Would love to see Davis vs Nagao best of 3
2024-25 PSU Lineup (The Dynasty Continues)
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He was not as dominant on top last year either.
I'm almost certain Nagao had a sickness last season that took everything out of him. Just couldn't shake it...
Ok. Just was curious if you had any thoughts in who goes. Haven't heard anything about Aaron's injury.
I imagine Nagao gets the nod early while Davis gets his matches at opens. Hope Nagao is healthy and stays that way.
But like Mark did in 2017, if Davis convincingly wins the wrestleoff and looks great in opens, he could ask to go anyways.
But like Mark did in 2017, if Davis convincingly wins the wrestleoff and looks great in opens, he could ask to go anyways.
Penn State is favored at 125 (MD), 141, 149, 165 (MD), Carter, 285. I could see them throwing Mirasola out there for one of his five dates and beating Buchanan, too, if Carter goes 184.
How are we not favored at 174? Zack Ryder just beat Arnold two straight and he's not even going to be the best guy we have at 174.
Do we know if Arnold can even get off the bottom yet? Plott rode the crap out of him, I can just imagine what Levi will do to him if he's the one at 174. Could be the most dominant 2-0 win in NCAA history.
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We don't even know if Arnold is in the starting lineup. Could be Kennedy or Brands at 174.
Provided they don't transfer to South Dakota State.
Are you telling me Kennedy or Brands would be a favorite over Levi? Levi is an undefeated, returning NC - finalist as a true FR, and undefeated champ as a true SO. 48-2 in his career. Think about the guys that have done that before. That trajectory is not unlike guys like Bo, Zain, DT, Nolf, Carter, etc.
He could probably bump up to 197 and win a title.
Heard recently that Levi is looking at 165 and Mitchell 174. I understand that maybe doesn’t make sense to us fans (me included). just relaying something I heard that I have no direct reason to mistrust.
That makes sense to me. Plenty of guys that compete at 74kg, wrestle 174 in NCAAs and I think that MM has his eyes on more than NCAAs and quickly. Next Olympics Dake will be 36 and Nolf just retired. That spot is there for the taking and the guy that takes it will probably be a guy who weighed in all season at 174 and goes 163 when he only has to weigh in a couple of times a year.
Plus, although some disagree with me on here - maybe Levi gets to make that call in the room in folkstyle. In freestyle, yes, MM probably gets to make the call.
He also looked bigger after the season at the Trials. When you're 20 years old it's not that hard to put on 10 to 15 pounds of really good weight.
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And last year Levi was on the one meal a day meal plan….imagine him on full feed 😳
It doesn't matter who goes 165 and who goes 174. We're not losing at either weight.
I agree with the sentiment I think is behind it - at this point, he hasn't shown much in performance above or maybe even at the level of what Kennedy or Brands bring to the table. But he is a young, top recruit and they are counting on him for more.
If they have yet another of these prime middleweight recruits end up being viewed as a "disappointment," it will be a big PR loss for them. I think they are going to bend over backward to make sure he's in the lineup.
Not only did he sweep him, he made it a point to basically say "If you can't get past me, keep Carter Starocci's name out of your mouth"
I need to find the interview, it was during OTT, but I remember Mesenbrink said he would change weights for Levi. A lot of people thought that meant going down but turns out it might be another direction. Askren said Mesenbrink hates cutting. Similarly, Cael never wants his best guys sucking down.
If he looked bigger (he certainly has the frame for it) then it's possible he would need to cut to get to 165 going forward and he doesn't want to. There is flexibility with Levi having a redshirt but I want to see him unleashed on full feed.
If he looked bigger (he certainly has the frame for it) then it's possible he would need to cut to get to 165 going forward and he doesn't want to. There is flexibility with Levi having a redshirt but I want to see him unleashed on full feed.
Levi on a full feed might be 174. At 165, Levi might be on the 2 meal a day plan.
Agree with everything you listed, but his competition is a 6th or 7th year coach's kid who's a previous AA, and a 5th year kid who seems to be very highly regarded in that room as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the way Tom operates, if Arnold was beating Kennedy last year, arnold would have been in the lineup at 174. I've yet to see/hear anything that Arnold can even beat either of those two.
I still think we could see Levi shirt regardless of weight he will end up ultimately, and that Facundo will go potentially for what might prove his last season as a starter? Who shirts a national champion? These are crazy talented times for the program.
To many moving prices without even getting into the pipeline. Embarrassment of riches.
To many moving prices without even getting into the pipeline. Embarrassment of riches.
If Mitchell is going 174, we may get to see that AWS supermatch we all wanted to see last year. That would be the most exciting match of the year.
If Arnold wrestles Levi I agree Arnold is only scoring if Levi gives him an escape, but the only way Levi only scores 2 points against Arnold is if Brands appeals to the NCAA and Levi is only allowed to score on escapes and riding time.
Too tricky guessing favorites without line-ups six months from landfall. And while I cringe at guarantees, we sure won’t be two frosh TD’s away from 35-0. This far from shore, I’d say 7 wins, no fewer than 6.
