Mike Thorne granted 6th year

#101      

blackdog

Champaign
LOL, you were one of the guys (black dog too) that said there was no way Thorne would be back. and took me to task for saying he could be. :D

I agree that Leron is a better rebounder, but fouling is not good defense.

And Finke can trump that with an offensive game, passing, ball handling and court awareness.

I hope you're not talking about me because I posted a video way back that said the team was hopeful he would get his waiver granted....
 
#102      

BananaShampoo

Captain 'Paign
Phoenix, AZ
Huge. Not sure there's a single thing that could've made this offseason better for
Groce. Stay healthy big fella, keep the weight off, and practice those free throws.
Er, I can think of several things that could have made the off season better...

Nunn being found not guilty, no other off-court drama, landing Tilmon, Goodwin, Moore, or any of many other players he's recruiting. Just to name a few.
 
#104      
Er, I can think of several things that could have made the off season better...

Nunn being found not guilty, no other off-court drama, landing Tilmon, Goodwin, Moore, or any of many other players he's recruiting. Just to name a few.

Er, I would love to have all those things happen (and pretend the arrests didn't happen), but IMO it's more important, in terms of Groce's future, that we win and make the tourney next year, and Thorne's return is better news for winning next year than getting a key 2017 recruit.
 
#105      
Th NCAA has a heart?!? Or do they just throw darts???

"And what happened, then? Well, in Champaign they say - that the NCAA's small heart grew three sizes that day. And then - the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the NCAA found the strength of *ten* NCAAs, plus two!"

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#106      

zpfled

Logan Square, Chicago
Malcolm Hill deserves a tourney appearance. Mike Thorne coming back is the best chance for that to happen. This is great news!
 
#107      
Hey, thats great! Mike Thorne was so much fun to watch for those few games, grateful we all get the do-over. If Maverick continues where he left off and Finke takes a step forward, could be the semblance of an interesting frontcourt. I remain optimistic about Leron B, but feel like it could take a half season or more for him to regain his footing.
 
#109      

illini80

Forgottonia
Surprised, but thrilled to have Mike back. I think tourney expectations just went up about 100%. For me at least.
 
#110      

Bailey

Los Angeles
Surprised, but thrilled to have Mike back. I think tourney expectations just went up about 100%. For me at least.

This is awesome, but I still have to see him healthy for an extended period to let my expectations run wild.
 
#113      

BillyBob1

Champaign
Still waiting for them to say they made a mistake with the two Illinois players, Abrams gets another year and Thorne doesn't.
 
#117      
Black did play last season. Wouldn't he need a medical redshirt to get an extra year?

He meets the criteria. Less than 30% of the games played and played only at the beginning of the season. Verified injury with the knee surgery. He should have no problem.

I don't worry who starts between Finke and Black. We need them both at the four. The combination is a good one. Their skills complement each other, IMO. I expect a jump in Finke's game. He was never quite the same after his injury, and I think with a year under his belt, he will be much better.