Not sure what you mean by ML having no control over the team. I think he didn't have any control over Pellom and Kromah, so they left. But this is basically his team now.
I also don't think we are heading for the cellar of the A-10 next year. We should be somewhere in the middle, my guess is anywhere from 7th to 10th in the final standings. Remember, Butler, Temple and X are gone. That does make life a little easier. And Larsen, Armwood, JoeMac and Garino are enough of a nucleus to keep us from being an A-10 bottom feeder. I do wish ML signed a transfer who was an offensive spark plug and could play right away. Lasan provided some offense, and I'm not sure we have the wing guards to replace those points right now.