Why would they withdraw ship money? In fact, what would even bring you to ask that question? To me, that is an insult to our coaches that you would even think they would do that.
So who will Cael choose?
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Why would they withdraw ship money? In fact, what would even bring you to ask that question? To me, that is an insult to our coaches that you would even think they would do that.
Are we sure that quote in Daily Collegian is accurate?
I didnt hear him say anything like that in interview
I didnt hear him say anything like that in interview
Very catchy oldies tune. Thought the lyrics had a subversive meaning (like the Ohio Express Yummy yummy yummy), but from research it sounds like they’re straight up about a coffee shop.
The Ohio Express song is a classic example of a seemingly innocent song that is anything but
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Get over yourself. Seems there was discussion here about individual ship money varies year to year. I didn't realize a guy gets a guaranteed amount for the full 4-5 years.
Trackwrestling.com has it, but it's behind their paywall ($12). Go to Events->Search Events, search for Jonathan Kaloust Bearcat Open, then you can get into the brackets, where there are video links. You could also search this forum for "passcode" and you might find something useful from a generous poster...
From what I've heard, Rasheed was hurt going into the tourney, and he took extensive injury time after the first, and did MFF out after losing to Darmstadt. So I dunno how representative the bout is. For what it's worth, 'sheed got 2 TDs, was reversed twice coming out of aggressive turn attempts (1 cradle and one turk), and gave up E1, NF2 and RT1. He never got out from under him. Darmstadt is a tough match up for him to my eyes, but I think Shraken looks bigger/stronger now than he did then.
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He was dinged up and that would be a match to see again. Both guys let it fly like their hair is on fire. For my $$.....the 197 champion will be either SHAK/CASSAR or Darmstadt.
The quote is pretty much exact. He said we could pretty much assume the starter Sunday would be the one....
He also said we usually know before he does.
Pretty much lol
Another consideration -
Which wrestler can best go the distance, based on gas tank?
When looking at going the distance in a tournament, we consider the potential for injury, but could also also stamina.
Short bouts don't unmask the potential for running out of gas at he end of a match. Add in the hopefully long grind of many tournament matches and endurance can also be a factor.
Not implying something about either wrestler.
Just mentioning, that fatigue that may show up in practice, but not in short matches, may reveal another factor that could play into the tournament decision.
Which wrestler can best go the distance, based on gas tank?
When looking at going the distance in a tournament, we consider the potential for injury, but could also also stamina.
Short bouts don't unmask the potential for running out of gas at he end of a match. Add in the hopefully long grind of many tournament matches and endurance can also be a factor.
Not implying something about either wrestler.
Just mentioning, that fatigue that may show up in practice, but not in short matches, may reveal another factor that could play into the tournament decision.
Cael said they were going to wrestle off to determine who would get the spot. Shak won the wrestle off. He has done nothing since then to jeopardize that spot so I think Cael will go with Shak.
This could be a valuable data point for sure, although other posters have made insightful comments about how the value of wrestle-offs can be negated, especially between familiar wrestlers. This raises a more fundamental question for me. As best I can tell, the claim circulating about Shak winning a recent wrestle-off traces back to Christian Pyles. Has this been corroborated by a reliable second source? How trustworthy is Pyles on such matters?
Young Guns who seems to have good info said it wasn’t as close as CP reported. Take it for what it’s worth.
It's a consideration, because for some wrestlers, it can be a factor. We all know that's just reality in wrestling. There will be differences in gas tanks that impact outcomes in the tournies, if this year is like most years.
If you recall, when he was cutting weight, that cutting process seemed to effect one of them. Now at the higher, more natural weight, that concern may no longer be an issue. The coaches may just check it off for both as a non-factor and move on to other selection criteria.
Just saying that IF it was observed in practice in some fashion, it might not show during public Dual matches.
CP told us Suriano was not leaving PSU. So who knows how reliable his source was?
