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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: Chalk Up Another March Tournament Win For John Groce
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allen
3/14/2018 10:58 PM
bornacatfan wrote:expand_more
Groce just lost one of his first Akron recruits, Virshon Cotton, who has announced he is leaving.
Quite an exodus going on 2 from Western, 1 from Kron, 4 from BG. That's attrition.

http://verbalcommits.com/transfers/2018
4 from BG wow, I think Groce will lose some more guys, I wonder if we will lose a couple. There has been some speculation that we would.
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Jeff McKinney
3/14/2018 11:20 PM
One from NIU.
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Ohio69
3/15/2018 9:14 AM
What the heck is going on at BG? Several of those kids got a lot of PT.
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bornacatfan
3/15/2018 11:50 AM
Ohio69 wrote:expand_more
What the heck is going on at BG? Several of those kids got a lot of PT.
Huger is a mess. May have played for them and have BG flowing in his (brown and orange??) blood but he is not a good coach just yet. I think the guys see that and want to move on .
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FearLeon
3/14/2025 7:17 PM
FearLeon wrote:expand_more
With the worst team in the MAC, John Groce gets a road MAC Tourney win at WMU and the Zips started the game trailing 18-0. Now I know he has haters on this board (which I don't get) and he probably won't win a game in Cleveland this week, but this is fact: John Groce knows how to win March tournament basketball games and this should worry every Bobcat fan. And it's going to get tougher to beat him in the coming years with the talent he has coming in. #HeCanRecruit
*BUMP*

Interesting thread to look back on seven years later.

So many freezing ice cold Groce takes in this thread from seven years ago.

When FearLeon was right.
Last Edited: 3/14/2025 8:05:51 PM by FearLeon
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100%Cat
3/14/2025 11:47 PM
Miami isn’t beating Akron tomorrow. So does Groce have to win Akron’s first NCAA Tournament game for him to get a chance to jump again? I have to think his continued success at Akron is going to get noticed eventually.
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FJC31
3/15/2025 8:21 AM
Tough to say what a tourney win would do for Groce at this stage in his career.

He can clearly recruit/reload and win at this level. He also has a good thing going at Akron with the financial support to reload as he continues to win.

With all the realignment continuing to happen, he might be better off continuing to build the Akron brand in hopes it gets considered for a bigger conference. Whether that’s something like the MVC for basketball only or even the American.
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SBH
3/15/2025 9:03 AM
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
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FJC31
3/15/2025 9:04 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
Last Edited: 3/15/2025 9:07:43 AM by FJC31
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Alan Swank
3/15/2025 10:07 AM
Buchtel College isn't going anywhere. Groce on the other hand may be with another title and perhaps a first round win.
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Clown Ohio Fan
3/15/2025 10:12 AM
If I was a bigger program, I would target John Groce in a second. I'd chalk up Illinois as a learning experience. He has killed it with Akron and deserves another opportunity at a power school.

His biggest issue at Ohio and Illinois was consistency. His teams struggled in conference play and were often roller coaster type teams with big swings. He dealt with a lot of injuries while coaching the Illini as well. At Akron, he built them into a power in his own vision after a few down years and they've dominated the MAC ever since.

I think Groce would leave for a bigger program that he knows he can be successful at. He has nothing else to prove in the MAC and as nice as it might be to have longterm success for another decade at Akron and eventually retire, I think he has higher ambitions.
Last Edited: 3/15/2025 10:22:26 AM by Clown Ohio Fan
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GoCats105
3/15/2025 5:57 PM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
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FJC31
3/15/2025 8:12 PM
GoCats105 wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
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100%Cat
3/15/2025 8:57 PM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
No, but they are plucking programs that have NCAA tourney wins. Akron still has none. Maybe this will be the year? Xavier, VCU, Wichita, etc… all had NCAA tourney runs. Typically more than one.
Last Edited: 3/15/2025 8:58:14 PM by 100%Cat
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FJC31
3/15/2025 9:03 PM
100%Cat wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
No, but they are plucking programs that have NCAA tourney wins. Akron still has none. Maybe this will be the year? Xavier, VCU, Wichita, etc… all had NCAA tourney runs. Typically more than one.
When has Belmont made it out of the first round? In any case, hence why I said continue to build the Akron brand.
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FearLeon
3/15/2025 9:45 PM
Some folks on here from seven years ago in this thread owe John Groce an apology.

