Michigan 75, Illinois 55 POSTGAME

illini80 · Mar 9, 2017

What can you say. Michigan is a pretty good team. We are not. No one except TA had even an average game today. Too bad MH was hurt, but they were not in team mode today. It was back to isolation and throwing up prayers. I hope this was the final nail in the coffin, but I'm still not sure Whitman will pull the plug on him. Sad end to another disappointing season.

Feel bad for the other seniors playing so poorly in a desperation game, but really, really happy for TA. Played his heart out.

Listen, I'm glad TJL is on our team, but man he is dirty out there. I'm amazed he gets by with what he does. Constantly has his hands on someone pulling, pushing, grabbing. I still believe his aggressive defense was what turned things for us late in the season so I'm not complaining, but sometimes I have to laugh watching him. I always said the short guys (not me) get all the calls.

Illinithad · Mar 9, 2017

BirdDog9048 said:
I don't really understand the logic of the people that want to fire him immediately and then still play in the NIT... Do you honestly see that going well?

Nobody cares about the NIT. I sure as heck don't care. If they are going to fire him I hope it is now, so we can get someone in place quick. Dave Wischnowski told me a month ago on twitter we're going to get someone big. So I'm waiting with great anticipation. And most seem to feel we are going to keep our recruiting class, hope they are right. AND...we are going to land Mark Smith. We do all that, we'll be just fine.

champaignchris · Mar 9, 2017

BirdDog9048 said:
Response to post #1: Option #3.

Response to bolded: No, but I think it was pretty clear that everyone else does. Teams don't lose by 20 due solely to bad coaching. The players failed to show up today. Is part of that on Groce? Definitely, but that doesn't completely absolve the players. Rewarding them with a postseason berth in a season in which they played terrible enough for their coach to get fired seems a little backwards.

I don't believe teams have the option of declining an NIT bid ever since the NCAA bought out the NIT back in 2005.

Illinithad · Mar 9, 2017

dmac279 said:
I'd say give to a team that deserves it

The team does deserve it. It's all on Groce. I made the mistake on here a while back of trying to put part of the blame on the players. I was told they deserve no blame and it's 100 percent on Groce. So fire Groce and let them play in the NIT I guess.

TMC999 · Mar 9, 2017

Not sure why everyone is wigging out - I had a great lunch. Try this recipe: Tipoff at 11am, scheduled lunch for 11:30 at Potbellies. Checked my phone at 1pm - results were as expected, and went back to my day. The only Wreck I saw over lunch was the sandwich in front of me. I feel remarkably upbeat right now.

BirdDog9048 · Mar 9, 2017

Illinithad said:
Nobody cares about the NIT. I sure as heck don't care. If they are going to fire him I hope it is now, so we can get someone in place quick. Dave Wischnowski told me a month ago on twitter we're going to get someone big. So I'm waiting with great anticipation. And most seem to feel we are going to keep our recruiting class, hope they are right. AND...we are going to land Mark Smith. We do all that, we'll be just fine.

Dave is also the biggest Groce hater I have ever come across, and I think he'll say just about anything to get other people to be in favor of firing him. I'm not very optimistic about keeping all of our recruits (especially Frazier) and I sure as heck don't think we are still going to get Smith.

Illiniaaron · Mar 9, 2017

IlliNYC said:
This should at least remove any doubt.

I shouldn't be, but I'm surprised that after the nice run, capped with the emotional win v. MSU we just totally flopped. Groce coaching for his job. 6 seniors. And this?

Totally agree with that thought. It's hard to figure why they would play so badly against Rutgers and Michigan after somewhat digging themselves out of the hole they made for themselves the past month. But that has been typical of Groce teams at Illinois. Play poorly the first half to two-thirds of the season, then play well for a ten-game stretch to almost get something done and then fail miserably in the end. Play poorly to start a game (God how many times have we seen that), make a little run in the second half to make it look like you're competing, then still lose big in the end. I don't want to hear any garbage about how the effort was there today. A couple of guys looked like they cared today and that was about it. Most of the time they looked totally confused on defense. Morgan with five turnovers. Hill may as well have stayed at home. JCL totally confused most of the time. Just tired of it.

basementcheetos · Mar 9, 2017

Illinithad said:
The team does deserve it. It's all on Groce. I made the mistake on here a while back of trying to put part of the blame on the players. I was told they deserve no blame and it's 100 percent on Groce. So fire Groce and let them play in the NIT I guess.

Agree completely. Give the players the games, its probably only one anyway. You don't want to be the school that takes opportunities away from your student athletes. Even it the NIT is meaningless, its a good protocol to go by. Accept the bid if offered. If you are that disgusted, don't attend or watch. Don't see how it hurts to let the kids play a few more.

illini80 · Mar 9, 2017

A few cupcake wins in the NIT will make the record look a little better. We all know how the last game goes. Just like this one.

Illinithad · Mar 9, 2017

I'm so tired of it all. For me the season is over.
I'm tired of watching this team not only lose, but not even compete.
I'm tired of coming on this board and reading all the negativity (Including myself, I've been negative also).
I'm tired of literally having a headache after each game.
I'm tired of having a coach the fanbase hates.
I'm tired of the team underachieving.

