1. COVID absolutely killed a huge piece of our program momentum. I really believe we were poised to make a deep run in the tourney, and that would've paid off on the recruiting trail the next 2 years. This was a huge setback for Pope.

2. The program absolutely cannot grow if we are so dependent on transfers. Adding a few puzzle pieces each year for depth is one thing - but we're in huge trouble when we need multiple starters to join the team via the portal. That's just not a recipe for success, IMO. Recruiting and developing high school kids is still the lifeblood.

3. We have some young talent on the team. Guys like Hall and Saunders will develop into players. But from top to bottom, we have the talent of a top-third WCC program (ouch!) and maybe the talent of the worst BIG12 program (double-ouch!).

4. I've noticed Pope has cooled the "best locker room in America" talk. And I think for good reason - namely we obviously didn't have the best locker room in America. I think he realized that this messaging wasn't resonating with the current generation and in fact was insulting.

5. I REALLY like Pope and hope he can get things turned around, but he's got significant work to do and it's a tough job. He needs a huge influx of talent next year or he might be back on the market. His job is safe this year, but will it be safe next year after a sure losing record?