Huge disappointment this year. I personally think it says a lot about our program right now that we are so reliant on 1 player to have hope or not for next season. That speaks volumes about where we are.
That being said, short term, if we keep this team together we can challenge for top 5 in the conference next year. If you combine that with a top recruiting class to replace Ponds, Clark, Owens etc. then you can maybe build some continuity. I think recruiting for 19 could be tough though. The results just haven't been there.
Mullin needs to tighten everything up. There isn't one detail that shouldn't be evaluated this off-season.
I agree with your entire post. Spot on, IMO.
Disappointed too, but there are plenty of solid teams that would be in the league's basement if you removed one guy. Take Delgado off the Hall; take Kelan Martin off Butler; Foster off Creighton. None of those teams make the dance and they had 4/5 more wins than we did.
Seton Hall lost their best player two years ago in Whitehead, and it didn't particularly hurt 'em. You could even argue whether Desi Rodriguez was Seton Hall's best player, this season. He missed the 2nd half of the Providence (in a Hall win), beat us (on the road), lost to Villanova in OT (by a point), and beat Butler (at Seton Hall) without the services of Rodriguez.
Butler and Creighton always lose solid players, and they just retool. Martin and Foster will be gone from their respective teams after this season. If they fall off, it'll be only slightly or temporary, and they'll be right back in the picture the season after next.
SJUhoopNut's post has some merit.