College Basketball 2011-2012

[hawkeyecub]

Groce is kinda the basketball equivalent of the Turner Gill hire.

Fran mccafrey has a .566 career winning percentage, yet I imagine you think he was a home run hire for Iowa.

 

1. Illinois should be able to hire a much better coach than Iowa. It's a better job and they're apparently willing to pay like a top 10 job.

 

2. McCaffery's 5 years at Siena were a lot more impressive than Groce's 4 at Ohio.

[illiniguy]

Maybe we should have fired Weber after the Jamar Smith wreck, the sub .500 season, and the missing on every '08 kid. Back when I said to, but was told if we did no one would have taken the job. Because Weber had won such a high percentage of his games. Even though it was crystal clear he was in over his head. We stuck it out with Bruce and he did a number on our program.

[hawkeyecub]

Speaking of O$U, Matta, and Groce... That new book, Don't Put Me in Coach by Mark Titus is great. He just rips apart Evan Turner and a bunch of other OSU guys. Matta actually seems like a pretty damn funny guy, and OSU has had some really, really dumb players on their team over the last few years. I'm only about 2/3rds through it, but I highly recommend it.

 

What does he rip Turner apart for?

[illiniguy]

Thomas devalued the job and himself so much that no coach wants to work for him. Now we are hiring a guy based off of two wins two weeks ago. Groce is not a step up from Bruce Weber, he's a more expensive step down. Well done MAC Thomas.

No he isn't a step down from Weber. Weber took a top ten program and ruined it.

[illiniguy]

Speaking of O$U, Matta, and Groce... That new book, Don't Put Me in Coach by Mark Titus is great. He just rips apart Evan Turner and a bunch of other OSU guys. Matta actually seems like a pretty damn funny guy, and OSU has had some really, really dumb players on their team over the last few years. I'm only about 2/3rds through it, but I highly recommend it.

 

What does he rip Turner apart for?

Looking like an alien. Or having braces?

[Smack]

Speaking of O$U, Matta, and Groce... That new book, Don't Put Me in Coach by Mark Titus is great. He just rips apart Evan Turner and a bunch of other OSU guys. Matta actually seems like a pretty damn funny guy, and OSU has had some really, really dumb players on their team over the last few years. I'm only about 2/3rds through it, but I highly recommend it.

 

What does he rip Turner apart for?

 

For being a complete raging [expletive], he calls him the 'villain'. I'm only through Turner's freshman year and there are already a bunch of mentions. He tried to fight Titus (a walk-on) over a bounce pass during free throw shooting practice. Of course Titus freely states he frequently tried to push his buttons.

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

Maybe we should have fired Weber after the Jamar Smith wreck, the sub .500 season, and the missing on every '08 kid. Back when I said to, but was told if we did no one would have taken the job. Because Weber had won such a high percentage of his games. Even though it was crystal clear he was in over his head. We stuck it out with Bruce and he did a number on our program.

 

So now you're ok with Thomas hiring a coach who is even less qualified than Weber was?

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

Thomas devalued the job and himself so much that no coach wants to work for him. Now we are hiring a guy based off of two wins two weeks ago. Groce is not a step up from Bruce Weber, he's a more expensive step down. Well done MAC Thomas.

No he isn't a step down from Weber. Weber took a top ten program and ruined it.

 

How is he a step up? Anyone can recruit with OSU's booster network, and anyone can finish 9th in the MAC two out of four years.

[illiniguy]

Maybe we should have fired Weber after the Jamar Smith wreck, the sub .500 season, and the missing on every '08 kid. Back when I said to, but was told if we did no one would have taken the job. Because Weber had won such a high percentage of his games. Even though it was crystal clear he was in over his head. We stuck it out with Bruce and he did a number on our program.

 

So now you're ok with Thomas hiring a coach who is even less qualified than Weber was?

I don't think he's less qualified than Weber. He hasn't hired anyone yet. He tried for the best and they said no. But hey you feel we should hire Reggie Theus or Chris Collins first. That makes perfect sense.

[illiniguy]

Thomas devalued the job and himself so much that no coach wants to work for him. Now we are hiring a guy based off of two wins two weeks ago. Groce is not a step up from Bruce Weber, he's a more expensive step down. Well done MAC Thomas.

No he isn't a step down from Weber. Weber took a top ten program and ruined it.

 

How is he a step up? Anyone can recruit with OSU's booster network, and anyone can finish 9th in the MAC two out of four years.

His success wasn't based off of letting criminal play on his team. Listen I know he's not a great hire. That would have been getting Sean Miller a couple years ago. But we couldn't fire Brucie until he had killed the program.

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

Thomas devalued the job and himself so much that no coach wants to work for him. Now we are hiring a guy based off of two wins two weeks ago. Groce is not a step up from Bruce Weber, he's a more expensive step down. Well done MAC Thomas.

No he isn't a step down from Weber. Weber took a top ten program and ruined it.

 

How is he a step up? Anyone can recruit with OSU's booster network, and anyone can finish 9th in the MAC two out of four years.

His success wasn't based off of letting criminal play on his team. Listen I know he's not a great hire. That would have been getting Sean Miller a couple years ago. But we couldn't fire Brucie until he had killed the program.

 

So lets all agree that the next basketball coach will be a horrible hire with a three year shelf life who will be run out of town with MAC Thomas when a new competent president is put in place of the university.

[illiniguy]

Thomas devalued the job and himself so much that no coach wants to work for him. Now we are hiring a guy based off of two wins two weeks ago. Groce is not a step up from Bruce Weber, he's a more expensive step down. Well done MAC Thomas.

No he isn't a step down from Weber. Weber took a top ten program and ruined it.

