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Illinois Basketball: Top 5 Head Coach Candidates If Groce Is Gone

By Rees Woodcock

Jan 28, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jaylon Tate (1), guard Malcolm Hill (21), guard Jalen Coleman-Lands (5), guard Kendrick Nunn (25), and center Maverick Morgan (22) look on from the court against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half at State Farm Center. The Buckeyes won in overtime 68 to 63. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2016; Champaign, IL, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Jaylon Tate (1), guard Malcolm Hill (21), guard Jalen Coleman-Lands (5), guard Kendrick Nunn (25), and center Maverick Morgan (22) look on from the court against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the second half at State Farm Center. The Buckeyes won in overtime 68 to 63. Mandatory Credit: Mike Granse-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 20, 2016; Cedar Falls, IA, USA; Wichita State Shockers head coach Gregg Marshall offers instructions to his team during the first half against the Northern Iowa Panthers at McLeod Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2016; Cedar Falls, IA, USA; Wichita State Shockers head coach Gregg Marshall offers instructions to his team during the first half against the Northern Iowa Panthers at McLeod Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /

Next: Coach #2

The mid-majors are always somewhere to look for your next head coach.  Wichita State’s head coach Gregg Marshall is a hot commodity this season.

Marshall has formed the Shockers into a mid-major powerhouse.  They are currently 21-7 on the year and are going to be entering the NCAA Tournament for the 5th consecutive season.

Last season Marshall coached Wichita State to a Sweet 16 berth.  This run included an upset over No. 2 seed Kansas 78-65.

That season was great but nothing compared to the 2012-13 run that Marshall and the Shockers had.  They entered the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed that year and just ran through the field.

Wichita State started off by beating No. 8 Pittsburgh and then took down No. 1 seed Gonzaga.

After that they beat the Cinderella Story No. 13 seed LaSalle, which led to a matchup between the Shockers and No. 2 Ohio State.

Wichita State would go on to beat the Buckeyes by 4 point and then fell short in the Final 4 to No. 1 Louisville.  This was a pretty magical season for Marshall and really put Wichita State on the map.

Marshall’s track record speaks for itself.  He is about to enter his 5th straight NCAA Tournament and before he was with Wichita State he was dominate with Winthrop.

Winthrop was extremely successful under Marshall.  In the 9 seasons he coached the Eagles they went to the NCAA Tournament in all but 2 of those years.

Marshall has been able to develop recruits that he has brought in as well.  Guard Ron Baker was a standout in his time with the program.  He was not ranked according to ESPN.

Cleanthony Early was a junior college transfer and Marshall developed him into an NBA caliber player.

Marshall can also recruit talented players as well. Fred Van Vleet was a 4-star recruit from Rockford, Illinois.  He was brought in in 2012.  The class of 2015 also had a 4-star recruit in Markis McDuffie.

The fact that Marshall could take a team that was 17-14 and in the middle of Kansas and develop them into a national powerhouse is an impressive feat.  He is a great coach with a lot of potential to be the next leader of the Illini.

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