The Michigan Wolverines returned home Tuesday without the NCAA championship trophy, but having done enough to make this year's team remembered alongside the Fab Five and Glen Rice's 1989 championship squad.
But what about next year?
On paper, the Wolverines should be overwhelming favorites to win the Big Ten and the whole thing. The only seniors on the roster were practice-squad players, and they have a strong recruiting class coming in to add depth and talent to the roster.
Of course, that's not how college basketball works. The reality is that four of Michigan's five starters are facing one of the biggest decisions of their young adult lives:
Do they leave Michigan for the NBA, or do they come back for another college season?
None of the four have discussed in great detail their thought processes, but here's an educated guess on what they're thinking:
TREY BURKE: Burke has already been through this process once. He would have been a lottery pick if he had left Michigan after his freshman year but decided to come back to, as he put it, have a chance to play for a national championship.
Well, he got that shot, and although the Wolverines fell short, Burke put on a show that proved once again that he's more than ready for the next step. Having won every major player of the year award, Burke has nothing left to prove at the college level.
The only reason he won't be a top-3 pick in June's NBA draft is that he's only 6 feet tall. Another year of college won't fix that.
MITCH McGARY: A month ago, no one would have dreamed of putting McGary in the mix for an NBA job so soon. He was an energetic bench player who had showed flashes of greatness but didn't look anything like an immediate draft pick.
Six games later, he's being discussed as a lottery pick.
Although his NCAA run was impressive -- he narrowly missed having a double-double in five straight games -- he could add to his game with another year under John Beilein. Yes, McGary looks unstoppable at times, especially with his new-found passing skills, but there are still questions about his decision-making and stamina.
If McGary's told that he's a potential top-10 pick, it will be hard to turn down NBA money. If he listens to other analysts who say he would slip into the bottom of the first round, he's more likely to stay.
GLENN ROBINSON III: Unlike McGary, Robinson has been a fixture in the starting lineup all season and has shown NBA-caliber athleticism. He'll also get a boost simply because of his name.
Scientists have never proven how much basketball skill is genetic, but having a father who was a No. 1 overall pick will make teams lean your way if it comes to a close pick.
In the NBA, Robinson will be a small forward, so he won't have to guard power forwards like he does at Michigan. But he needs work on his defense. He also hasn't developed a consistent 3-pointer -- something he'll need at the next level.
Like McGary, his decision will probably come down to what he's told by NBA talent evaluators. It's tough for anyone to walk away from lottery-pick money.
TIM HARDAWAY JR.: Hardaway is in a different situation than the other three players. Even with a superstar father, he isn't being projected as a lottery pick. Some mock drafts have him lasting into the second round.
He'll be an NBA shooting guard, and although he showed improved ball-handling skills against VCU and Louisville, he has to prove to NBA teams that he can defend and create his own shot.
In a vacuum, it would probably make sense for Hardaway to stay for his senior season, but it isn't certain he'll be a better prospect a year from now. He'll also be facing the prospect of spending his senior season playing on a team without Burke, McGary and Robinson.
It might seem like a better idea to get his NBA career started and see what he can make of himself with pro coaching.
Right now, the short-term future of Michigan's basketball program is in the hands of these four young men. There's almost no realistic chance of Burke returning, but if the other three come back, Michigan would still be a serious threat.
If all four leave, Michigan would be looking at a starting lineup of Spike Albrecht, Caris LeVert, Nik Stauskas, freshman Mark Donnal and Jordan Morgan. Derrick Walton would push Albrecht for the starting point-guard spot, and Zak Irvin would give Michigan a 3-point threat off the bench.
This would make for another very young Michigan team that counts on freshmen to play key minutes. It's a group with long-term possibilities, but another run deep into the NCAA tournament would be a lot to ask.
Right now, none of the four NBA draft prospects are talking about their futures. John Beilein said Tuesday that the school has begun the process of collecting the information that will give the quartet an educated idea of where they fit into the draft. After that, all four will talk things over with friends, family, and quite possibly, each other.
Then they'll make the decisions that will decide the future of their lives and of a basketball program.
