University of Illinois
Groce finalized negotiations to become the men's basketball head coach at the University of Illinois on March 28, 2012. The Illini started 12-0 in 2012 under Groce, the best start for a first year coach in the team's modern era. The team won the 2012 Maui Invitational by defeating Butler University in the championship game. Groce's top priority at Illinois is getting his players to buy into and demonstrate the values of what he calls Toughness and Togetherness, or "T-n-T". Groce demands hard work and emphasizes the importance of every practice, game, and loose ball. To motivate his team, he has his players wear wristbands with the date "3-19-13" on it, which is the first day of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
Read more about this topic: John Groce
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