Kids go to schools in part because of the coach in place at the time, but hopefully that is not the only reason. I didn't meet most of these guys until August. There is a certain amount of trust that is missing if you don't participate in the recruiting at the beginning. But I think we did pretty well this year. The success is because of Coach K's ability to coach and make changes.
Tradition is a small part of it.
Early departure from college athletics destroys team continuity, injuries are enough to contend with. I could go on. The senior leadership suffers. You have to rely on younger guys too much. He had back surgery in August.