#MrMarch
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100%Cat
3/15/2025 9:54 PM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
No, but they are plucking programs that have NCAA tourney wins. Akron still has none. Maybe this will be the year? Xavier, VCU, Wichita, etc… all had NCAA tourney runs. Typically more than one.
When has Belmont made it out of the first round? In any case, hence why I said continue to build the Akron brand.
Once. Which is one more than Akron has in their history.

Edit* My bad. I did not realize Belmont’s lone NCAA win was a First 4 game.
Last Edited: 3/15/2025 9:58:16 PM by 100%Cat
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Brian Smith (No, not that one)
3/15/2025 10:58 PM
I think we need to give Saul another year before we jump to conclusions.

Groce has IT. He always has. Even when we were a 10 seed, his teams always had a chance.
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MiamiBlowsChunks
3/16/2025 11:28 AM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
You forgot Creighton and Loyola Chicago moving up too. However, those two and the ones u mentioned have a thing in common ... no football (not counting Murray's forever crappy FCS program). Akron, for some reason, want FBS football. Stumbling block to move up to C-USA, American or Sun Belt. They move up to those leagues, gotta waste more money on football.

And, of course, the City of Akron itself is its own stumbling block.
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TWT
3/16/2025 12:00 PM
Akron is the closest school to the Cleveland tourney so I don't see why they would want to give that up for their alumni to play in St. Louis or Brooklyn where they have no advantages. MVC and A10 do not pay enough to make up for the difference in travel. They aren't 4 bid leagues anymore as it is.
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FJC31
3/16/2025 1:10 PM
MiamiBlowsChunks wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
You forgot Creighton and Loyola Chicago moving up too. However, those two and the ones u mentioned have a thing in common ... no football (not counting Murray's forever crappy FCS program). Akron, for some reason, want FBS football. Stumbling block to move up to C-USA, American or Sun Belt. They move up to those leagues, gotta waste more money on football.

And, of course, the City of Akron itself is its own stumbling block.
Northern Illinois just moved its football program to the Mountain West with basketball and other sports going to the Horizon. There aren’t really any limitations to conference realignment anymore.
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Casper71
3/16/2025 1:20 PM
Great discussion. One thing most of you seem to forget is that all those schools you mentioned moving up do Not have football or at least expensive football. I would never say get rid of football, but it is an albatross around basketball‘s neck.
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MiamiBlowsChunks
3/18/2025 11:38 AM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
You forgot Creighton and Loyola Chicago moving up too. However, those two and the ones u mentioned have a thing in common ... no football (not counting Murray's forever crappy FCS program). Akron, for some reason, want FBS football. Stumbling block to move up to C-USA, American or Sun Belt. They move up to those leagues, gotta waste more money on football.

And, of course, the City of Akron itself is its own stumbling block.
Northern Illinois just moved its football program to the Mountain West with basketball and other sports going to the Horizon. There aren’t really any limitations to conference realignment anymore.



NIU football has decades of winning, knocked off Power 5's during the regular season, sent its HC's to greener schools, made a small name for itself nationally and UA mbb has done well, Zip. Arizona will mollywhop them like every other team has in the tourney. Stringing together a few MAC tourney titles isn't impressive in the slightest anymore.

