Noskowiak opens up his recruitment

[GoldenWarrior11]

Mark Miller ‏@WisBBYearbook  3m
Illinois coach John Groce has extended a scholarship offer to Sun Prairie junior Nick Noskowiak.

I like Groce, but it will be very, very, difficult to win at Illinois.  There's simply too many teams to compete with to build a consistent winner.  Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin were all in Elite Eight this year.  Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio State and Northwestern are all improving.  Indiana won't stay down for long, and neither will Purdue.  Maryland will bring some tough competition next year.  Rutgers and Penn State have traditionally been doormats.

But, hey, if he wants to go there, best of luck to him!

[keefe]

Indiana won't stay down for long

The Bronzed Beast is getting Buzzed?????

SOURCE??

[source?]

What?

[Warrior Code]

Haha perfect timing.

[77ncaachamps]

some stay others go
christopherson or diener
we may never know

Technically, the second line should be

Diener or Christopherson


;p

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

some stay others go
christopherson or diener
we may never know

White flight is common
Much More talent to the south
Mad Memorial

[Scooter22]

Mark Miller ‏@WisBBYearbook  3m
Illinois coach John Groce has extended a scholarship offer to Sun Prairie junior Nick Noskowiak.

I hate to say this as a UofI (graduate) alum, but isn't this the same school that had coaches hanging out in a bar at PSU post-scandal? 

[seakm4]

I wish him the best in his recruitment, and hope he comes back, but if he doesn't he at least knows Marquette is still the "cool school" in this state

[Texas Western]

I am delighted he is opening up the recruitment. I was never sold on him as a high D-1 player. The way I look at it we get a second pair of eyes to review his game . If he is still somebody we want and he signs then great I not then we got lucky.

[Tugg Speedman]

Mark Miller ‏@WisBBYearbook  3m
Illinois coach John Groce has extended a scholarship offer to Sun Prairie junior Nick Noskowiak.

What has Groce done at Illinois?  Are they really any better than Weber?

Looks like more of the same mediocre basketball to me.

[Silkk the Shaka]

What has Groce done at Illinois?  Are they really any better than Weber?

Looks like more of the same mediocre basketball to me.

Illinois looks like it will be the pits of the B10 for a few years to come. Maybe a top 6 finish here or there, but I expect more bottom 4 finishes than top half finishes over the next 5 year period.

[ChicosBailBonds]

What has Groce done at Illinois?  Are they really any better than Weber?

Looks like more of the same mediocre basketball to me.

He's been there 2 years only

[Tugg Speedman]

He's been there 2 years only

And he's whiffed on some recruits and Cliff Alexander openly mocked them with the hat switch at his announcement.

Again, Illinois fired Weber and found a guy that is doing more of the same.  Had they kept Weber the last two years, they would be exactly the same as now.

The only positive is Groce probably costs less than Weber.

[Pakuni]

Illinois looks like it will be the pits of the B10 for a few years to come. Maybe a top 6 finish here or there, but I expect more bottom 4 finishes than top half finishes over the next 5 year period.

I doubt it. Bottom four means Illini  consistently < Rutgers, Purdue, Northwestern, Penn State, Nebraska, Minnesota.

Despite his inability to land top talent out of Chicago -largely the bane of every Illini coach since Lou, with a few exceptions for Self - Groce has done a respectable job.
His 2013 class was ranked in the top 15-20 by most services. This year's class isn't ranked very high because it's small, but it does include a solid top 50 kid (Leron Black).
The Illini will be fine.

[Pakuni]

And he's whiffed on some recruits and Cliff Alexander openly mocked them with the hat switch at his announcement.

Again, Illinois fired Weber and found a guy that is doing more of the same.  Had they kept Weber the last two years, they would be exactly the same as now.

The only positive is Groce probably costs less than Weber.

You're thinking like an Illini fan, i.e. Illinois is a massive failure when  it doesn't land every top kid from Chicago.
Reality is, Illinois never landed every top kid from Chicago. The closest to do that was the Lou Doo, and that was because certain CPS coaches were in his pocket.

[Aughnanure]

I like Groce, but it will be very, very, difficult to win at Illinois.  There's simply too many teams to compete with to build a consistent winner.  Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin were all in Elite Eight this year.  Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio State and Northwestern are all improving.  Indiana won't stay down for long, and neither will Purdue.  Maryland will bring some tough competition next year.  Rutgers and Penn State have traditionally been doormats.

