After the Wildcats' season ended Thursday with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Seton Hall, three UA men's basketball players discussed their respective futures with the team.
Juniors Channing Frye and Salim Stoudamire and sophomore Andre Iguodala addressed rumors that they may leave early to enter the professional ranks in the locker room following the loss.
Frye and Stoudamire both said they would return for their senior years. Iguodala did not give a definite answer as to what his future plans might be.
Head coach Lute Olson said he would meet with the current juniors today to discuss their futures, and that he would like to be able to finalize his roster for next season as soon as possible.
Olson made it clear, however, that he expected big changes next year after what he viewed as a disappointing 20-10 campaign.
"This is not the kind of year we're used to having. (A record of) 20-10 is not acceptable, and losing in the first round of the playoffs is not acceptable," he said.
Olson cited leadership as the team's most glaring fault, and said he expected a pair of leaders to emerge next season. But instead of naming the team's elder statesmen from an experience standpoint, Frye and Stoudamire, the Hall of Fame coach pointed to another junior and a freshman ÷ injured forward Isaiah Fox and point guard Mustafa Shakur.
"One guy who will make a big difference in toughness is getting Isaiah back," Olson said. "Sometimes, you can learn a lot watching."
"I think part of (the team's performance) is the absence of a take-charge kind of person," he added. "There's no question Mustafa will be that type."
Though Olson didn't specifically address the prospect of Frye, Stoudamire or Iguodala going pro, he did suggest improvements that each player needs to make for next season.
"Channing needs to get stronger. Hassan needs to work on his handling. Andre needs to work on consistency in his shooting. That's more work ethic than anything else," he said.
The Web site nbadraftreport.com ranks Iguodala as the No. 14 overall NBA prospect for the 2004 draft, which would put him just out of the lottery. The site ranks Frye No. 28, Stoudamire No. 60 and sophomore guard Hassan Adams No. 58.
But next year's roster turnover may not be limited to the players. A pair of UA assistants, Rodney Tention and Josh Pastner, are rumored to be candidates for head coaching jobs elsewhere ÷ at San Francisco and Houston, respectively.
But, at least at this point, rumors of coach and player departures remain just that ö rumors. The deadline for early entries to declare for the NBA draft is May 12. Houston athletic director Dave Maggart told ESPN.com's Andy Katz that he hopes to name a coach by the time the Final Four is played in two weeks, and USF is expected to make its hire in the near future as well.