I do agree that there shouldn't be a rush to judgment if the first year doesn't go so well, but it might not go nearly as poorly as some think. Fred Thomas isn't going anywhere. Gavin Ware has stated it's unlikely he'll look for a release. Craig Sword has stated that he wants to be at MSU. Check out Hardwick's Twitter, and you can see there's no doubt he's sticking with State. Only doubt is Gray, who might not get that release that he's requesting. <div>
</div><div>As for Pollard...I stopped being confident about him even before Stans left, so I'm not too broken up about MSU falling out of the picture for now and perhaps for good. If he comes, he comes, and if he doesn't, he doesn't. </div><div>
</div><div>And the departures? None were unexpected. And ultimately, when you take into consideration all that happened this season, this kind of fresh start isn't a bad thing, especially when a new coach is coming in and trying to make his imprint. If Hood stays, which I expect him to, we have a top talent to build around and to have step up as a leader both with his play and with his maturity. While he might have been apprehensive about speaking up this season as a freshman, he'll be one of our most experienced players next season, and the new coach will be counting on him to be a leader on and off the court. To have a guy like Hood to build around is a much better starting point than a lot of rebuilding situations have. </div>