Guinpen, I will take a shot at this.
First, separate the men and the women. The women lost their entire non-conference season to Covid and struggled in the league around the .500 mark. They did lose some players in the transfer portal, including an exceptionally good freshman. But Barnes has brought in transfers that, collectively, might be better than what he lost. That includes a 6'4" center from Duquesne and a 6'1" D2 All-American from Wheeling. After watching McLaughlin run, I don't dismiss D2 All-Americans anymore. The women also have a winning tradition that goes back decades and better fan support than any Ohio MAC program.
Our living facilities used to consist of one ancient dorm. Now modern apartments surround the campus. The campus environment seems to be just fine for the Olympic sports teams that win consistently. So for the men, it all comes down to either history of losing, facilities, fan support, or coaching.
Decades of losing might be a big problem. I don't know how much recruits consider history. Fan support is generally poor, but actually better than half of the teams in the Horizon League. The gym has a high school feel with the retractable bleachers, but the locker rooms and conference room for the players are now top notch. Hopefully, in two years the seating will be upgraded.
That leads us to coaching. Calhoun is a big upgrade from Slocum in many ways, including public relations. But the performance this year was below where it should have been. But Calhoun and every coach gets their "covid" pass this year. If he does not win next year, we have a problem.
