If everyone comes back and we fill the last 2 spots for this year, are we NC good?
I'd be a little concerned about losing Boat's leadership. It's really hard to maintain that hard-nosed, single-elimination toughness with an untested leader.
Our most successful teams have built up a long continuity of leadership; our most disappointing teams were usually the result of a first-time leader not being able to handle that role.
1999: Khalid (2 years of being a leader), Ricky Moore (3 years of being a leader)
2004: Emeka (2 years being a leader), Taliek (4 years being a leader)
[followed by 2005, solid regular season, disappointing postseason with MW as a first-time leader]
2009: AJ Price (3 years being a leader)
[followed by 2010, disastrous season with Kemba as a first-time leader]
2011: Kemba (2 years being a leader)
[followed by 2012, disastrous season with Bazz as a first-time leader]
2014: Bazz (3 years being a leader)
Next year is unequivocally Boat's team, for the first time. We will likely struggle to adapt to that change in leadership, at least early on. Likewise, 2015-16 will be Purvis's team (I don't buy any of that one-and-done talk about a guy who didn't particularly impress -- albeit in a difficult situation -- at NC State) for the first time, with another change in leadership. Those will be a challenge.