclaimer: I am also a sideline supporter of teams Monty and Keatts. Down with team Cuonzo!)
I have said it once, but I will re-iterate: All out push for Archie Miller!
If that is a pipedream, then I am all in on team Krystkowiak. Who is with me?
(Disclaimer: I am also a sideline supporter of teams Monty and Keatts. Down with team Cuonzo!)
Follow Your Bliss
As several have noted, a coach is not guaranteed success on the floor even with top talent. But it has to do with Belief in Your Leader. I don't want a coach that yells a lot. No chair throwing. No tantrums. Anyone would tune out of that default setting. I don't want a coach who is so clueless that they fail to acknowledge what everyone else around them easily sees if the team is failing. Please no, I don't want to hear about effort and energy. Everybody already knows you need that. Give me a coach with a VISION. Give me a coach who can elevate a player beyond what he thought he was capable of. Give me a coach that does not demand wins, but who demands EXCELLENCE. Give me a coach that has the ability to hook the players attention and excitement. Get that, and the wins will come. Go out there and find a coach that will allow the players to FOLLOW THEIR BLISS (thanks Mr. Campbell). This game is supposed to be fun for everyone, not a trial to see how much pain and disappointment you can stand. This is the standard on which I will evaluate who our Next Leader is.
As several have noted, a coach is not guaranteed success on the floor even with top talent. But it has to do with Belief in Your Leader. I don't want a coach that yells a lot. No chair throwing. No tantrums. Anyone would tune out of that default setting. I don't want a coach who is so clueless that they fail to acknowledge what everyone else around them easily sees if the team is failing. Please no, I don't want to hear about effort and energy. Everybody already knows you need that. Give me a coach with a VISION. Give me a coach who can elevate a player beyond what he thought he was capable of. Give me a coach that does not demand wins, but who demands EXCELLENCE. Give me a coach that has the ability to hook the players attention and excitement. Get that, and the wins will come. Go out there and find a coach that will allow the players to FOLLOW THEIR BLISS (thanks Mr. Campbell). This game is supposed to be fun for everyone, not a trial to see how much pain and disappointment you can stand. This is the standard on which I will evaluate who our Next Leader is.
60 years of watching college basketball particularly the Illini will make you measured in your responses as to what you see on the floor. Not too high, not too low, you've seen it all 10 times. But how I ask
CAN A TEAM THAT SURVIVED ITS PLANE SLIDING INTO A DITCH BE MORE READY TO PLAY THAN YOU ARE.
ditto, Indiana, Maryland, Wisconsin, this is the roundball version of Zook.
They do publish start times don't they.
CAN A TEAM THAT SURVIVED ITS PLANE SLIDING INTO A DITCH BE MORE READY TO PLAY THAN YOU ARE.
ditto, Indiana, Maryland, Wisconsin, this is the roundball version of Zook.
They do publish start times don't they.
Well the John Groce era ends with the Rutgers game and this game. We have good guys on our team and they play hard. My wife (a UM grad) and I watched the game, and I commented to her on the UM steal in the second half where 3 or 4 of our guys dove after the loose ball, and the UM guy end up with a break away dunk. Our guys wanted it.
You want to be for our guys. You want Groce to succeed. But the fact is they had to beat the worst team in the conference to make the NCAA for the first time in years, and couldn't. So then they had to beat an evenly matched team (8-9 game) that they split the regular season with to have a decent shot at making the tourney, and they got blown out. Everybody wants Groce and this team to succeed, it is just not happening. With decent talent Groce can win a few big ten season games against average teams, but we fade in crunch time.
There are so many fundamental things that we do poorly. Boxing out, spacing, help side defense, picking up a dribble w/o a plan, etc. It seems like we are team that just doesn't have good habits or instincts. People can talk about chemistry. I don't think we have bad chemistry, I think we have good guys that play hard, I think we share the ball, etc. I wonder if it is not good habits, instinctively doing the right thing, that makes a team greater than the sum of its parts as much as chemistry.
I still have not changed my opinion. I wouldn't fire Coach Groce to hire another MAC one hit wonder. But I sure hope JW has an ace up his sleeve to play.
You want to be for our guys. You want Groce to succeed. But the fact is they had to beat the worst team in the conference to make the NCAA for the first time in years, and couldn't. So then they had to beat an evenly matched team (8-9 game) that they split the regular season with to have a decent shot at making the tourney, and they got blown out. Everybody wants Groce and this team to succeed, it is just not happening. With decent talent Groce can win a few big ten season games against average teams, but we fade in crunch time.
There are so many fundamental things that we do poorly. Boxing out, spacing, help side defense, picking up a dribble w/o a plan, etc. It seems like we are team that just doesn't have good habits or instincts. People can talk about chemistry. I don't think we have bad chemistry, I think we have good guys that play hard, I think we share the ball, etc. I wonder if it is not good habits, instinctively doing the right thing, that makes a team greater than the sum of its parts as much as chemistry.
I still have not changed my opinion. I wouldn't fire Coach Groce to hire another MAC one hit wonder. But I sure hope JW has an ace up his sleeve to play.
I like your priorities.
1. Miller
2. Marshall
3. Kryst...
4. Monty
Check for interest quickly so you don't lose an opportunity to get Keats.
If we were going to flame out early, glad we got a head start.
I'm not on team Cuonzo either.
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Because I'm an Oregon St. fan (how's that for a double dose of punishment), I watched quite a bit of the Cal-OSU game and Cal almost lost to an under-manned Beavers team who lost one of their few remaining good players early in second half. If that's the best Martin can muster out of a team that needed that win (and probably at least one more) to make the tourney then I say pass. Yeah, he'd likely have a good chance at keeping the recruiting class together and recruiting well in the future, but so would Groce. I just don't see Martin as much of an improvement. I'm not against change, and I believe it is time for Groce's tenure to end, but if the choice is Martin or Groce I'll stick with Groce. Hopefully, it doesn't come down to Martin and the Illini have a coach next year who is ready to improve the trajectory of this program.
mattcoldagelli
- Script Illinois Enthusiast
I think Cal may have played Cuonzo out of consideration, to be honest.
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