But, hey, if he wants to go there, best of luck to him!

The problem with this line of thinking is that all good teams, and improving teams, will continue in perpetuity. Minnesota and Nebraska are eventually going to get buried, or their coaches will leave, etc.

And seriously, how does Northwestern always get mentioned? Stop it. No school with less success has ever been as hyped for breakout success as Northwestern has.

[Pakuni]

And seriously, how does Northwestern always get mentioned? Stop it. No school with less success has been hyped for breakout success as Northwestern has.

Yes. Collins has done a nice job so far, but his "success" is largely a result of topping such low expectations for the program.
People went apesh*t because they landed Victor Law, a four-star, lower top 100 kid - and that's a great get for them - but that's the kind of kid Groce has already landed with some regularity at Illinois.

[Aughnanure]

Yes. Collins has done a nice job so far, but his "success" is largely a result of topping such low expectations for the program.
People went apesh*t because they landed Victor Law, a four-star, lower top 100 kid - and that's a great get for them - but that's the kind of kid Groce has already landed with some regularity at Illinois.

They also did this love-fest for them even before Collins. I swear every year ESPN had some story about how THIS was the year for Northwestern.

[Silkk the Shaka]

I doubt it. Bottom four means Illini  consistently < Rutgers, Purdue, Northwestern, Penn State, Nebraska, Minnesota.

Despite his inability to land top talent out of Chicago -largely the bane of every Illini coach since Lou, with a few exceptions for Self - Groce has done a respectable job.
His 2013 class was ranked in the top 15-20 by most services. This year's class isn't ranked very high because it's small, but it does include a solid top 50 kid (Leron Black).
The Illini will be fine.

Stop belittling me with facts! Let my blind dislike for UI cloud my judgement!

[Tugg Speedman]

You're thinking like an Illini fan, i.e. Illinois is a massive failure when  it doesn't land every top kid from Chicago.
Reality is, Illinois never landed every top kid from Chicago. The closest to do that was the Lou Doo, and that was because certain CPS coaches were in his pocket.

In Groce's case the benchmark is if Weber stayed, and the Benchmark continues with Weber at KSU.

Illinois fired Weber because they were unhappy with his results.  Will Illinois be "fine" with Groce?  Sure, and they would have been "fine" with Weber too.

Groce is Weber2.0, not better, not worse.  Groce is more of the same which makes you wonder why they fired Weber only to get Groce.

[Silkk the Shaka]

In Groce's case the benchmark is if Weber stayed, and the Benchmark continues with Weber at KSU.

Illinois fired Weber because they were unhappy with his results.  Will Illinois be "fine" with Groce?  Sure, and they would have been "fine" with Weber too.

Groce is Weber2.0, not better, not worse.  Groce is more of the same which makes you wonder why they fired Weber only to get Groce.

Cuz they thought Shaka was a #donedeal

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Illinois will be fine. Big time school. Give it a couple years and they will be back in the sweet 16. Next year they have a good squad with impact transfers that had to red shirt this past year and Abrams, Egwu and Rice are all coming back. Plus Nunn and Tate have a year under their belt now.

[ChicosBailBonds]

And he's whiffed on some recruits and Cliff Alexander openly mocked them with the hat switch at his announcement.

Again, Illinois fired Weber and found a guy that is doing more of the same.  Had they kept Weber the last two years, they would be exactly the same as now.

The only positive is Groce probably costs less than Weber.

That may be the case on his ability, but I'll judge after he gets his own guys in there to fully matriculate, that's only fair.  They had a top 20 class in 2013.  Let's see how it plays out.

As far as Alexander goes, I don't think he was there to mock Illinois.  He was trying to be funny and clever.  If he wanted to mock UI he could have done it from the start and said no way in hell am I going to Illinois.  Why make it look like they were his second choice and Illinois was good enough that the only school that beat them out was Kansas?

[Tugg Speedman]

Illinois will be fine. Big time school. Give it a couple years and they will be back in the sweet 16. Next year they have a good squad with impact transfers that had to red shirt this past year and Abrams, Egwu and Rice are all coming back. Plus Nunn and Tate have a year under their belt now.

Not to be a broken record .... all of this could have been down under Weber.  Firing Weber and hiring Groce changed nothing.

[4everwarriors]

He's been there 2 years only

You're right, way too early to judge.