CHAMPAIGN — After a month of exhaustive research and networking, Illinois men’s basketball coach John Groce has identified the assistant coach who will join his staff.

Paris Parham, who most recently was an assistant coach at Illinois State, will join the Illini as an assistant coach. The former Chicago Public League and Chicago-area AAU coach will assume the position previously held by Isaac Chew, who left for Marquette.

In coaching circles — whether it was a coach lobbying for his candidate or coaches aspiring to become an actual candidate — interest in the position was nothing short of remarkable. Parham was one of at least three candidates to have a formal on-campus interview. Houston assistant Daniyal Robinson and Nebraska director of basketball operations Ronald “Chin” Coleman also were finalists.

Groce sided with the “Chicago guy” with college coaching experience. In terms of Chicago, Parham has coached at Phillips Academy and Morgan Park and with the club program Full Package. Parham also spent time on the staffs at Maryland-Eastern Shore and Minnesota State.