Ohio State's head man is proud of the resiliency shown by Groce, a former protege of Matta's who guided Illinois on a surprising run in the Big Ten Tournament.
INDIANAPOLIS -- Though his job appears to be safe for at least one more season, John Groce referenced the phrase "fresh start" three times on Thursday afternoon after his Illinois Fighting Illini stunned the free-falling Iowa Hawkeyes in the No. 12-No. 5 matchup in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.
It's been a rough 36 months for the former longtime assistant to Ohio State coach Thad Matta, as Groce's program, in large part due to injury attrition, has underperformed over the past three seasons.