Joining the now 1-bid A-10 (not that that they would stoop to UA's level) while placing football in an FCS league, scholarship or the Pioneer, sounds like a brilliant move. I'm sure being in the bottom of the standings in all sports while not having FBS paydays will help UA's outstanding bottom line.
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FJC31
3/18/2025 12:12 PM
MiamiBlowsChunks wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
You forgot Creighton and Loyola Chicago moving up too. However, those two and the ones u mentioned have a thing in common ... no football (not counting Murray's forever crappy FCS program). Akron, for some reason, want FBS football. Stumbling block to move up to C-USA, American or Sun Belt. They move up to those leagues, gotta waste more money on football.

And, of course, the City of Akron itself is its own stumbling block.
Northern Illinois just moved its football program to the Mountain West with basketball and other sports going to the Horizon. There aren’t really any limitations to conference realignment anymore.



NIU football has decades of winning, knocked off Power 5's during the regular season, sent its HC's to greener schools, made a small name for itself nationally and UA mbb has done well, Zip. Arizona will mollywhop them like every other team has in the tourney. Stringing together a few MAC tourney titles isn't impressive in the slightest anymore.

Joining the now 1-bid A-10 (not that that they would stoop to UA's level) while placing football in an FCS league, scholarship or the Pioneer, sounds like a brilliant move. I'm sure being in the bottom of the standings in all sports while not having FBS paydays will help UA's outstanding bottom line.
It amazes me how triggered this board has gotten over the suggestion that Groce staying at Akron to continue to build the brand of his basketball program, could lead to a new conference opportunity.
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SBH
3/18/2025 4:41 PM
FJC31 wrote:expand_more
The Akron brand. Uh-huh. 11 years of declining enrollment, decimation of once good engineering program. Rampant violence around the campus perimeter. A football program that attracts hundreds to its home games. A Bball program that rarely fills more than 3,500 seats at home. What conference would want them?
We’re in an era of college sports where kids are getting paid and able to leave whenever to the highest bidder. Do you think a conference cares about anything other than winning programs? That’s what Akron does in basketball.
You're implying that just because Akron wins basketball games that means they're slated for a bigger conference. If that were the case Boise State would have been a Power 5 football team a long time ago. The Akron "brand" is so strong they just changed their logo a few years ago. Nobody gives a shit about Akron outside of the MAC.
Be angrier, please. How do you think Xavier went from A10 to Big East and VCU went from Colonial to A10? Wichita from MVC to American? Belmont and Murray from OVC to MVC? These conferences aren’t plucking losing programs.
You forgot Creighton and Loyola Chicago moving up too. However, those two and the ones u mentioned have a thing in common ... no football (not counting Murray's forever crappy FCS program). Akron, for some reason, want FBS football. Stumbling block to move up to C-USA, American or Sun Belt. They move up to those leagues, gotta waste more money on football.

And, of course, the City of Akron itself is its own stumbling block.
Northern Illinois just moved its football program to the Mountain West with basketball and other sports going to the Horizon. There aren’t really any limitations to conference realignment anymore.



NIU football has decades of winning, knocked off Power 5's during the regular season, sent its HC's to greener schools, made a small name for itself nationally and UA mbb has done well, Zip. Arizona will mollywhop them like every other team has in the tourney. Stringing together a few MAC tourney titles isn't impressive in the slightest anymore.

Joining the now 1-bid A-10 (not that that they would stoop to UA's level) while placing football in an FCS league, scholarship or the Pioneer, sounds like a brilliant move. I'm sure being in the bottom of the standings in all sports while not having FBS paydays will help UA's outstanding bottom line.
It amazes me how triggered this board has gotten over the suggestion that Groce staying at Akron to continue to build the brand of his basketball program, could lead to a new conference opportunity.
Because you have no idea how f'd up that school is. They can't afford to hire a replacement for their departed AD. They are struggling to make bond payments on their football stadium...and have floated the idea of selling it. Their faculty has been decimated. And their attendance sucks. No one follows them in the media...the Akron paper rarely covers their games. Where's the upside for a rival conference?
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