There was a different feel to Alabama's 2017 basketball banquet. That Year 3 bump was on the horizon and the Collin Sexton hype was growing by the day.

The point guard who was an elite recruit when he committed saw his profile rise to among the best nationally. He was winning dunk and 3-point contests on the all-star circuit.

A year later, there was a different rallying cry when the program honored that expectation-drenched season. Sexton was every bit as good as advertised but that one-year run is over.

"People are going to underestimate us since he's leaving," said freshman John Petty, "but I mean, we have a lot of experience coming back. We're only losing one person so I feel like we're going to be just as good as we were this year."

This figures to be a more traditional offseason.

Instead leaning considerably on young, incoming talent that hasn't proven anything on the collegiate level, there should be some continuity in 2018-19. The recruiting hype won't be there either. The current three-man class is ranked 44th instead of eighth.

Coach Avery Johnson expressed relief in the fact it's a smaller class to integrate into the program.

"We think not being the fourth-youngest team in the country next year, that's going to be helpful for us," Johnson said. "With a lot of these guys that made the NCAA tournament, I know they're hungry because they like the feeling of the excitement that surrounded that opportunity."

Sexton isn't the only starter exiting the team early. Braxton Key, the leading scorer as a freshman two years ago, announced he was transferring after his second season with the Tide.

"It was kinda shocking," Petty said. "He told us it was the best decision for him so I want to wish him the best on this next journey."

Alabama got a boost when Riley Norris' medical redshirt was approved by the NCAA this week.

Then there's Tevin Mack.

The forward dismissed from the Texas program two years ago figures to inject some offense into the void left by Sexton and Key. Johnson said Mack was often the best player in practice during the redshirt season last year required for underclassmen transfers. His 14.8 points a game led the Longhorns in 2016-17 while shooting 39.1 percent from 3-point range.

"He's going to bring a lot," Petty said. "He's a great outside shooter and he's a hard hat guy like Riley."

Johnson pointed to Petty as a player he expects will have a different look as a sophomore. The coach said just about everyone should have additional dimensions added to their game with another offseason to sharpen things.

"John Petty is going to shoot the ball a lot better on the road this year than he did last year because he's more experienced and he's going to develop into a better ball hander," Johnson said. "We're going to move him around a lot more."

In terms of the roster, Johnson didn't commit to adding any additional players -- graduate transfer or freshman. He only said there was some flexibility in the equation.

The consensus at the 2018 banquet projected a positive outlook based more on the known than potential.

There aren't top-25 projections or Final Four whispers this May.

Everyone in the Bryant Conference Center on Monday seemed fine with that.

"I feel like we're going to go further than we did next year," said the departing Sexton, "because everybody is going to be older and everybody is going to get better."

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.