Groce’s First Recruiting Class Is A Winner

Chicago Sun Times

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/16391479-419/illinois-basketball-coach-john-groces-first-class-is-a-winner.html

When John Groce was hired last spring, there was some grumbling heard around the state, particularly in some Chicago-area prep pockets.

The Illinois coach’s first recruiting haul ought to quiet the skeptics. The five-player recruiting class Groce unveiled Wednesday looks like an all-around winner.

With two big men, athletic 6-9 forward Austin Colbert and 6-10, 240-pound true center Maverick Morgan; 6-5 wing Malcolm Hill; 6-3 guard Kendrick Nunn; and 6-2 point guard Jaylon Tate, the quintet covers all five positions.

With two players from state-champion powerhouse Simeon (Nunn and Tate) and one from Downstate Belleville East (Hill) joined by Morgan, from Ohio, and Colbert, from New Jersey, it’s a class that shows Groce wants to work Illinois but won’t hesitate to recruit players wherever he finds them.

And with three four-star recruits (Colbert, Hill and Nunn) and two three-star prospects (Morgan and Tate), Groce has landed a class ranked 10th in the nation by Rivals. Scout ranked the class 22nd. It’s 23rd in ESPN’s ranking.

It’s an encouraging start for a staff that’s only been on the job seven months.

Groce’s First Recruiting Class Is A Winner

Chicago Sun Times

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/16391479-419/illinois-basketball-coach-john-groces-first-class-is-a-winner.html

When John Groce was hired last spring, there was some grumbling heard around the state, particularly in some Chicago-area prep pockets.

The Illinois coach’s first recruiting haul ought to quiet the skeptics. The five-player recruiting class Groce unveiled Wednesday looks like an all-around winner.

With two big men, athletic 6-9 forward Austin Colbert and 6-10, 240-pound true center Maverick Morgan; 6-5 wing Malcolm Hill; 6-3 guard Kendrick Nunn; and 6-2 point guard Jaylon Tate, the quintet covers all five positions.

With two players from state-champion powerhouse Simeon (Nunn and Tate) and one from Downstate Belleville East (Hill) joined by Morgan, from Ohio, and Colbert, from New Jersey, it’s a class that shows Groce wants to work Illinois but won’t hesitate to recruit players wherever he finds them.

And with three four-star recruits (Colbert, Hill and Nunn) and two three-star prospects (Morgan and Tate), Groce has landed a class ranked 10th in the nation by Rivals. Scout ranked the class 22nd. It’s 23rd in ESPN’s ranking.

It’s an encouraging start for a staff that’s only been on the job seven months.