I take it as he meant that Kevin’s return would have been an unusual plus for a program in need of a massive surge of momentum.
We can look at the last 9 years as a massive net gain of historical imperatives, and it is. That said, the last three years have ended in disappointment (this year against Kansas State), outrage (brutality of the officiating in the UNC game), and ambivalence (the Murray season). The program has lost its identity as the OAD destination, and UK is at a literal crossroads in terms of where to go next. Does Cal blend more long term guys, or does he continue to sell OAD to the second tier?
UK needs some momentum. Knox would have provided that in spades. Instead, UK now sits with more unknowns, just like it has done for the majority of the last four offseason cycles. It’s no time to panic, but with this announcement, it just creates a feeling of more of the same emotional ambivalence.