Congratulations on your hire, Illinois. You got a winner. Let him do his thing and you won't regret it.

Illinois has the potential to be a Top 5 program annually. Don't know what everyone else is saying.

Maryland, Butler, UNLV, UC, WVU (w/Huggins) and MInnesota (love that NIT run)

Honestly? Illinois > Minnesota. 

However, their fan base was delivered a massive dish of humble pie. It's bad enough in the autumn when the Chicago media puts their football program behind 20 ND articles and, if Northwestern is home...behind that as well...but NOW...NOW...their beloved ace in the deck: the men's bball team/program has been made to look like a 2 bit outfit (you guys in Champaign sure you don't have a directional in front of that Illinois...CENTRAL Illinois?) 

When the Chicago media is tired of story, they like to begin distancing themselves from the wreck. Illinois received the "Chicago's a pro sport town. This college stuff isn't that important" in a lot of places today (it's not true, but the media/local fans love to use the line when they want no part of a story.)

Illinois DOES deserve better than this fiasco. It's good school...a bit lost, but a good school. 

btw...Illinois IS #12 in winning percentage, but let's look carefully at that list...SHALL we?

1. UK 2. UNC 3. Kansas....4. UNLV?!? 5. Duke 6. UCLA 7. Syracuse 8. WESTERN KENTUCKY?!? 9. St, John's?!?!? 10. Louisville 11. Utah? 12. Illinois 13. Arizona 14. ND 15. Missouri friggin' State.

So...yeah...hitch your credibility scooter to that list...have at it. 

Bush League?

Walter Offutt‏@OUOffutt3

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Hearing all these reports & the sad & messed up thing about it is "WE" as in team know nothing about it!

I will pretend you don't exist, you're ruining the reputation of your otherwise greatly friendly fanbase.

In any case, You have nothing to worry about Ohio, the future is bright for you! Good luck next season!

If he is in fact gone (which I'm sure he is) I wish Groce nothing but the best.  He got us to a place that Ohio basketball hasn't been in over 50 years, was inches away from marching into the Elite 8, and still has us set up for a great year next year.  With his already strong pre-existing ties in states like Ohio and Indiana plus connections he'll develop and strengthen in Chicago/Illinois, he'll turn Illinois into a power.  Once Groce starts stealing recruits from Indiana, Michigan, and OSU, I don't think Illinois fans will care.

As for Ohio, this next hire might be the most important in the history of the program.  We need to keep this current roster and the recruits in tact.  Next season can still be epic, but Schaus just needs to be smart about who he hires.  Thanks again coach Groce.

Oh, by the way, to lighten the mood...almost 30 pages.

I understand your sentiment about historically, but if we're not talking about recent programs then what are we talking about? Ah well it's water under the bridge. Either way you got the money and we don't, end of story.

Unsolicited Illinois rant (it's a Chicago thing...I must challenge legitimacy when I read it!)

You see...this is the Illini problem. Every time you guys meet somebody new, you throw out that winning percentage list. Many are shocked...being shocked isn't a good thing. It's not like you're Kansas or UNC and we expect to hear they're on the top 15 list.

Outside of that run at the beginning of the 2000s with the final four visit and then 88-89, you have been marked by streaks of greatness and then just deplorable-average basketball. You're going to sit here and tell me that you're great when you spent upwards of 30 years (1950-1980 approx.) getting 1 elite 8 appearance? Or the early 80s where you hired Lou Hensen and allowed him to build that team to 88-89...and then have it fall apart in 1-2 years? Really? 

Literally...you go 10 year stretches where that program does nothing but finish middle of the pack in the Big Ten. Every other Big Ten fan base knows it...and are frustrated that you don't accept it. Look at the Big Ten Final Four teams since 1985. You better be on that list because half of them have been there (MSU, Michigan, OSU, Wisc., Indiana, Purdue). If you're not on that list...you're Minnesota. 

The saddest thing is that you still believe that you guys can control Chicago. What? I would give Marquette a better shot at controlling Chicago than you guys....hell...if DePaul ever figured out a Lincoln Park arena...you would be desperate for scraps, but DePaul is stoopid.

When Bill Self left, many Illini fans were shocked. I wasn't...and neither were most people outside of U of I. Bill Self saw Kansas. You want to know where you stand...people leave Ohio to go to Illinois. But you guys don't understand that if Groce is successful, he moves on to someplace else. 

Enjoy your run...final four by my calculations will come by 2020...Groce is gone in 2021. Enjoy it while you can. <jk>

I agree with medler, this job, if the latest story is true, is not JG's destination job.  If he takes the U of I position, my guess is that he's ultimately after the O$U job.  When Matta retires, which might be in just a few years, I predict that's where he'll end up. 

Wow--doesn't make me feel any better, but great endorsement!

http://espn.go.com/chicago/ncb/story/_/id/7743011/university-illinois-got-lucky-john-groce-hiring

Front page of ESPN: http://espn.go.com/chicago/ncb/story/_/id/7749743/ohio-bo...

Look, the dream job for any coach is the one that's in a bigger conference and pays you 4x your current salary. He's not going to wait around for something that may never happen. Good luck to him.