Capel didn't lose an entire recruiting class. Crocker, Clark, and Maze were all freshmen that year (as was Gerber, for what that's worth).
And the following players were sophomores or older: Nate Carter, David Goldbold, Taylor Griffin, Austin Johnson, Longar Longar, and Michael Neal (along with Kellen Sampson and Chris Walker, neither of whom was key, obviously).
I never have bought the idea that the cupboard was so very bare that season. I honestly believe Kelvin Sampson wins nineteen or twenty games with that bunch and gets us into the NIT, if not the NCAA tourney.
Most of those players helped us get to the Elite Eight two years later. Yes, Blake came on board, too, which was huge, but we've been told repeatedly on this board that it's not fair to give Blake all the credit for our success in 2008 and '09. Fair enough. Then the players that were here (or honored their commitments) when Capel arrived must not have been as bad as some paint them to be.
The point is, we had decent -- not great, but decent -- talent when Capel arrived and he brought in Blake Griffin in year two.
Even allowing for the disaster that was Tiny and TMG, how did we not have enough good players on hand to survive their departure better than this?
Those inclined to rag on Sampson -- and they were legion -- gave him a pass for nothing. He wasn't Billy Tubbs, and they never forgave him for that, no matter how well the team did.
