Akron coach John Groce has crushed it since Illinois fired him in 2017. Will this be his Cinderella moment?

Akron coach John Groce has crushed it since Illinois fired him in 2017. Will this be his Cinderella moment?

Walking to practice earlier this week at Akron, men’s basketball coach John Groce found his office administrator staring at the brand-new 2026 MAC tournament championship trophy.“Have you ever stopped to look at them?” she asked.Four of them right there in a glass case, won over the last five seasons — including the last three in a row — all on the watch of Groce, 54, who is nine years on the job since being fired by Illinois in 2017.“All of a s…