I'm like Madeline Kahn's character Lily Von Schtupp in Blazing Saddles...I'm tired!

westms77 · Mar 9, 2017

Illinithad said:
I'm so tired of it all. For me the season is over.
I'm tired of watching this team not only lose, but not even compete.
I'm tired of coming on this board and reading all the negativity (Including myself, I've been negative also).
I'm tired of literally having a headache after each game.
I'm tired of having a coach the fanbase hates.
I'm tired of the team underachieving.

I'm like Madeline Kahn's character Lily Von Schtupp in Blazing Saddles...I'm tired!

15 is my limit on schnitzengruben

basementcheetos · Mar 9, 2017

BirdDog9048 said:
Apparently you don't remember what it was like losing in the first round of the NIT recently... :tsk:

Even if we get blown out in the first round, I fail to see the harm in letting the kids continue their careers. I get it, you're upset about the game today, and Saturday's loss, and the season, and the Groce ere in general. However, let the athletes who have given so much to the school get the opportunity to continue to play. Makes no sense to decline the bid.

Illinithad · Mar 9, 2017

BirdDog9048 said:
Dave is also the biggest Groce hater I have ever come across, and I think he'll say just about anything to get other people to be in favor of firing him. I'm not very optimistic about keeping all of our recruits (especially Frazier) and I sure as heck don't think we are still going to get Smith.

Me either. I think Tilmon is gone if Groce is gone. Hope I'm wrong. I'm assuming Self and SLU have been talking to him this spring.

TCTORNADO · Mar 9, 2017

Hill just walked by and was limping badly

ChiefIllini · Mar 9, 2017

DJ got 4 mins at the end? He knows Groce is gone so he can come back and actually play

ray:

basementcheetos · Mar 9, 2017

Illinithad said:
Me either. I think Tilmon is gone if Groce is gone. Hope I'm wrong. I'm assuming Self and SLU have been talking to him this spring.

Tilmon and Frazier are both going to ask out of their LOI's if Groce is fired.

Adnarel · Mar 9, 2017

illini80 said:
Listen, I'm glad TJL is on our team, but man he is dirty out there. I'm amazed he gets by with what he does. Constantly has his hands on someone pulling, pushing, grabbing. I still believe his aggressive defense was what turned things for us late in the season so I'm not complaining, but sometimes I have to laugh watching him. I always said the short guys (not me) get all the calls.

I haven't seen many games on television so I can't confirm or deny. But your description made me think of Aaron Craft of tOSU infamy. If TJL has a Craft-like arc to his career at Illinois, I will be very pleased.

ILL in IA · Mar 9, 2017

Illinithad said:
Nobody cares about the NIT. I sure as heck don't care. If they are going to fire him I hope it is now, so we can get someone in place quick. Dave Wischnowski told me a month ago on twitter we're going to get someone big. So I'm waiting with great anticipation. And most seem to feel we are going to keep our recruiting class, hope they are right. AND...we are going to land Mark Smith. We do all that, we'll be just fine.

You want fries with that?

GallopingGhost · Mar 9, 2017

I'm not sure if I'm more disappointed at this result or disappointed that I saw this exact scenario happening last Wednesday. When you don't have faith in your coach to lead your team to win, especially in must win situations, what do you have??

OneTime3 · Mar 9, 2017

basementcheetos said:
Tilmon and Frazier are both going to ask out of their LOI's if Groce is fired.

Agreed, always thought there was a perplexing amount of optimism that they stay if we fired Groce. It was undoubtedly Groce that sold them on Illinois, players of that caliber have no reason to want be at IL atm other than playing for a coach.

GallopingGhost · Mar 9, 2017

Additionally, it's taken awhile but I am firmly in the Fire John Groce side now. Gotta finish seasons with more than a fizzle.

haasi · Mar 9, 2017

How Whitman handles this whole thing - reaching out to committed recruits, lining up new coach, timing of firing, etc. - will be a delicate dance and a very good indicator of how skilled he is at his job. He handled Lovie beautifully and other hirings such as new volleyball coach very well. Looking forward to seeing how he handles it.

GoIllini40 · Mar 9, 2017

basementcheetos said:
Tilmon and Frazier are both going to ask out of their LOI's if Groce is fired.

Oh well.

SuperMetroid · Mar 9, 2017

champaignchris said:
I don't believe teams have the option of declining an NIT bid ever since the NCAA bought out the NIT back in 2005.

We essentially declined the bid back in 2015 because we sure as **** didn't show up to play. Can't really envision it going much different this year.

basementcheetos · Mar 9, 2017

BirdDog9048 said:
When a coach is bad, you fire him. When a team is bad, you reward it with more games? Yeah, makes perfect sense when you read it out loud like that.

I guess you really want to get into it. Lets try this, I want you to articulate the harm in accepting a NIT bid. How bad is it for the program? Then take the potential bad you can find in the opportunity to play more games, sell more tickets (you won't fill the arena, but you're kidding yourself if you think no one will go), and extend the careers of some student athletes that have given a ton to the university. You seem to find lots of bad there, which I don't get. But take that bad you have found there and way it against telling Malcom and TA that they have been offered a chance to keep playing, but the school is not going to take it. We are going to be the school that takes opportunities away from our student athletes rather than support the continuation of their careers, and that's better than taking an extra home game or two? Not even close, take the bid.

Michigan 75, Illinois 55 POSTGAME

The Chief Lives