The Deseret News is reporting what we've all expected for quite some time - J.J. O'Brien will not be a Ute next season. Dominique Lee, a redshirt freshman, is also not returning for the 2011-12 inaugural Pac-12 season.
Utah's roster then will be dramatically different than what took the court last year. Only four players will return from the Jim Boylen era - David Foster, Jason Washburn, Josh Watkins and Chris Hines. Junior college transfers Dijon Farr, Cedric Martin and Javon Dawson will join high school signees Anthony Odunsi and Kareem Storey, as well as Boylen recruits George Matthews and Josh Sharp, to make up the official roster as the team transitions into a new conference.
Those changes suggest the Utes will have a difficult first year in the Pac-12 and expectations most likely will be extremely low in Larry Krystkowiak's first season.
But with this team struggling to meet expectations the last six years, that might not be such a bad thing.