Your general thoughts on our guys paths
- Thread starter Chickenman Testa
- Start date
The team race certainly has the feel of being over when I glance through the brackets, but so much drama individually and the race for 2/nd place. I dream of the day when ISU is good enough to trophy chase at this event. I will be very happy with 2 AAs and a top 15 finish. That is tough but doable.
I'd feel pretty good about Berge's draw. That Kolodzik match will be a night match, so he'll be like 10 hours off the scale. That's going to be a really tight match. Kolodzik is going to try to score right at the end of periods, so Berge will need to be super aware there. Kolodzik picked Lugo apart doing that.
A good bit of the wrestling wins/losses at NCAA's will go exactly according to plan, some will not. Of those bouts that do not, there will be some outrageous, totally unexpected, and surprising results.
By seeds, last year, there were 23 upsets in the first round (160 bouts), and 15 upsets in the second (80 bouts), or about 1-in-6. Didn't take it further than that, but can add that (I believe) eight unseeded guys became All-Americans, and a 15-seed made the finals.
Where will this year's stories come from?
By seeds, last year, there were 23 upsets in the first round (160 bouts), and 15 upsets in the second (80 bouts), or about 1-in-6. Didn't take it further than that, but can add that (I believe) eight unseeded guys became All-Americans, and a 15-seed made the finals.
Where will this year's stories come from?
I don't get the love for Joe Smith. Good wrestler in the past but against qualifiers at either 174 or 165 he is 4-6 and none of the 4 wins are against any top guys. I think Marinelli doesn't even feel the bump as he runs him over.
He did beat a two time AA in the room to win the spot....question is did they have to make scratch weight for the wrestle off? Regardless Smith is a dangerous wrestler.
At 174 Smith looked very good at the Scuffle, beating NCAA #6 seed McFadden 11-4, and giving Hall all he could handle in the finals. The huge question is can he make enough adjustment to his cut to be competitive at 165. He sure didn't at the Big 12's!
I don't understand why OSU did this with their lineup but whatever.
Rogers/JoJo/Jacobe vs. JoJo/Jacobe/Geer
I'll take the first one
Totally agree with you. Does fit the stereotype of Smith liking to have his wrestlers pull weight. But, it cuts out a 2-time senior AA, and puts his son less competitive.
Keep in mind JoJo was at weight for the first time and wrestling with a very heavy heart due to the loss of his grandfather. That stuff matters. Miklus came home from Tulsa and the memorial for his father was the next day. I know that affected him more than he would ever say. These are young men and we aren't always aware of everything going on behind the scenes.
Bottom line....as we’ve said before.....a few AA caliber wrestlers are going home empty handed. This weight class is deep.
I would have taken Rogers/Jacobe/Geer to score the most.
I at least would have kept Rogers in the lineup and had JoJo/Jacobe wrestle off or Jacobe/Geer wrestle off. Rogers scores bonus and certainly a threat to anyone
Agree
IMO, Smith took the Cowboys out of the running for 2nd.
I guess it's in Smith's DNA to sweat every ounce of fat out of his wrestlers.
The thing that is interesting to me about Smith's seeming struggle pulling weight, is that he really looked pudgy at the Scuffle. I've seen him before (at 157) and he didn't look anything close to that (2 weights down of course). He looked like he had a lot of weight to lose at 174. And, he wrestled very well at that tournament.
I agree, it did look like 165 was a reasonable, doable cut, and yet he's probably going to be on the backside Thursday night. It makes you wonder how OSU conducted that wrestle-off, because Chandler Rogers is probably in the conference finals and looking at a top 10-ish seed.
I know Joe Smith is an insane round 1 draw but after weigh ins and the pigtail match. The Bull won't just be a Bull, he'll be a bull in a China shop.
I can see a scenario where Bo has Preston Weigel in the finals. Thoughts on that matchup? I always expect the W for Bo with the only mystery being how much bonus he gets.
Has Bo ever wrestled Weigel? WresleStat shows no college matchups. Weigel looked solid in the Iowa dual but Bo is Bo. What are the chances Weigel is more than a speed bump for him?
Has Bo ever wrestled Weigel? WresleStat shows no college matchups. Weigel looked solid in the Iowa dual but Bo is Bo. What are the chances Weigel is more than a speed bump for him?
Unless he gets in his own head, I'd be shocked if Moore doesn't make the finals. I think he's better than anyone 3 and down in 197. Though Weigel has been hot recently, he majored Woodley and Miklus at Big 12s.
Weigel is no slouch, got 6th at NCAAs in 2017 before getting hurt last year during his match against Conel. I know 2 years ago isn't a good indicator but Cutch beat Weigel 4-3 (and sealed the deal for us in that dual). Unfortunately, I can see Bo's bonus being limited in this tournament though. Bo called wrestlers out (not by name) in his post NCAA Finals interview last year that people weren't wrestling him and were just trying to avoid being bonused.
Everyone knows how dangerous Bo is now, if you shoot on him and can't cleanly finish, you're at a very high risk of getting packed. I can see Weigel (or honestly anyone else actually) trying to keep it close against Bo by wrestling in reverse. Hopefully the referees catch this and call the stalls appropriately.