 

How is he a step up? Anyone can recruit with OSU's booster network, and anyone can finish 9th in the MAC two out of four years.

His success wasn't based off of letting criminal play on his team. Listen I know he's not a great hire. That would have been getting Sean Miller a couple years ago. But we couldn't fire Brucie until he had killed the program.

 

So lets all agree that the next basketball coach will be a horrible hire with a three year shelf life who will be run out of town with MAC Thomas when a new competent president is put in place of the university.

Or let's see if he's hired, then actually let him coach some games. You were cool with giving weber 8 1/2 years, but can't give this guy a game because he's from Ohio? Awesome.

[NeifiIsMyHomeBoy]

Or let's see if he's hired, then actually let him coach some games. You were cool with giving weber 8 1/2 years, but can't give this guy a game because he's from Ohio? Awesome.

 

 

I wanted Weber gone since 2007. This isn't about Weber, it's about the fact our university hired a bumbling fool of an athletic director who is hiring what was about choice #75 on our list when we fired Weber. I'll support Groce the same way I'll support Beckman, but that doesn't mean I'm have to be sunshine and lollipops about the fact that Thomas once again failed to get it done when he needed to.

[illiniguy]

Or let's see if he's hired, then actually let him coach some games. You were cool with giving weber 8 1/2 years, but can't give this guy a game because he's from Ohio? Awesome.

 

 

I wanted Weber gone since 2007. This isn't about Weber, it's about the fact our university hired a bumbling fool of an athletic director who is hiring what was about choice #75 on our list when we fired Weber. I'll support Groce the same way I'll support Beckman, but that doesn't mean I'm have to be sunshine and lollipops about the fact that Thomas once again failed to get it done when he needed to.

Just earlier this season you said maybe we should just keep Weber. He poisoned the well.

[SouthSideRyan]

Groce wasn't even on our list of candidates when Weber was fired. That is how horribly Thomas has failed for a second time. This is the best job open in all of college basketball and we ended up with John [expletive] Groce. Thomas promised a home run, and he delivered a strike out.

 

I don't understand this. He went after the right guys correct? And there's nothing to suggest he wasn't willing to pay them enough to entice them right? The main reason it seemed like Smart would be willing to consider Illinois is due to his preexisting relationship with Thomas. Not sure about Stevens but I don't see any evidence that Stevens chose to stay at Butler because Illinois didn't present themselves well enough.

 

Maybe he failed behind the scenes, but there is nothing I've seen to suggest Thomas is the reason Smaty and Stevens declined the Illinois job.

 

Ahhhh, but you're neglecting to address the poop in his pants.

[Formerly Snayke]

I dunno, maybe fans should let Groce coach a few games before making a kneejerk reaction?

 

Maybe he doesn't compare favorably right now to Stevens or Smart, but use some perspective, please. Neither of those two coaches built up their respective programs. Groce has been at Ohio for four seasons and has two tournaments on his resume. Ohio made the tournament twice in the previous 25 years.

 

Why does he automatically get classified as the next Weber? Why can't he be the next Self?

[illiniguy]

I dunno, maybe fans should let Groce coach a few games before making a kneejerk reaction?

 

Maybe he doesn't compare favorably right now to Stevens or Smart, but use some perspective, please. Neither of those two coaches built up their respective programs. Groce has been at Ohio for four seasons and has two tournaments on his resume. Ohio made the tournament twice in the previous 25 years.

 

Why does he automatically get classified as the next Weber? Why can't he be the next Self?

Well that's just crazy talk. He has to be worse than Weber.

[SouthSideRyan]

I dunno, maybe fans should let Groce coach a few games before making a kneejerk reaction?

 

 

BECAUSE THERE IS POOP IN HIS PANTS

 

Neifi's descent into madness over this is the best thing that's happened to this site since jaydee's n bomb.

[hawkeyecub]

I dunno, maybe fans should let Groce coach a few games before making a kneejerk reaction?

 

Maybe he doesn't compare favorably right now to Stevens or Smart, but use some perspective, please. Neither of those two coaches built up their respective programs. Groce has been at Ohio for four seasons and has two tournaments on his resume. Ohio made the tournament twice in the previous 25 years.

 

Why does he automatically get classified as the next Weber? Why can't he be the next Self?

 

It's not like Ohio was awful when he took over or he really built something though. The 4 years prior to Groce they won 21, 19, 19 and 20 games with an NCAA trip. Groce won 15, 22, 19 and now 29 this year with 2 NCAA trips.

 

No one knows what he will be. But if Illinois has $2M+ to spend per year on a coach and ends up with a guy based on 12 combined points over Akron, Michigan and USF, it's a pretty big letdown for their fans.

 

In his best year, he did manage to finish 3rd in his division which is half of a one-bid league though.

[hawkeyecub]

Just give Frank Martin or Kevin Stallings $2.5M already. I don't get it.

[SouthSideRyan]

I'm just shocked and horrified that Spongeworthy was wrong about his backing up the truck theory.

[illiniguy]

Just give Frank Martin or Kevin Stallings $2.5M already. I don't get it.

I see you know a lot about Kevin Stallings. How much money do you think it would cost to get Kevin after we just fired one of his best friends? Maybe $15 million a year?

[Guest]

I'm just shocked and horrified that Spongeworthy was wrong about his backing up the truck theory.

 

Mike Thomas's native language is loser talk.

[illiniguy]

I'm just shocked and horrified that Spongeworthy was wrong about his backing up the truck theory.

 

Mike Thomas's native language is loser talk.

Was Frank Haith your first choice last offseason? I can't remember. Oh wait you guys gave handjobs to Matt Painter first. Does your ad speak loser too?

[Guest]

Outstanding. Maybe re-consider and exhale before freaking out next time.