March 24--Illinois coach John Groce has preached the mantra "toughness and togetherness" since arriving in Champaign three seasons ago. But it was the lack of those two qualities that caused the end-of-season collapse, he said.
Groce reflected on the Illini's season Monday, a week after they were eliminated by Alabama in the first round of the NIT.
"The greatest thing about getting to the spring is the chance to hit the reset button," he said. "Everyone has to look themselves in the mirror."
Illinois ended its season 19-14, losing three straight games. A loss at Purdue due to a second-half meltdown and a blowout to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament likely cost the Illini a chance for an NCAA tournament bid.
Groce said one of his assistants, Dustin Ford, told him "we were 20 minutes at Purdue away."
Next week, Groce will meet with seniors for so-called exit interviews and also meet with current players for evaluations. His main points will be to emphasize "competitiveness and selflessness."
"It takes sacrifice," he said. "Play for the I. Not the I meaning me, but the I that stands for Illinois on the jersey."
Why that was lacking, he said, was unclear. "It's a choice," he said.
While the final three games were disturbing to fans, Groce emphasized some positives from the season, noting that despite injuries and lineup changes, the Illini earned impressive victories against Maryland and at Michigan State.
But Illinois experienced hiccups adjusting to life without injured guard Rayvonte Rice and then readjusting when he returned to the lineup. Groce pointed out that the Illini had to adapt other times as well, such as when Aaron Cosby was out and when point guard Jaylon Tate was ill for two games.
"That's not completely on Ray," Groce said of the leading scorer whose eligibility has expired. "It's partly on Ray, partly on teammates, partly on everybody. It's not fair to him. It's not one guy."
Groce expects a more cohesive team next season with the return of point guard Tracy Abrams, who sat out the season with a knee injury. Abrams has not been cleared for practice yet, but Groce said he is improving at a faster rate than he expected.
Abrams will serve as the team's leader, but Groce said others need to take a role in being more vocal and exemplifying strong leadership qualities.
Redshirt forward Michael Finke will join the team, while forward Darius Paul returns to Champaign after serving a yearlong suspension and playing at a community college.
Next season's recruiting class features three four-star recruits in guard Jalen Coleman-Lands, guard Aaron Jordan and forward D.J. Williams.
"We get to grow," Groce said of the offseason. "We get to improve."
Layups: Groce said his message to foul-prone but energetic freshman Leron Black will be to "channel" his energy. He picked up costly flagrant fouls on occasion. ... Cosby's future was not known by Groce, he said. The guard was suspended and parted ways with the team before the season was over, missing the last 14 games. ... Asked about fan frustration, Groce said, "I'm glad they care." He praised their support the season and said some anger is better than apathy.
Tailgate plans: Illinois introduced plans on transforming a parking lot on the west side of Memorial Stadium into a designated tailgating site for football games. Fans can reserve spots in Lot 36 beginning March 30 and spots are selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. The first event will be on Sept. 4 when Illinois opens the football season with a Friday night game against Kent State.
