Editor’s note: This story does not reflect the result of Wednesday night’s Minnesota-Michigan game which concluded after The Daily Illini’s deadline.

Following Illinois’ deflating 103-69 loss to Indiana on Tuesday night, head John Groce faced reporters as he struggled to find answers for his team’s recent play.

When asked what he would tell his team in preparation for Saturday’s road bout with Minnesota, Groce’s answer was blunt.

“You tell them the truth,” Groce said. “That’s what I do.”

Groce pulled no punches when discussing the Illini’s depleted effort level and lack of leadership during their seventh loss away from State Farm Center on the season. The eight-year coaching veteran even called this season the most difficult of his career — more so than last year’s run, which ended with a first-round exit in the NIT.

“I’m exhausted,” Groce said. “At some point guys have to understand what we’re about. It can be frustrating, for sure. They’ve got to figure it out, and it’s our job to help them.”

In a short moment of reflection, Groce emphasized that former players Nnanna Egwu and Rayvonte Rice aren’t returning. For an Illinois team that saw four key upperclassmen depart at the end of last season, Groce is still searching for leaders on and off the floor, even this deep into conference play. And he isn’t being shy about it.

“It’s (about) execution of discipline and details,” Groce said. “The guys have to care about those things as much or more than the staff does, and we need leadership echoing those things. At some point, there’s got to be some leadership inside those locker room walls. When those guys are out there playing, you can’t play for them.”

The presumed incumbents of such leadership roles were juniors Malcolm Hill and Kendrick Nunn. Hill had another solid outing Tuesday with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting, but Groce hasn’t been as vocal about Hill’s leadership qualities of late.

The Illini may also need more out of Nunn, who had a poor 3-of-11 shooting night before fouling out against the Hoosiers. Nunn has yet to put together a sustained stretch of quality outings, and the Illini’s success sometimes hinges on the prolific guard’s play. Illinois is 2-5 on the season when Nunn misses at least five triples — he shot 2-of-7 from deep against Indiana.

Some of the leadership duties could fall to senior center Mike Thorne, Jr., who’s return to action was the lone silver lining in Tuesday’s loss. In his first game since November, Big Mike grabbed nine rebounds and earned 11 looks from the charity stripe in just 16 minutes.

Groce said Thorne Jr. — who noticeably trudged from one end of the floor to the other Tuesday — obviously has some rust to shake off, but was happy with his performance — especially the way he communicated on the defensive end.

“Hopefully we’ll get some progress there,” Groce said. “All in all, I thought (he played) above average, for sure. I was pleased, and hopefully it’ll be a step in the right direction moving forward for him and for us.”

Now with some semblance of a full roster, Illinois sets its sights on Minnesota, another Big Ten team in need of a win.

Minnesota has dropped seven consecutive games and is one of two remaining teams in the Big Ten without a conference win under its belt. Similar to the Illini, the Gophers are slightly undersized, so they don’t do well on the glass and at times rely on shots from beyond the arc.

The Gophers rank No. 12 in the conference on the boards, and nine of their 10 worst rebounding outputs have ended in losses. Minnesota is 5-2 on the year when it drains at least seven deep balls, so Illinois may need to tighten up its 3-point defense — the Illini have already allowed nine double-digit 3-point performances.

With just three days in between games for Groce to get his message across, a conference win over a similarly desperate team could provide a small sign that the players are listening.

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