John Groce on Friday will try to avoid becoming the first coach to lose his Illinois debut since Frank Winters’ Illini took a message board beating after stumbling against Millikin 29-24 in 1920. The next nine Illinois coaches fared better:

Craig Ruby    1922
— Wallie Roettger’s eight points helped beat Washington U. 29-14

Doug Mills    1936
— Carroll had no answer for Lou Boudreau (18 points) in a 51-34 defeat

Harry Combes    1947
— 67-27 win against Coe was the first of 20 straight season-opening wins by Champaign High legend

Harv Schmidt    1967
— Can’t imagine today’s Illini having guts to open at Butler (Dave Scholz’s 37 sparked 75-57 win)

Gene Bartow    1974
— Opening win (69-58 vs. Valpo) in an otherwise drab one-year stint (8-18)

Lou Henson    1975
— Rich Adams scored 16 of Illini’s final 20 points in 60-58 thriller at Nebraska

Lon Kruger    1996
— Pressure was on in 68-63 win at UIC, where Henson assistant Jimmy Collins had the Pavilion fired up

Bill Self    2000
— Ranked No. 8 to start season — Illini’s highest since 1990 — and showed why in 86-57 rout of Maine

Bruce Weber    2003
— Like Combes, Bartow and Self, he never lost an opener at Illinois, including No. 1 (94-66 vs. Western Illinois)