Welcome Ariya.
I don't think anyone felt we haven't had the talent over the last few years. We had some stars that never seemed to improve - or went backwards. Do you have any insight as to what happened?
Also, why did we have the large number of players enter the transfer portal this season, including my personal favorite Morgan Jones. I cheered for her since the first day she was on campus.
I think the culture needed to re-fresh. The Covid year and missing all that time (we were one of the most affected teams in terms of losing games and practices) really hurt development. Losing so many assistants the last few years and Coach Sue's leave of absence due to her Mother made continuity tough. I felt before the shutdown, the team with Gillespie, Ekhomu, and Woolfolk was peaking at the right time and was ready to make a run in the NCAAs.
Some of the players just felt it was time for a re-fresh for their careers too, with many of them having already graduated this year. I understand their desires for a new start and support them.
But this team is going to be better than people think, imo. O'Brien was a high level scorer at Bucknell, Massengill brings that hard-nosed toughness from Kentucky we've been missing since Ivey Slaughter played. Latson is a phenomenal freshmen, she has that "it" factor, just want to see how she does against ACC competition.
Myers has always been talented and seems mentally in a great spot heading into her final year. Erin Howard is finally fully healthy and has a chance to really elevate her game. I like Bejedi's athleticism a lot too and Valenzuela's IQ for the game is very high, she was starting to come on late in the year.
But this team comes down to Gordon and Timpson, two players that have All-ACC potential. They are the most talented players on the team and were really fun to watch last season. If they take another leap, then so do the Noles in my eyes.