Something is badly broken in this program and I think the bottom actually fell out a year ago.
We lose Kenny Payne and Dwayne Peavy - big losses. Then we have three major players leave that had absolutely no chance of being drafted in the first round - Richards, Hagans, and Montgomery. Just a couple of years ago those guys would have come back - like Terrence Jones came back and WCS came back and even guys like Poythress came back.
Last years team could have been a Sr Nick Richards, Jr EJ Montgomery, Soph Johnny Juzang, Jr Ashton Hagans. Boston and Clarke splitting time at the three, Askew backing up a seasoned PG and Jackson backing up Montgomery. That would have been a deep, experienced team.
That team would have been a title contender. What UK fans need to be asking is what is going on within the program that we can’t build enough loyalty and commitment to the program that the Juzang’s stick around, that the Hagans’ come back for a shot at a championship.
That’s what’s broken - and that’s what has got to change, and I’m not sure that scapegoating and running off two long-time assistant coaches is going to fix it.