Illinois Basketball: The Big D in Champaign

For Illinois Basketball its all about the “Big D” now, and I don’t mean “defense.”

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So it begins in earnest. There have been grumblings and rumblings about John Groce since he was hired, and the noise has only gotten louder in the last two years.

After Illinois’ head scratching beat down at the hands of Indiana on Sunday, I expect the noise to grow to a cacophony over the next couple of weeks, especially if Illinois doesn’t go on a mini-run and silence at least some of the critics.

And as that noise grows, of course the result will be an increase in D… meaning Distraction.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand the concern being voiced by the Illini faithful. It was on Groce and his team to avoid this distraction.

It was absolutely essential that they defeat Nebraska in Champaign. The Huskers walked away with that game.

They needed to at least compete at Indiana. It is hard to even write about what happened there.

But I have to wonder, what is the real problem in Champaign? Shouldn’t that be our concern as fans? It is easy to call for the coach’s head when the team isn’t doing well. But does the evidence available actually indicate that he is the problem?

Let’s take a look.

Groce was livid with his team on Sunday, at one point turning to the bench and yelling that he had never seen such a lack of pride on the court in all of his years as a coach. Think about that statement.

Now compare what he said to what you saw happening during the game. Was he wrong? No, he wasn’t.

Obviously the Illini played an incredibly pathetic game. I was thinking the entire time: Where is the pride in these guys? How can they allow this to happen?

Nothing that was being done out there was a reflection of Groce’s game plan. As he stressed in the post-game news conference, the Illini panicked. Certain players were engaging in “hero-ball.” Not the game plan.

Next, consider the players that he has developed. Kendrick Nunn and Malcolm Hill come to mind. They have steadily improved since their freshman year, blossoming into outstanding players. Michael Finke, a redshirt freshman, and Jalen Coleman-Lands, a true freshman, are showing improvement in their young careers.

You might recall the leap in skill and fitness that Rayvonte Rice took under Groce’s tutelage. And how about Nnana Egwu. Egwu is the number one shot blocker in Illini basketball history and was an all-around great defensive player. He never developed as much of an offensive threat, but it is pretty clear that was not ever going to be his strong suit. I don’t think there is a coaching problem here.

Groce has been a very good recruiter. Yes, some “big ones” have gotten away, but don’t they always unless you’re John Calapari?

One can build an excellent team without a bunch of five stars. Consider the 2005 Illini team. You know, the one that played for the national title against North Carolina.

Dee Brown was the only five star recruit on that entire team. The team included a small group of four stars, including Deron Williams and James Augustine. Not exactly a team loaded with “big ones” though they turned out to be an amazing team.

What matters is that a coach gets guys that fit his system. The 2016 recruiting did not go well to say the least.

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However, assuming Abrams is back next year at the point, with Hill and Nunn returning for their senior years and Finke, Leron Black and the trio of 4 star freshmen maturing another year, the Illini should be able to have a successful year without great freshmen recruits. And Groce is obviously going all out for the class of 2017, which will be his most critical class to date.

In Groce, Illinois has a very energetic and passionate coach, who is a good recruiter (but could use a little luck in that department), and who – by accounts from people who know basketball – is an excellent skills and game plan coach. In other words, the evidence doesn’t tell me that Groce is the problem.

To me, the problem is a team that has been plagued, absolutely plagued, by injury. But beyond that, and most importantly at this point in the season, I see a team on the court that isn’t executing the game plan. A team that all too often isn’t playing with heart, passion, and pride, which is inexcusable.

So I think we need to call out the players, especially Nunn, Hill, Tate, Finke, and JCL.

Are you executing the game plan?

Are you proud of the way you played every time you leave the floor?

Do you want the distraction of all of the chatter about losing your coach next year?

Your fans bleed orange and blue. Do you?

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