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2024 NCAA's - Match/discussion threads (merged)

Carter has given up a TD in both of his matches to way lesser opponents, he's clearly not going to fight certain positions (and rightfully so) Taking down Mekhi is hard enough as is when you're healthy.

I hope I look like an idiot for doubting Carter but I don't see it unless he REALLY sandbagged today.
Starocci looked to be at maybe 65% of his normal self. He hasn't given up a TD all season, then gives up a quick TD in each bout today, without much effort to defend. It's gonna be a tough road from here on out, starting with Lewis.
 
Starocci looked to be at maybe 65% of his normal self. He hasn't given up a TD all season, then gives up a quick TD in each bout today, without much effort to defend. It's gonna be a tough road from here on out, starting with Lewis.
I can’t remember exactly what Nolf’s tournament on one leg was like, and his was probably worse, but likely comparable. If anyone can replicate that it, it’s him.
 
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Because $10 gets you ESPN+.
Watch any mat you want or all 8 at the same time - zero commercials.
C'mon man. It's not that hard!!
We do this every year !!

Then the whining ends !!
I feel bad for my dad though, he's 80 and every year he gets confused by this (it's pretty much the only thing that confuses him). I feel like ESPN doesn't make their app easy to navigate, like they should allow you to page down and go directly to another mat. They could also let you set up favorites and go to the matches you want to see. If they can't do that they should at least have the wrestlers who are on the mat listed beneath the thumnail.
 
Nolf didn't give up a single takedown post injury. Even more impressive because Nolf wrestled a yolo style where he doesn't care about giving up TDs and changed to one that is more like Carter's.

But he also had the luxury of another month of healing (hence why he wrestled Big Tens)
 
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Nolf didn't give up a single takedown post injury. Even more impressive because Nolf wrestled a yolo style where he doesn't care about giving up TDs and changed to one that is more like Carter's.

But he also had the luxury of another month of healing (hence why he wrestled Big Tens)
I stand corrected. Still think he pulls it out. Probably just the homer in me.
 
It look as tho Carter was in control and not in danger of losing those 2 matches. Did what.he needed. If Lewis goes balls to the wall tomorrow it could be trouble but that is not the Lewis I have seen this year. Riding is going to be huge and stall calls could come into play late 3rd period. Carter couldn't have better people I'm his camp for this weekend.
 
Part of it was likely mat rust due to limited work over the last four weeks while allowing the injury to heal. And I have to think, no matter what he may say or not say publicly, the fact that he was injured has to prey on his mind to one extent or another. He certainly doesn't want a repetition of what happened a month ago and, if he's truly fully confident in a fully healthy knee, what useful purpose might all the extra leg protection serve?
 
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Nolf went tech, 6-1, 6-2, tech, 6-2.

But he got to go from the 3 so it was a much easier route. He got the 8 to get to the quarters while Nolf had to face the 14.
 
Ok maybe I should have kept my opinion to myself. Lol. Kid was sick much of year, gassing at times throughout the year then the knee injury. We don't know what that's doing to him and his conditioning. I saw Spencer Lee losing at nationals for those very same reasons. These kids are all good and most have to be at their absolute best to win it all. Yes, Carter is special but so was Lee. Shit happens at Nationals.

Actually, Carter's "more special". Never pinned.
 
Is C Starr better off wrestling Mekhi now or in the finals? I know some have said that its good to face Mekhi early, after making weight. But is that really an advantage over an experienced wrestler like Mekhi at this point? Is Mekhi really cutting that much weight? Didnt seem to be gassing in his first 2 matches, imo.

How is Carters knee going to be after his first night of wrestling since the injury? The matches were pretty late, and thats not much time to ice down the knee/recover.

I was glad to see Carter run off the mat after his win yesterday. Thats a good sign to me.

We'll see if Carter has the same bulky brace on that he did in the first 2 rounds. Its pretty clear to me that the brace is causing him problems.
 
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It look as tho Carter was in control and not in danger of losing those 2 matches. Did what.he needed. If Lewis goes balls to the wall tomorrow it could be trouble but that is not the Lewis I have seen this year. Riding is going to be huge and stall calls could come into play late 3rd period. Carter couldn't have better people I'm his camp for this weekend.
And CStar get Lewis off the scales tomorrow morning. Let’s see if the cut has a negative affect on ML.
 
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Is C Starr better off wrestling Mekhi now or in the finals? I know some have said that its good to face Mekhi early, after making weight. But is that really an advantage over an experienced wrestler like Mekhi at this point? Is Mekhi really cutting that much weight? Didnt seem to be gassing in his first 2 matches, imo.

