Bo Bassett thread
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You seem like a good new poster. Welcome.
I'm not sure where the Young Guns is default to Iowa rumors have come from. For the most part, Cael has gotten the YG kids he went all in for (Nico, Cenzo, Nolf) then a recent crop went to Ohio State instead (Kilkeary, Rocco).
The ones Iowa got weren't going to be 4 year starters at Penn State (Young, Murin, Kemerer - they're all great wrestlers but nobody would deny this right?) minus Spencer and Spencer I think had many reasons for going to Iowa beyond being a Young Guns kid as a 125 pounder who saw 2 Iowa guys going for 57KG and Terry Brands being his hero.
Yes, Jody obviously has some Iowa homerism and sent them all on the bus trip but I don't think he tries to talk kids out of going to non Iowa schools at all.
The ones Iowa got weren't going to be 4 year starters at Penn State (Young, Murin, Kemerer - they're all great wrestlers but nobody would deny this right?) minus Spencer and Spencer I think had many reasons for going to Iowa beyond being a Young Guns kid as a 125 pounder who saw 2 Iowa guys going for 57KG and Terry Brands being his hero.
Yes, Jody obviously has some Iowa homerism and sent them all on the bus trip but I don't think he tries to talk kids out of going to non Iowa schools at all.
I used to get on my brother's account and follow but never commented. Then I decided to just jump all in.
No doubt some homerism on the Iowa side.
Here? We've gone thru this every year since Spencer committed. Pick a wrestler of any consequence, Strittmatter is steering him to Iowa. Rinse, repeat.
Meanwhile in the real world, the only PA kids Iowa has landed since Lee and Murin arrived: Teasdale, Francis Duggan (who maybe was Young Guns in his one year away from Harrisburg?), and Kolby Franklin. That just means they're overdue.
(Correction: Duggan flipped from Iowa to Iowa State -- after he transferred from PA to Iowa City West HS. Also add DeSanto if you want to include transfers.)
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I have never commented on the Iowa forum but I read the stuff. That forum is extremely negative against their program. Actually shocks me.
Agree. Cael is really good at building bridges to all the good clubs. Does Cael and/or his staff ever give time to those clubs if you know?
Great point. I always wondered why Iowa got away from bringing PA kids in the last few years? They had their best success with those PA Hawkeyes in the lineup.
No need to comment there. It will shorten your life. The Surgeon General is contemplating tagging that forum as dangerous to human life. JohnstownSteel is our union representative on that board, and he is well compensated for his yeoman efforts there. Some have said that he indeed created the negativity on that forum through his various and nefarious exploits.
I want to say yes but can't remember absolutely, so: most likely. Am much more certain that PSU wrestlers and alums have participated.
From the other perspective: clubs have proliferated in PA. If the best college/senior coaching staff in the world were never welcomed at any given club, those kids would find other options.
I dipped into reading the Okie State forum last night. Looked up at the clock and it was 1 hour later. I went down a rabbit hole
I feel like high school wrestling in PA is in a renaissance where PSU is driving a proliferation of clubs that are producing college ready talent. Amazing to see it happen in real time.
I agree. I follow PA high school and middle school wrestling a lot. I could probably name about 15 kids in jr high who are coming in PA that are some bad ass wrestlers. The future is bright.
Iowa's appeal has become more selective.
Seriously: Iowa City is a long way away -- 9.5 hrs from the PA/OH border on I-80. So many D1 programs are closer including all B10 except Nebraska and Minnesota, all ACC teams except Stanford, all EIWA/Ivy teams, most/all of the MAC, and some SoCon.
Other than a tunnel, what does Iowa provide that Ohio State and Michigan don't? Since Cael arrived at PSU, Ohio State has had more NCAA champs and Michigan more World/Olympic medalists than Iowa.
And as it turns out, few high-end PA kids have gone to Iowa or points further out since Lee and Murin enrolled -- under 15 total including one who attended Stanford.
This is going to get harder for Iowa in the future, because they now have to compete with David Taylor for kids willing to move that far from home.
Leanza is a stud! That kid don't pass the eye test but he can scrap. I seen him battle all the way back to take 3rd last year at jr high states. Kid scrapped hard.
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Mostly agreed, less sure about the "PSU driving" part. PA is definitely improving, as are many other states. Rising tide lifting all boats. Perhaps PA is improving more, or has more top-end kids on the way than other states. Anyway, I suspect simple supply/demand is driving club growth more.
Also, clubs are a national thing for many/most sports. I'm friends with a HS swimming/diving coach in D4 -- not exactly a hotspot for that sport. Several of his kids train at clubs, and not all the same club. (Should note: some of his kids are swimming D1 varsity, so maybe D4 swimming clubs are working.)
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He's alive and well and behaving himself on On3.
Hopefully, PSU gets blaxe and bassett. Solidify the middle. With duke, sealy and lilledahl it will make the lineup very strong. Jax would be great as well but not sure we have a great shot at him.
The 7 schools removed from Bos list today Sacred Heart, Bloomsburg, Duke, SIU Edwardsville, Binghamton, Gardner-Webb, and Northern Illinois
Can you ask him to please take Iowa off the list. Even if only a day or two, so I can spend a day or two reading GIA and laughing till I cry. Please.
Shit, and I thought all seven had a legitimate chance. Truly spine tingling each week.
PS - wake me up in August. Prediction. Once we get closer, the number of schools dropped will reduce each week, this could take a while.
It's a shame he pulled Bloomsburg so soon. Was hoping all PA schools would make it to the last 2 or 3 weeks.
Does taking Duke off the list mean he and PJ Duke are not friendly? Is this a bad sign for PSU? Are we going to need to drop PJ in order to snag Bo? This needs an investigation JTS. The tea leaves are obvious.
Valiant effort from Bloom even without a head coach to make it to round 2. He must’ve really liked something there.
