Isn't that Iowa's MO? Wrestle (relatively) well early in the season, overwork the team, completely muck up the peak/taper cycle, and fade in March.
Iowa thread for 2024-25
- Thread starter vhsalum
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I think they are trying to say Iowa, as a whole, Iowa consists of lesser quality iron to sharpen Arnold, when compared to Ryder's training partners.
It means that Ryder is one of like 10 guys on PSU with crazy high expectations and Arnold is only one of a few on Iowa, so you notice him more.
Gabe is getting talked about more because he’s in the starting lineup, when Ryder gets his chance next year he will have all the hype and more because we have seen him beat Gabe 3x. Iowa has quite a few guys with high expectations as well, Teemer and Buchanan both ranked #1, Mikey ranked #2, Parco top 4, Drake top 6, Nelson/PK ranked top 6, Gabe top 8. Every lineup will look bad compared to PSU, they’re looking at 10aa’s and probably breaking their own scoring record again.
Recruiting wise, what happened at 125 and 141 at Iowa? These are big holes with little depth for a school that is typically strong. Just a few years ago you had Ramos, Clark, & Gilman scratching for lineup spots in the lower weights and now they might not have a qualifier at two of the three. DeLuca coming in next year fixes one spot but there's not much in the pipeline to cover 141.
They just haven't bought the right wrestlers from other programs.
Ayala outgrew 125, their top recruit at 125/133 quit wrestling and joined the navy, and they have a high ranked recruit at 141, but he's a freshman coming off an ACL injury, making a big cut, and has wrestled 2 matches in the last year and a half.
125: Ayala outgrew the weight, Jesuroga quit the sport, and poachee Cruz has not remotely lived up to his HS career where he was neck and neck with Figueroa.
Also: Ramos, Volk, and Lilledahl all declined Slumlord Bob's money.
141: They made Blaze's top 6, though few thought they really had a shot. Block was a top 15-ish recruit but looks like he isn't at that level yet (also just a RSFR).
In case Knox ever grows to 141: "Hi, this is Bobby Telford. .... From the University of Iowa."
I do expect Iowa to go hard after Munaretto and the Raneys, but so will a lot of schools.
Cruz was ranked in the 50s (Richie was #2) by Willie and transferred in after a 2-4 RS season while Ayala was at 125, don’t believe at all they poached him. Volk was just one poster on GIA saying he heard Volk was transferring in.
Cruz beat Figs once and most of their matches were tight scores. They were close on the mat if not the rankings.
Cruz fell off considerably at the end of high school, which is why his ranking suffered. Through his first two years, he was an elite prospect and very competitive with Figs. If you recall, a lot of people on this board wanted him. Then he basically disappeared.
They always do in December. And Hawk wrestling fans are always "giddy" in December too. It's a cycle I started picking up on years ago...
And so did you.
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They like their guys
I do too.
I forgot about Block, he wasn’t listed on the depth chart I saw at 141.
Just theorizing, and this isn’t an Iowa issue as much as an NIL outcome. The portal guys declining their offers has cut deeper than advertised. To land one it takes $$, and resources are limited. With big $ NIL and the publicity surrounding it, Iowa had to target “their guy” and cool a bit on other options. When it didn’t work out all other targets felt like Plan B’s and went elsewhere. Schools need to get good at NILing.
Too much portal. Not enough recruiting.
Iowa is forced to massively overpay for portal kids with other legit options. Sucks for them, but that's reality.
I watched a Terry interview posted on GIA where he (directly, as is his nature) calls the transfers “NIL guys” at one point. Somewhat admirable and somewhat sad all at one time.
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