We knew he would be gone for 2017-18 and had come to terms with it when the season ended over two months ago. Still, as the NBA process played out that small amount of hope began to creep in. We knew he was gone. We wouldn’t fault him for leaving. He had nothing left to prove in college. Still, we started to see cracks. There was a chance that he would return. The falling draft position, a chance to dominate next year, and a weaker draft in 2018 all seemed to open the door a little more.
Yesterday there was palpable tension before eventual disappointment.