Groce wakeup call as coach heads to Illinois

My subconscious was talking.

Last night, I had a dream about the Bobcats that didn’t really make sense. Ohio was in the MAC Championship at a convention center, definitely not the Q. There was a band, but definitely not the 110. And my friends were there (they actually were my real friends).

Just like that, I woke up to my 3:15 a.m. alarm for work. Never saw what happened on the court or how it played out for Ohio.

Many Bobcats fans woke up to the news Thursday morning that John Groce would be the next head coach of the University of Illinois.

Just like that, the Groce era was over.

It took only 48 hours for fans to be pulled down from the high of Ohio’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 1964. That was when the talk of Groce to Illinois began.

Thursday afternoon the whirlwind of what was called 'GroceWatch' – and Groce’s Ohio tenure- came to an end when Illinois officially announced him as its next head coach.

While his time in Athens was short, Groce’s impact was significant.

He made the NCAA Tournament twice in three years and won three games. The Bobcats had four tournament wins in program history before that.

Groce will make much more money at Illinois, $1.4 million a year for five years. He’ll go to a Big 10 program with the big name and pedigree. It's an offer too good to pass up. There’s no way to fault his decision. It’s just a cold, hard reality of being a mid-major.

Now, Ohio must figure out its next move. It has the momentum of the Sweet 16 berth and greater exposure on its side.

There are multiple routes the Bobcats can go. Possible candidates are current Ohio assistant Dustin Ford and Ohio State assistant Jeff Boals, both Ohio grads.

The Bobcats would be in good hands with either of those choices.

However, there's still that feeling of waking up from a dream for Bobcats fans, one that ends with a D.J. Cooper missed three at the buzzer.

That's the ringing of your alarm. You wake up, but never find out how Groce's 4th season at the helm, with everyone back, turns out.

You just continue on with reality.