I was trying to put my finger on why Keyshawn's targeting of multiple ACC schools bothered me so much. It's not just that he's kinda being a dick about his transfer - he'd be visiting Duke and UNC if he could which is just nausea-inducing for any Wake fan. But he's a transfer so it's kinda like when your girlfriend cheats on you but you realize she became your girlfriend by cheating on her last boyfriend. Loyalty to a program isn't his thing, fine.
But that sentiment nags at every corner of this program. I don't know that a single player has loved playing at Wake Forest since Skip died. Sure, we've had some fleeting moments of success or excitement, but there's been something hollow about them. There's no "I wrestled with the idea of leaving Wake because I love it" talk out of Doral. Out B-level players have no interest in a light 3rd year of playing time to get a chance of being a senior contributor like Mitchell. Manning wears zero Wake gear in front of a national audience. The best we can do is replay the Childress crossover again and again and again while he sits stoically on the bench watching the guards he coaches struggle with the fundamentals.
In a vacuum each defection is explainable. But they all share an "at the end of the day, I don't really give a shit about Wake Forest basketball" theme. I'm sure for a lot of us who attended Wake back when we were good, decent, or really good - that's a foreign feeling. I'd guess most have some story or experience - mine was playing pickup ball with Duncan and eventually ending up in a card game drinking and talking about Wake - that personified Wake sports. I'd write it up to getting older and being further removed from the program, but I wasn't there for the CP3 or Teague times either so I doubt that's it. Not to mention we seem to have the exact opposite thing going on for Clawson.
I don't see Manning as the root of all evil but he doesn't seem to have much interest in changing this atmosphere. Maybe we can get enough recruits and transfers to have the occasional good year, maybe his all-business manner resonates with guys trying to get into the league. And if there's a silver lining to all this, having 4 players go pro early across 2 years is at least indicative of a program getting more talent back into the pool compared to having 0 go early in the previous 6. [Redacted] crippled our program and drained the pool of established coaches that would consider us. Maybe Manning can continue to land enough talent to put us in a stronger position for our next hire. Kind of a sad thing to hope for. Meanwhile corrupt as hell Louisville gets Mack and the beat goes on...