Most favor Cassar for his prowess on his feet and many go with Shak for his bonus potential. The scores of their last wrestle off match was rumored to be 7-4. The determining factors may lay in how that match and previous wrestle-offs were scored.
In the 7-4 bout one could imagine that Cassar's points came via 2 takedowns or a takedown and 2 escapes. That would indicate that Shak probably had at least 1 takedown (Moore from Ohio State could not take Cassar down). Riding time a is probable and back points may have also been scored. The fact that the match went the distance indicates shak did not gas as he did while at 165.
Certainly other matches between them will factor in as well as will their current health. I will root for whom ever Cael and staff decide and feel deeply sorry for the wrestler on the wrong side of that decision!
Bottom line I am a big fan of what both Shak and Cassar are capable of and the class they have handle the awkward situation throughout the season.
In the 7-4 bout one could imagine that Cassar's points came via 2 takedowns or a takedown and 2 escapes. That would indicate that Shak probably had at least 1 takedown (Moore from Ohio State could not take Cassar down). Riding time a is probable and back points may have also been scored. The fact that the match went the distance indicates shak did not gas as he did while at 165.
Certainly other matches between them will factor in as well as will their current health. I will root for whom ever Cael and staff decide and feel deeply sorry for the wrestler on the wrong side of that decision!
Bottom line I am a big fan of what both Shak and Cassar are capable of and the class they have handle the awkward situation throughout the season.
Pretty sure Shak made the comment in a Flo interview after winning the Scuffle. Same interview he talked about why he stayed at PSU the last few years.
I agree with the scholarship money portion of your message, but I think you're missing some info in the rest.
First, Shak came in as a 165 recruit (#43 recruiting rank), wrestled 174 his redshirt year, then dropped down to 165, struggled, and then started growing. On his way up, he ran into Nickal so kept growing, where he found Cassar, an unranked recruit from the same class. So, there was no "recruit kids at the same weight".
Now, as far as "recruit kids at the same weight" goes, so what? By now, I think most recruits and their families understand that business is business, college sports is college sports. If any coach has an opportunity to get the next Jason Nolf, Zain Retherford, Bo Nickal, they're going to do it. Their limitation, though, is 9.9 scholarships, which creates more need at other weights. After all, I thought Rutgers already had a couple of 125 pounders when they recruited Suriano, so even Goodale isn't above recruiting over his current team members.
You're saying he said he would transfer if he wasn't the guy? You'd have to look that one up and post it. The one I saw was all about team, why would I transfer, to be the best, you have to beat the best, training with the best every day, Cassar and I are like brothers, etc.
Last night at the coaches show, Byers asked Cael what the determining factors are when deciding between 2 kids at a weight class, try not to be specific to 197, but I'd imagine that's what everyone listening was thinking. One of, if not the first factor that Cael named was "head to head", along with common opponents, and maybe something else. The head to head comment leads me to believe that Rasheed is gonna get the nod. Who would have thought that this would be the situation at 197 back in November?
Most families understand it is a business. I know someone who has a son that is a D1 recruit in a partial scholarship sport (not wrestling). They are well aware that the amount of scholarship money can change during their son's college career based upon his performance. That is a factor in the schools they seriously consider. What is affordable with a half scholarship is no longer affordable with a quarter scholarship. They also recognize that you have to look at schools that have a need at the position their son plays.
I believe a Boise St commit switched to Purdue (could be different school) when the program was dropped. Got a lot of scholarship money for the freshmen year and was told after that the scholarship money was based upon performance. I would not be surprised if the same thing does not happen at PSU.
Saw that video too. No intention to look for the video/article etc, not worth the time and effort. What is interesting about the situation, if both guys stay, there is no guarantee that this year's starter is next year's starter, both are that good.
Certainly it makes sense that the guy who is not the starter transfers, especially if they graduate, too good to live the rest of your life not knowing how good you could have been.
Seriously doubt if either kid ever said anything about a transfer. If either had, this board would be all over it, and it would have been a theme repeated through lots of threads...as we've had many about Shak and Anthony, and the situation at 197.
