For the record, I would bet good money AGAINST that actually happening, but it's not impossible, and I think the effect would be a total 180.
Groce/Whitman Press Conference
For the record, I would bet good money AGAINST that actually happening, but it's not impossible, and I think the effect would be a total 180.
I think the difference is that people genuinely seem to like Groce. There are some people in this world that you want to see do well. Maybe he has a kind "like me" face or it's his infectious personality or how he holds himself. I don't know. I just want him to win.
What I do know is that Groce bought some sort of crazy credibility early on that Weber never would have gotten if his first 4 years were similar.
I've got confidence in Whitman to put together a plan for basketball just like he did with football. I think he'll have a similar approach to what he did with Lovie - have a solid plan and have everything lined up in advance as well as possible, so when the time comes to act, he knows what he's doing.
I don't forsee a Mike Thomas-esque firing followed by months hopelessly at sea, looking hither and yon for anyone who will take the job. That's why I think Groce is pretty much an interim head coach in everything but title at this point, and barring a massive 2017 class + a big 2016-17 turnaround with a low-digit NCAA seed, Whitman will use this year to line up the funding for a new coach, and then will get "his guy".
The injuries and "bad decisions" (a poor choice of words in light of the charges, but that's past now) provide cover to bring Groce back for another year, as unpopular as that may be, but I think it's more with an eye towards giving time to prepare himself for another coaching search and lock up the ideal candidate. If Groce surprises us and has a dynamite class and next year? Hey, great. If not? Then Whitman is ready to make a hire next year.
He just needs Tilmon and Goodwin for it to be a dynamite class. It's not a lock but he has a great chance. If he lands that and wins a tourney game next year, then his seat will be quite cool.
I've thought that this has been the problem with football for a long time. If you weren't on campus in, say, 1999, 2001, or 2007, the students of the last 20 years haven't really seen much from the football program, and if you don't get them "hooked" while they're on campus, it's a lot harder to draw them back and really get them invested once they've graduated.
Those students who were here when The '80s Belonged To The Illini are in their 40s and 50s - some of the prime donating and suite-buying years. A lot of those '90s, '00s, and early '10s students won't have the same fond memories of football. Hopefully Lovie makes a dramatic turnaround, because that could be a problem in the future.
Likwise, the students of the last 10 years haven't seen much on the basketball court, either. That's got to be reversed, too.
If he gets a massive 2017 class (top 10-15), a low seed in the tournament is not really a must. Just making the tournament will be enough and I can even envision some scenarios that he may even get by with an NIT, assuming his 2017 class is truly exceptional (given current scenarios, Tilmon is a must).
What Groce has to absolutely avoid though is another off-court incident. Even an exceptional 2017 class may not be enough to save him if that happens.
I agree but the truth is that if we were winning and going to Final Fours we wouldn't be discussing this. It is sad that ethics and integrity matter more for those who don't win. You don't have to look any further than this year's Final Four group to see that. Syracuse and 10 years worth of multiple issues and North Carolina and the academic scandal. Winning is a penicillin shot.
Has to fill up the arena and that will happen if they win, whether the players are angels off the court or if they hang and drown puppies. I've grown cynical in my old age.
FeelYourPaign
- So Cal
So True ! The UNC classes make me really mad, as they went on for 100's (maybe 1000?) scholarship athletes and a decade. No one knew? Really? How absurd.