John Groce: putting the fight back in the illini

While, the move by athletic director Mike Thomas to hire John Groce as the new leader of the mens’ basketball program has been met with some skepticism by some Illini faithful, it is the exact boost that will put the program back towards competing for Big Ten titles and restore the program back to national prominence.

He is known as a tenacious recruiter, offensive guru, and expect the team to play with that touch of chippiness that fans simply love to watch. The fan base should expect the team to play uptempo more, yet be fundamentally sound. I expect the team to improve their 3 point field goal percentage and free throw shooting percentage, which will translate to a whole lot of winning in Champaign over the next few years.

While, Shaka Smart and Brad Stevens currently may be more familiar to fans, the truth is John Groce is the perfect hire for the program. He is a perfectionist, who is ready to prove that he is one of the most underrated coaches in the country. Pop the bubbly, but don’t hop in the car, the fighting Illini are well on the way to returning back to national prominence.