How is Carters knee going to be after his first night of wrestling since the injury? The matches were pretty late, and thats not much time to ice down the knee/recover.

I was glad to see Carter run off the mat after his win yesterday. Thats a good sign to me.

We'll see if Carter has the same bulky brace on that he did in the first 2 rounds. Its pretty clear to me that the brace is causing him problems.
If the cut is a factor at all, then the quarters are a greater advantage than the finals -- don't give him the extra day's allowance + the full day of hydration.
 
Somebody earlier asked about a state-by-state breakdown.

I'm too lazy to find that post, and far too lazy to do every state ... but by my count PA = 45:

125 = 1:
25 Berginc – Hempfield

133 = 4:
2 Crookham – Saucon Valley
13 Phipps – Norwin
14 Van Dee – Erie Prep
27 Strickland – Benton

141 = 3:
2 Bartlett – Wyoming Seminary
16 Chappell – Seneca Valley
18 Matthews – Reynolds

149 = 7:
3 Arrington – Forest Hills
5 Watters – West Allegheny
7 Kasak – Bethlehem Catholic
22 Willochell – Latrobe
30 Swisher – Bellefonte
31 Solomon – Franklin Regional
32 Boyd – Erie McDowell

157 = 2:
1 Haines – Biglerville
4 Scott – Dubois

165 = 1:
11 Cerniglia – Notre Dame Green Pond

174 = 5:
3 Ruth – Susquehanna Township
6 Welsh – Waynesburg
9 Starocci – Erie Prep
13 McCoy – Chestnut Ridge
23 Augustine – Waynesburg

184 = 2:
5 Pinto – Stroudsburg
30 Duvall – Penns Valley

197 = 8:
2 Hidlay – Mifflin County
4 Beard – Malvern Prep
15 Shaw – Thomas Jefferson
16 Luke Stout – Mt. Lebanon
21 Mac Stout – Mt. Lebanon
24 Urbas – State College
28 Wehmeyer – Malvern Prep
32 Crawford – Strath Haven

285 = 5:
5 Taylor – Brookville
9 Feldman – Malvern Prep
19 Crosby – Erie Prep
21 Pitzer – Mt. Pleasant
26 Catka – Sun Valley

Also a few others who graduated from PA schools but I didn't count above:
125 – Ungar – Notre Dame Green Pond, but from NJ (rumored to have stayed in NJ)
133 – Bouzakis – Wyoming Seminary; from FL, family has since moved to PA
141 – Henson – graduated from Waynesburg, but really from MO
149 – Griffin – Hill School, but really from MA

I did count Bartlett even though he's originally from AZ, because he had long established himself as a PA resident.

The Malvern Prep guys are all from PA. Beard is from the Pottstown area. Wehmeyer is from outside Bethlehem (northern Bucks). Feldman would've attended Solanco.

EDIT: Make that 49. I missed:
- 133 Chlebove -- Northampton
- 165 Maag -- Notre Dame Green Pond
- 165 Thompson -- Franklin Regional
- 184 Hale -- Downingtown West
 
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If there's a rule change next year, I hope it's going to your knee from a neutral position while not engaged is stalling.

Speaking of rule changes, anyone remember the hands to the face era? My how things have boomeranged hard and fast on that one.

We went from penalties being called if hands even got close to the face and national titles be decided on that basis, to wrestlers routinely doing Moe Howard impersonations on the mat ...

Three Stooges GIF by IFC
 
It is frustrating the way Kerk wrestles. He could have teched this guy with takedowns with ease. I just will never understand the philosophy of riding a guy 4 plus minutes when there is a 3 point takedown and Kerk could have broke him on his feet and got a techfall. Yeah i know it is complaining and in the long run it will not matter. But as a fan its also boring to watch a guy just lay on the other guy when both guys are not really doing anything.
Long game strategery. Why risk injury when you can control the match and still win by major?
 
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In session 2, PSU goes 10-0 with 8 bonus point victories. The only 2 guys that don't get bonus are Davis and Starocci. Looking forward to some great matchups tomorrow:

125: Davis vs Richie Figs ASU (8)
133: Nagao vs Chlebove ASU (24)
141: BB vs Vombaur Minny (26)
149 Kasak vs Fernandez Cornell (9)
157 Haines vs Robb Nebby (8)
165 MM vs Amine Mich (10)
174 CStar vs Lews VT (1)
184 Truax vs Plott OSU (3)
197 Brooks vs Buchanon OU (8)
HWT Kerk vs Feldman tOSU (9)

One match at a time. Name of the game is advance
It’s great to watch their “duals” at nationals. They go 8-2 (34-6) and then 10-0 (40-0)! What will be their record in Rd 3?
 
