To be fair, the best team of that run when they were top 10 most of season was the year fans weren't allowed...attendance would have been very good under normal circumstances, especially if the 20 team had made a run when tourney got canceled.
I do think there is truth to that second sentence. Crap defense, nepotism, and Fran's tirades are other things that turn people off. That said, they were #24 in the country in attendance last year and the team only cracked the top 25 (#25) for 1 week in November. Also had fans who would rather go see Caitlin Clark. Not bad
If Fran wasn't a stubborn ass he'd hire a defensive guru assistant like Beilein did. But Fran is a stubborn ass, just like Kirk