Stephen F. Austin lost seven players, including its top three scorers, from last season's team that won 28 games, ran the table in the Southland Conference and beat No. 3 seed West Virginia in the NCAA tournament.
Then the Lumberjacks lost their coach, Brad Underwood, the guy who lost a total of 14 games in his three seasons in Nacogdoches, Texas -- to Oklahoma State.
First-year coach Kyle Keller has huge shoes to fill, but he doesn't want anyone feeling sorry for him even though he'll take one of the youngest, least experienced teams into Rupp Arena on Friday to face yet another talented Kentucky squad (7 p.m. ET, SECN).
"This is a great job," Keller said. "The best in America in a one-bid league."
Keller's optimism is apparent, yet he also cautions Lumberjacks fans -- who have watched their program win 136 games over the past five years -- to be patient at the outset of this season.
"It'll be a process for us," Keller said. "It's not fair to judge us in November and December. If we stay healthy, I wouldn't want to play us in February and March."
Keller's top returning player is Ty Charles. Underwood was high on the 6-foot-5 guard, but Keller hasn't seen much because Charles has missed nearly the entire preseason with an ailing shoulder that he injured last season. He's practiced two days thus far -- and is questionable for Friday's season opener.
Josh Huntley, a 6-foot-7 junior college kid whom Keller calls "his toughest," is in concussion protocol, and his status is also up in the air for Friday.
But Keller isn't concerned about Kentucky. He's focused on keeping the program at the level it's been for the past few seasons: arguably the most successful true mid-major team.
"We don't expect anything less than championships and making the NCAA tournament," he said. "We talk about winning the league and playing the second weekend in March. If you don't talk about it, they won't believe it can happen."
Keller inherited Charles, but he's already proved he can bring talent to Nacogdoches. He's from Dallas and has spent most of his time coaching in Texas and Oklahoma, both in the junior college and Division I ranks. Keller was the assistant coach primarily responsible for loading Texas A&M up with talent the past few years.
Keller recently secured a commitment from 6-foot-7 junior college forward Leon Gilmore, a former top-100 high school prospect, and he also raves about the potential of his freshmen duo of Aaron Augustin and Kevon Harris. But he also realizes they may be in over their heads on Friday.
"Aaron is a 5-foot-10 point guard who will play against De'Aaron Fox in front of 24,000 [fans] at one of the most difficult places to play in the country," Keller said. "Welcome to college basketball. I hate it for him.
"I know all the Kentucky freshmen," he added. "I've seen them all. They are so long, athletic and quick and can really beat you up."
Stephen F. Austin, despite eight newcomers on the roster, still was picked to finish second in the Southland behind Sam Houston State. Both programs got a half-dozen first-place votes.
Keller considers his job the best in the league largely because of support and stability. Keller said 3,000 fans came out for the Midnight Madness event last month despite it being held on a Friday night in the middle of football season in the state of Texas. His athletic director, Robert Hill, is an alumnus who has been in his current position for more than a decade, and the school president, Baker Pattillo, has been at the school since 1966.
"We've got incredible support for our program," Keller said.
And there is no shortage of talent in the vicinity. Keller can get to Houston in two hours and Dallas in 2.5 hours. He's an hour away from Louisiana.
But it will take time. Remember, Stephen F. Austin lost its season opener a year ago to Baylor 97-55 -- with Thomas Walkup, Demetrious Floyd and Clide Geffrard. But the Lumberjacks still wound up rolling through their league and getting back to the NCAA tournament for the third straight year.
Keller returned just 17.7 percent of last year's offensive production and may be without his top returning player. His team is so inexperienced that one player didn't even realize he had to check in at the scorer's table in the team's exhibition game last week.
"You can't coach experience," Keller said. "We've got to teach everything -- from A to Z. So don't judge us on who we are against Kentucky. Judge us on who we are on Valentine's Day."