Heaven only knows what the future holds, though if one steps back and tries to imagine what it's like to be in either of these guy's shoes, they're surely focused right now on earning the starting spot...not about next year or the year after. Plenty of time for that later.
Yep, you're right.
The recruiting same weights is bound to happen. A room needs 30 guys. Only 10 start. Makes sense and every athlete should be prepared to not start. Including Zain. If he lost a wrestle-off to Gary Dinsmore, he loses his spot. That's that.
The hard part is withdrawing scholarship money. That doesn't just affect a wrestling career, it affects their life. Imagine if you're a middle class kid who thinks he has 3/4 of his college paid for. He works hard in the wrestling room, gets beat but is a model citizen/student.... as a result, his family now has to pay for 3/4 of his college. But they don't have that money. So the kid transfers. He loses his friends, his comfort, his new home, all of his credits may not transfer. He has to move to a new place on shortish notice. The upending a kid's life is something 1) I don't think Cael would want to do and 2) wouldn't be looked upon as the "right thing to do".
When Suriano transferred in, we lost a kid I liked, Alex Mackall. If Goodale told Alex he loses his scholarship, I would be the first one to walk right up to Coach and shame him. I teach at a University (adjunct. Not full time). We are here, for better or worse, to help kids become adults who contribute to society in a positive way. When sports becomes more important than that fundamental principle, its time to look for new leadership.
Cael, despite his propensity to kill kittens and give boring interviews is a great leader of men. He probably thinks long and hard about messing with a kid's life over wrestling.
If people suddenly became willing to waste time and effort searching for proof to back up their wild claims, what would become of the internet? I shudder to think.
If that's how Cael will make his decision then his decision is easy. One of the two guys has proven to be a prolific bonus point machine this year and one hasn't. While I think both are very good, Shak is by far the guy who will likely score more at NCAAs. I think both are equal as far as advancement/placement goes, but Shak will bonus guys while Cassar will struggle to.
You're making assumptions about their health, getting through 2 grueling tournaments, and their mindset. Not saying any of those are issues or problems, just saying Coach does, and they're factors. Don't have a dog in this race, it's all Cael and his staff, it's just a bit more involved than what fans see in 7 minutes a weekend. Here's hoping for great tournament runs from whomever goes at 197
.Both are great kids, and super ambassadors for the Penn State Wrestling program and the University.
I would go with Rasheed and I think Cael will too. It really comes down to bonus point potential for me. Cassar had a great win against Moore, but, I can't say for sure that Rasheed wouldn't have beaten him too.
It is a great problem to have, and it really is unfortunate for whoever isn't chosen. As a fan, I'm absolutely thrilled with where we are currently at this weight regardless of who gets the nod. I didn't think we had finals or championship potential at this weight, but, I sure do now.
In the end, I will trust Cael. Every time I've questioned him, even to myself, he has proven that he knows a lot more than I do about what is right for this team.
It is a great problem to have, and it really is unfortunate for whoever isn't chosen. As a fan, I'm absolutely thrilled with where we are currently at this weight regardless of who gets the nod. I didn't think we had finals or championship potential at this weight, but, I sure do now.
In the end, I will trust Cael. Every time I've questioned him, even to myself, he has proven that he knows a lot more than I do about what is right for this team.
Honestly, I think Shak would have destroyed that sluggish version of Moore. Not to take anything away from AC, but Moore’s energy level seemed down. If a weight cut, Friday at NCAAs should be interesting for Moore.
I thought that, too. But apparently Gravina at Rutgers has already received his additional year, which would make the above inaccurate.
Pretty cool that Cael and staff have taken two walk-ons (pretty sure that is accurate) and "coached them up" to this level in any case.
Moore did look a lot better against Beazley this past Sunday, lot more energy that appeared to be lacking against Cassar.
Or Shak had one touchdown and one extra point, and Cassar had two safeties.
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