These ain’t last year’s Hawks . . . but we’re still who We Are!
These ain’t last year’s Hawks . . . but we’re still who We Are!
I'll take a stab at this one. There are two scenarios that I see that Iowa would be favored at 174 that would be dependent on Haines redshirting and Facundo starting @174. Brands is an AA at 174 while Facundo went 0-2 at 165. If Brands goes 174, I don't know how he wouldn't be favored against Facundo (at least at the start of the season). Kennedy, albeit very close, does have a H2H win against Facundo @165. While it can be argued that this matchup would be a tossup with Facundo, I think the H2H win merits Kennedy being favored (again, at least at the start of the season). IMHO, Facundo vs Arnold would be a tossup with too little data to assess Arnold and with no results yet with Facundo up @174.
It seems a lot of people are writing off Facundo based on yes a subpar freshman year postseason (7th at Big Tens, L to Bubba Wilson and then 0-2 BBQ at NCAAs) Just from flexibility standpoint, if Levi wants to go 174, you keep him in redshirt until January and see if Facundo has progressed in folkstyle. Heck, that gives Levi even more time to add muscle. Bottom line, like always, I imagine the Cael ... has a plan.
If Facundo wins the spot at 174, it means he beat out Ryder, because we are not purposely shirting both Haines and Ryder.
I think it is highly unlikely we plan a RS anyone who is not a true FR (non-grey or blue shirt) anymore. We have so much talent ready-to-go and in the pipeline coming in in the next couple of years that I don't think the coaches are going to be telling anyone they need to RS. Why does Levi need to RS coming off an undefeated NC year? To give Facundo a year in the lineup? Makes no sense, he's just going to have to deal with someone else next year. Braedan is probably heading to 133 and I'll bet it will be best man on the mat between him and Nagao. I could even see Sealey taking a shot at Kasak, although I think Kasak will win that going away and spend 4 years in the lineup with no RS. Mirasola will keep his RS 1st semester and if he's best man up at 197 (if Carter goes 184), I would think that he will be the 2nd semester starter.
New era, new way to play the game. We'll find out who the starters are in mid-January, but they'll probably be worked out on the mat rather than as some sort of roster planning.
Too tricky guessing favorites without line-ups six months from landfall. And while I cringe at guarantees, we sure won’t be two frosh TD’s away from 35-0. This far from shore, I’d say 7 wins, no fewer than 6.
These ain’t last year’s Hawks . . . but we’re still who We Are!
IMHO, this would be Iowa's best lineup against Penn State:
125: Cruz vs Davis (PSU favored with potential bonus)
133: Ayala vs Nagao (Iowa favored)
141: Schriever vs Bartlett (PSU favored with potential bonus)
149: Parco vs Van Ness (PSU favored on the basis that Van Ness does have a H2H win)
157: Teemer vs Kasak (Iowa favored, though I do expect Kasak to win)
165: Caliendo vs Mes (PSU favored with potential bonus)
174: Brands vs Facundo (Iowa favored - Haines redshirting)
184: Anyone vs CStar (PSU favored with potential bonus)
197: Buchanan vs Cochran (Iowa favored with potential bonus)
285: Kueter vs Kerk (PSU favored with potential bonus)
While this would get 4 weights favoring Iowa (@McScoreley , pre-season favorites on paper - not a prediction of actual results), the bonus would still heavily favor Penn State.
Just to be clear, I'm not writing off Facundo. This is just an exercise in looking at pre-season favorites. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Facundo ends up beating anyone Iowa puts in front of him.
I agree. I'm just putting up a "what if". I'd be surprised if Haines redshirts.
I will be shocked if 165 thru 197 isn't Mitchell, Levi, Barr and Carter.
Info not necessarily carved in stone, but sources are solid.
Switch Barr and Carter.
Flo has Carter ranked #1 at 184 now & #1 pound-for-pound. He was previously ranked at 197, so they must have heard something too.
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Could be right. Barr looks large and is cutting to get to 86kg, but I don’t know. I get the impression Carter has very little interest in cutting any weight.
If it goes Mitchell, Levi, Carter and Barr it is still going to be a murders row in the middle of a murders row.
Facundo seems to think he's going .
I hope Barr doesn't go 197, he'll be undersized this year then will have to deal with going back down for the next three. Not optimal by any means. I think an undersized Carter at 197 makes much more sense, however, I agree the last pictures of Carter I saw didn't smack of a future 197er.
. I hope Barr doesn't go 197, he'll be undersized this year then will have to deal with going back down for the next three. Not optimal by any means. I think an undersized Carter at 197 makes much more sense, however, I agree the last pictures of Carter I saw didn't smack of a future 197er.
Facundo seems to think he's going
I hope Barr doesn't go 197, he'll be undersized this year then will have to deal with going back down for the next three. Not optimal by any means. I think an undersized Carter at 197 makes much more sense, however, I agree the last pictures of Carter I saw didn't smack of a future 197er.
Cochran might also have something to say about 197.
(Edit: vs Barr. If CStar wants 197, he's getting 197.)
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