Following Groce’s Ride
So, I’ve been kinda watching college basketball for years, you know, just casually following teams and coaches. One name that kept popping up for me was John Groce. It feels like he’s been around the block a few times.
I first really noticed him back when he was at Ohio University. They had some decent runs then, seemed like he knew how to get a team playing hard. Then he moved on to Illinois, which was a bigger stage. I followed that a bit, saw some ups and downs like you always do in major conferences. Didn’t end perfectly there, I guess, but that happens in coaching, right?
Then, maybe around 2017, I saw he landed the job at Akron. Honestly, I thought, “Okay, MAC conference, maybe a good spot to rebuild.” And man, he really seemed to find his footing there. It’s like he settled in and just started building something solid.
Akron Years
Over these last few years, especially recently, Akron’s been consistently good. I started paying more attention because you hear about teams winning 20+ games year after year. That’s not easy, especially in a conference like the MAC where things can be pretty competitive.
- They seem to always be in the mix for the conference title.
- I remember them winning the MAC tournament a couple of times, getting those automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. That’s always exciting to watch.
- That 2024 win against Kent State, their big rival, was pretty wild from what I read. Came down to the wire.
It feels like he’s built a real program there. You see guys getting recognized too, like MAC Player of the Year awards coming out of Akron. And Groce himself got Coach of the Year a couple of times in the conference. That tells you something, that his peers are noticing the job he’s doing.
Looking back, it’s quite a journey. Nearly three decades coaching, all those different teams, tournament appearances, championships at different levels. It’s impressive stuff when you just sit back and think about the long haul. He’s definitely made his mark, especially with what he’s doing at Akron right now. Just my observations from following along over the years.
