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Illinois Basketball: Final game of season sums up John Groce era

By Rees Woodcock

Feb 26, 2017; Lincoln, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach John Groce talks to guard Tracy Abrams (13) during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Illinois won 73-57. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Lincoln, NE, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach John Groce talks to guard Tracy Abrams (13) during the game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Illinois won 73-57. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Thorson-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Illinois basketball season came to an end last night in a disappointing loss to the UCF Knights.

This wasn’t a game I expected to win because it was a long flight to Florida with only one day’s rest in between games. But, nonetheless, this game ended the 2016-17 season in true Illini fashion.

Illinois took a shot to the ribs on the left side and when they went down to protect the ribs UCF went high and delivered the knockout blow. The Illini went down 15 at halftime and could never recover.

This game pretty much summed up the John Groce era with the Illini going down early and trying to come back. That was his reputation through his coaching career in Champaign. The final box score was also a good summary of what the past four years have been like as well.

Malcolm Hill scored 29 points for the Illini against UCF, which was literally half the points the team scored in the entire game. The next highest scorer was Jalen Coleman-Lands with 9 points off the bench.

For much of Hill’s career, he has had to put the team on his back and usually he would do all he could to get the team to win but they would fall short. That is what happened last night. Illinois should be able to pull out a victory if Hill drops 29 points on 50-percent shooting from the field and three-point line.

The rest of the team was 10-of-44 from the field, which is a pitiful 22.7-percent. That is no way to win a game. I wanted to see this team fight hard and while they did, they just didn’t have enough in the tank. Honestly, this is further than I thought they would get after they missed the NCAA tournament and their head coach got fired.

I was at least happy I could see them play one more game because I am greedy like that as a fan. I want more Illinois basketball, good or bad. This upcoming season is going to be special and in a few years, we will all look back on this four season stretch of missing the NCAA tournament and ask ourselves how could that happen.

Next: Brad Underwood improves teams in year one

The future is bright and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Illinois basketball will rise once again and we will win.

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