I feel bad for my dad though, he's 80 and every year he gets confused by this (it's pretty much the only thing that confuses him). I feel like ESPN doesn't make their app easy to navigate, like they should allow you to page down and go directly to another mat. They could also let you set up favorites and go to the matches you want to see. If they can't do that they should at least have the wrestlers who are on the mat listed beneath the thumnail.
The ESPN app is god awful for finding mats. I ended up pasting the links to each mat in a google doc and just used that to switch mats. That or the Hulu app works well if you have the bundle.
 
Somebody earlier asked about a state-by-state breakdown.

I'm too lazy to find that post, and far too lazy to do every state ... but by my count PA = 45:

125 = 1:
25 Berginc – Hempfield

133 = 4:
2 Crookham – Saucon Valley
13 Phipps – Norwin
14 Van Dee – Erie Prep
27 Strickland – Benton

141 = 3:
2 Bartlett – Wyoming Seminary
16 Chappell – Seneca Valley
18 Matthews – Reynolds

149 = 7:
3 Arrington – Forest Hills
5 Watters – West Allegheny
7 Kasak – Bethlehem Catholic
22 Willochell – Latrobe
30 Swisher – Bellefonte
31 Solomon – Franklin Regional
32 Boyd – Erie McDowell

157 = 2:
1 Haines – Biglerville
4 Scott – Dubois

165 = 1:
11 Cerniglia – Notre Dame Green Pond

174 = 5:
3 Ruth – Susquehanna Township
6 Welsh – Waynesburg
9 Starocci – Erie Prep
13 McCoy – Chestnut Ridge
23 Augustine – Waynesburg

184 = 2:
5 Pinto – Stroudsburg
30 Duvall – Penns Valley

197 = 8:
2 Hidlay – Mifflin County
4 Beard – Malvern Prep
15 Shaw – Thomas Jefferson
16 Luke Stout – Mt. Lebanon
21 Mac Stout – Mt. Lebanon
24 Urbas – State College
28 Wehmeyer – Malvern Prep
32 Crawford – Strath Haven

285 = 5:
5 Taylor – Brookville
9 Feldman – Malvern Prep
19 Crosby – Erie Prep
21 Pitzer – Mt. Pleasant
26 Catka – Sun Valley

Also a few others who graduated from PA schools but I didn't count above:
125 – Ungar – Notre Dame Green Pond, but from NJ (rumored to have stayed in NJ)
133 – Bouzakis – Wyoming Seminary; from FL, family has since moved to PA
141 – Henson – graduated from Waynesburg, but really from MO
149 – Griffin – Hill School, but really from MA

I did count Bartlett even though he's originally from AZ, because he had long established himself as a PA resident.

The Malvern Prep guys are all from PA. Beard is from the Pottstown area. Wehmeyer is from outside Bethlehem (northern Bucks). Feldman would've attended Solanco.

For what it’s worth I came across this breakdown a few days back. Not sure what metric was used to do the categorization but it also lists last year’s totals as well.

 
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I feel bad for my dad though, he's 80 and every year he gets confused by this (it's pretty much the only thing that confuses him). I feel like ESPN doesn't make their app easy to navigate, like they should allow you to page down and go directly to another mat. They could also let you set up favorites and go to the matches you want to see. If they can't do that they should at least have the wrestlers who are on the mat listed beneath the thumnail.
I used to fiddle with individual mats, but the past few years have been very happy with the Multicast feed that shows all 8 mats on one feed. Sure, the boxes are a little small even on a 65" TV, but I just pull a computer chair up closer to the TV and find it to be fine. This may be the easiest thing for your dad to do. The only downside to the multicast is they don't display riding time, but Sparks has been doing a really good job keeping up with the action across all 8 mats and commenting on riding time status when it's meaningful.
 
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That's an interesting take - the knee brace is causing problems for Starocci. Why the heck is he wearing that pesky brace?

Maybe he's wearing a heavier brace as a precaution and his corner knew he could beat those opponents with a restricted range of motion. Maybe he'll go to a lighter neoprene brace now that he's wrestling #1.
 
the hulu/espn bundle is the way to go. super easy to switch from matcast to individual mats.
I watch matcast on my big TV, and when one of our guys comes up, I use the monitor attached to my laptop to stream the individual mat. Works like a charm. Best of both worlds really. Can't go wrong for $10. Hell, that won't get you a bag of popcorn at a movie theater.
 
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