Whenever things aren't tops, it is very easy to want whatever you don't have even if you were desperate to launch into the sun a little while ago.
I think many are untethered to the ground on the opportunities for upside and are absolutely blind to downside if it is even a little overcast much less raining cats and dogs.
That said, talent or not it had been some years since a Sweet 16 to even say that choice was the one on the table.
I was willing to go another year but the environment was in reality, toing to be absolutely toxic, like the land of Mordor with the Orcs running amok bad and so it would take a very good start to finish to minimize the torches and pitchforks.
Too much of BBN and by a lot of reports an uncomfortable portion of the money had gotten in more or less a feud or at best an "EFF YOU SHOW ME" style posture while being determined that he do so while being whipped relentlessly.
Add to that, he sort of wanted out too or he wouldn't have messed around and put himself into the crazy position of voiding his contract guarantees.
He'd at least give lip service to fans investing precious time off and lots of money in tournaments.
Probably it was not going to work out, either way.
Compound that with the real issue being the tournament, no level of regular season success would slow it much, undefeated may even been the worst just adding 2015 PTSD to the volatile mix.
Increasing members of the fan base had been dropping out since 2015 and he had a bad run since 2019 of mixing mailing in it in some, weak freshmen classes undermining his premise, older players staying in and producing, and bad luck that blended into a rough look for something that could even limp along for a few or five years without some high level results and quick.