A lot of Illinois basketball fans are not going to like what I’m about to write here. I fully expect some Illinois basketball fans to unfollow me on Twitter for this. Well, join the club. Illini fans unfollow me more than fans of any other fanbase. I’m not trying to tell Illinois basketball Coach John Groce what to do. He’s forgotten more about college basketball than I’ll ever learn in two lifetimes. Still it is my job to analyze, extrapolate and opine. Therefore, I think it’s time Groce sit some of the veterans and throw the rookies out there.
What does he have to lose? At this point in the season, nothing.
Again, Illini die-hards and Groce himself will disagree with most of what I’m about to say. So that’s why I’m going to include a lot of quotes from Groce himself to debate my points.
This Illinois basketball team has followed the lead of the Illinois football team by having a very promising start to the season with a very successful pre-conference. Only to see the conference season spiral downward into a complete nightmare. Itโs not a good time to be an Illinois basketball fan right now. But is time for a frank and productive Illinois basketball discussion.
I agree with Groce in that booing this Illinois basketball team accomplishes nothing. At 13-9, 2-7 in the Big Ten, their NCAA hopes are long gone. They’re in last place. Teams that finish last in conference play don’t go dancing. The Illini also have an RPI of 65, and one top 50 win (Mizzou, exactly #50). In order to make the NIT, 2013-14 Illinois basketball needs to stay above .500 and thatโs in serious danger right now. And NIT berths donโt really count in the Illinois basketball program anyway. Itโs too prestigious an operation to care about NIT appearances.With zero Big 10 road wins thus far, and five conference road games left, I can’t see this team finishing better than 3-6 down the stretch. And 3-6 is the rosiest scenario. So that’s a 16-15, 5-13 in league play finish.
So why not let those five freshmen (Jaylon Tate, Malcolm Hill, Maverick Morgan, Kendrick Nunn and Austin Colbert) get double figure minutes every night?
“I think right now they’re getting the minutes they’re getting,” Groce said. “The veterans have played. Their body of work and they’ve done good things in practice. I’m going to continue to develop the freshmen, but I’m sticking with those guys. You saw why tonight.”
“We can’t be so wishy-washy,” Groce said. “We got to have some stability and be solid. We got to weather storms. You have to have some substance. Those kids have done a lot. We’re going to continue develop those young guys, and I like the development they’re making. They made some plays tonight. They also made some mistakes, and we have to get them cleaned up.”
I get why Groce sticks with his veterans, theyโve earned it. However, it’s clear that what’s going on now is not working at all. The Illini hadnโt lost to Iowa in Champaign since 1999. Until Saturday night.
This is the first Illinois basketball team to lose seven straight since 1999, and they look just as poor right now as that 3-13 in league play Illini team which finished dead last. The only Illinois basketball team to finished last since 1975. Coincidentally, that ’99 team was also the last squad to have as many newcomers as this Illinois basketball team.
So how about a couple of the frosh see some major time in these last nine? Let one or two of them start?ย We know what the veterans are capable of. Time to get fresh blood in there, and see if potential there or not.
“I know when you’re struggling from a won-loss perspective, everyone wants to point the finger at the older guys, but those guys have also done a lot of really good things. We wouldn’t have some of those wins earlier in the year if it wasn’t for those guys. We’re constantly evaulating our team everyday,” Groce said.
Tracy Abrams is not a true point guard, and he certainly won’t be playing the one next year when Ahmad Starks is eligible. Why not play him off the ball, and let freshmen Jaylon Tate run the offense? Abrams is a lot like Chester Frazier. He has a lot of the same positives and negatives. If he’s your second or third best scoring option, then your team is bad.
Nnanna Egwu needs to get out of the way. He’s a good defender, but non existent on offense. And despite being four inches taller than anyone else on the team, he’s just third in rebounds. He’s had his chances. Egwu just doesn’t have it. He’s not a legitimate Big Ten big man. Bertrand has been way up and down. He has some pure talent, but he’s never been consistent enough with it. He hasn’t really done anything special to retain his starters’ minutes. Again, he’s had his opportunities, and he really hasn’t capitalized.ย Rayvonte Rice pretty much is the offense some nights, so he should play every minute he can. Jon Ekey is a mediocre mid-major role player. In the Big Ten, he’s your 8th or 9th guy. Weโve seen what all these guys can do.
Fans of Illinois basketball are like fans of Illinois football, or better yet Chicago Cubs fans. You know what the present it. You can’t live in the present anymore, because it’s just gotten too painful. Or Heaven forbid you’re a fan of both the Cubs and Illini basketball. Like this guy. You can only imagine what he goes through. But the theme of the song is the same: bite your lip in the present and think ahead in the future for prospects to develop. (Kris Bryant, Albert Almora, Daniel Vogelbach and many more for the Cubs, Nunn, Hill for the Illini).
This Illinois basketball team has two highly recruited freshmen on their depth chart at the wing position. They have major issues on the front line, with two big man who we haven’t seen enough of yet. Time for the Illinois basketball transition year to get rolling. Let’s being the Illinois basketball rebuild! Right now, in the Big Ten cellar, there’s no where to go but up!
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. An MBA and Fulbright scholar, heโs also an analyst for multiple news talk radio stations across the country; with regular weekly segments on ESPN, NBC, CBS and Fox Sports Radio. A former writer for NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, heโs also been featured on the History Channel. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)
