Simple questions:
1. Did Sharpe tell Cal he wasn't playing in February?
2. Did Sharpe tell Cal he'd likely "test the waters" in the Spring (at the same meeting)?
Go back and read the Cal transcript from the post-Sharpe meeting.
Then, once you see that the answers are both affirmative, come back here and tell us all that you truly think Cal expected the kid to come back and "lead us" next year, which is exactly what Cal said after points 1 and 2 were declared by Sharpe himself.
This is the same Cal who has coached NBA expediency guys like Skal, Vanderbilt, Briscoe, etc.; the same coach who understands that when a top 10 pick tells you he's "testing" the waters, he's gone.
And you want us to take all that sample size and believe that Cal was suddenly Mr. Gullibility?
That's an absurd suggestion on your part. Absolutely absurd.