John Groce (official thread)

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Groce Gets His Second Recruit - Scout.com: Cooper Part of Strong Class

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Groce Gets His Third Recruit - Rivals.com Basketball Recruiting - Ohio University lands a pair

[ScriptOhio]

Re: According to his father, Reggie Keely Sr., his son felt loyalty to Groce for showing him interest since he was a freshman. "Reggie felt like Coach Groce had a lot of experience. He has been following Reggie since he was in the ninth grade, and felt he was the best option for Reggie to grow as a player along as well as a young.

Kind of interesting since Groce was at Ohio State during most of this time. Was his interest in him as a potential Ohio State recruit or was Groce doing advance work in case he landed a job at a MAC school in a couple years?

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Originally Posted by ScriptOhio

Re: According to his father, Reggie Keely Sr., his son felt loyalty to Groce for showing him interest since he was a freshman. "Reggie felt like Coach Groce had a lot of experience. He has been following Reggie since he was in the ninth grade, and felt he was the best option for Reggie to grow as a player along as well as a young.

Kind of interesting since Groce was at Ohio State during most of this time. Was his interest in him as a potential Ohio State recruit or was Groce doing advance work in case he landed a job at a MAC school in a couple years?

Groce was definitely keeping his eye on Keely for OSU to see where Keely might end up as a player. Remember, coaches evaluate and talk to hundreds of players. Lots potential recruits in the pipeline, constantly keeping feelers out there. Keely probably wasn't going to end up at OSU but Groce saw potential in PF prospect. Obviously saw that potential for OU when he tookover.

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Groce gets his Fourth Commitment -

Hoops recruiting: Kinney to Ohio, Johnson to Purdue - IlliniHQ.com News

http://ilprepbullseye.com/page50.html

ILLINOISHSBASKETBALL.COM - The Best in Illinois High School Basketball Scouting. - 2008- October 6th- James Kinney Commits

[osugrad21]

Dispatch

Veteran assistants get their chance

Tuesday, November 4, 2008 3:16 AM
By Mark Znidar


The Columbus Dispatch
CLEVELAND -- The Mid-American Conference preseason basketball media day usually is a time when coaches renew acquaintances and engage in small talk in the hallways of Quicken Loans Arena between interviews. The tone was radically different last week. It really was a getting-to-know-you session among coaches from Ohio teams.
In one corner sat John Groce, the former Ohio State assistant now at Ohio University. Across the room, Gene Cross of Toledo, formerly an assistant at Notre Dame, was holding court.
Then in walked Geno Ford, who has risen from No. 1 assistant to the top job at Kent State.
All that led Miami University coach Charlie Coles, the dean of MAC coaches with 18 seasons and 299 victories at Miami and Central Michigan, to shake his head in wonder.
"Things are changing in this league all the time," he said.
Groce's credentials -- trips to the Elite Eight with Xavier and Final Four with Ohio State as an assistant -- were hole cards when Bobcats athletic director Jim Schaus conducted interviews to name Tim O'Shea's successor.
Is Groce ready to run a program?
"I think I am," he said. "I've been lucky. I've been in different leagues and at different levels. I've coached freshman high school basketball, junior varsity basketball in NAIA, and in college I've coached in the ACC, Atlantic 10, MCC and Big Ten. I've prepared 15 years for this chance."
Groce hit the ground running after being hired in June. He got four commitments from recruits, and a fifth could be in the offing.
"It has been a blitz, a rat race," Groce said. "I got the job during the heavy recruiting months. That part has been hectic. Plus, we're teaching the new staff and the players."
Cont...