Listen ... Groce is a mid-major coach, nothing more and nothing less. With the ability of hindsight it's pretty clear his run through South Florida and Michigan in the NCAA Tournament may have been the best draws a MAC team has ever had in NCAA Tournament play.

'Cats were the benefit of not one, but two FIVE-point possessions (off-ball fouls on offensive possessions leading to both scores and getting the ball then scoring again) against a seriously offensive challenged South Florida team, then faced perhaps the least athletic Michigan/Big Ten team ever. Then faced a North Carolina team playing without its one and only point guard, relying on a SF instead.

I'd take my chances with matchups like those as a MAC team every year in the NCAA Tournament.

Groce's strength is preparation and getting teams to 'buy in.' But he was just so-so at Illinois, and while he has been strong in the MAC, his NCAA resume leaves a lot to be desired. The other thing he has learned is not to take chances on ??? players who often in the end leave you hanging.


He's not going anywhere.

Xavier is hiring Richard Pitino and VCU is going after Phil Martelli Jr. I don't know that there's an open job that fits Groce now.