Actually one match I am intrigued about is Patrick Brucki. That dude is built like a powerlifter and I know that hasn't worked against Bo in the past. I don't think Nick Heflin trains at Princeton anymore but I think the Princeton coaches saw a very strong wrestler can chuck Bo (Heflin in the 2017 US Open 3rd place match pinned Bo but it wasn't called) if they set it up right and I wonder if they'll have Brucki go for broke and try it. I know Brucki isn't on the same level as a in his prime Heflin but I think the Princeton coaches probably knows that's likely the only avenue to get to Bo (how ever little chances it is)
Weigel is no slouch, got 6th at NCAAs in 2017 before getting hurt last year during his match against Conel. I know 2 years ago isn't a good indicator but Cutch beat Weigel 4-3 (and sealed the deal for us in that dual). Unfortunately, I can see Bo's bonus being limited in this tournament though. Bo called wrestlers out (not by name) in his post NCAA Finals interview last year that people weren't wrestling him and were just trying to avoid being bonused.
Everyone knows how dangerous Bo is now, if you shoot on him and can't cleanly finish, you're at a very high risk of getting packed. I can see Weigel (or honestly anyone else actually) trying to keep it close against Bo by wrestling in reverse. Hopefully the referees catch this and call the stalls appropriately.
Actually one match I am intrigued about is Patrick Brucki. That dude is built like a powerlifter and I know that hasn't worked against Bo in the past. I don't think Nick Heflin trains at Princeton anymore but I think the Princeton coaches saw a very strong wrestler can chuck Bo (Heflin in the 2017 US Open 3rd place match pinned Bo but it wasn't called) if they set it up right and I wonder if they'll have Brucki go for broke and try it. I know Brucki isn't on the same level as a in his prime Heflin but I think the Princeton coaches probably knows that's likely the only avenue to get to Bo (how ever little chances it is)
Last edited:
The 174 pound match against Hall was more like Smith just standing around until Hall took him down.
After the dual fall, in the Bigs Moore wasn't interested in wrestling Bo. He was happy to do as little as possible and if he did not get majored he was happy. Actually I think Moore's Big10 goal was to still be on the mat at the end of 7 minutes.
Aa far as Brucki goes, I hope Brucki wrestles Bo trying his hardest to beat Bo. When people actually wrestle Bo, fun things happen.
I whole heartedly agree. I give Kollin 10x more props for his dual meet match against Bo where he got decked in the 1st, he was at least trying to take Bo down. He didn't seem interested in that anymore in the B1G Finals. Same with Sammy Brooks, TJ Dudley, Nolan Boyd, Myles Martin (last finals). All of them are top of the line wrestlers and got packed by Bo trying to win. Like I said, Bo said it was frustrating then a wrestler goes down by 7 to him and just turtle up in bottom or wrestle in reverse, he said "if you're down by 7, you probably should wrestle"
We joke about how he cumulatively hasn't wrestled Bo for 2 minutes yet even but I respect the HELL out of Sammy Brooks. Dude went out there with the intention of full out attacking Bo, well aware he is putting himself at a high risk of a pin. He would have rather got pinned in the first trying to win than lose 5-3 by not. That and his mullet interview, how he just seems like a great kid makes me like him a ton (even if he is a Hawkeye
)
Last edited:
I saw Brucki up close a month or so ago and was really impressed, especially at his strength. He's a solid wrestler too, but I doubt his ability to react well in the sort of chaotic scrambles that would likely happen against Bo.
Dont expect Brady to be much over 153-4, he still has to hit 150 the following morning.
Yep to your entire post!I whole heartedly agree. I give Kollin 10x more props for his dual meet match against Bo where he got decked in the 1st, he was at least trying to take Bo down. He didn't seem interested in that anymore in the B1G Finals. Same with Sammy Brooks, TJ Dudley, Nolan Boyd, Myles Martin (last finals). All of them are top of the line wrestlers and got packed by Bo trying to win. Like I said, Bo said it was frustrating then a wrestler goes down by 7 to him and just turtle up in bottom or wrestle in reverse, he said "if you're down by 7, you probably should wrestle"
We joke about how he cumulatively hasn't wrestled Bo for 2 minutes yet even but I respect the HELL out of Sammy Brooks. Dude went out there with the intention of full out attacking Bo, well aware he is putting himself at a high risk of a pin. He would have rather got pinned in the first trying to win than lose 5-3 by not. That and his mullet interview, how he just seems like a great kid makes me like him a ton (even if he is a Hawkeye
RBY vs. DeSanto in-depth discussion.
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/20...-big-ten-tourney-loss-to-iowas-austin-desanto
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/20...-big-ten-tourney-loss-to-iowas-austin-desanto
I hope he is working hard on getting lower and shooting takedowns. It is a mismatch when he goes high against Marinelli and as they say first time is a fluke second time is a trend and Cael needs to tell him that there will
Not be a 3rd time standard!
Once the PSU team bus pulls up to PPG, yes, basically it is...
Besides avoiding the upper body ties, Cenzo also needs to match his aggression. It's hard to do that against a guy who's (well deserved) moniker is "The Bull" but I had a ominous feeling Cenzo lost after 1 (when it was 0-0) just from their demeanor that first period.
I'd say Cenzo should talk to Mark about how he handled Marinelli in freestyle but I have to remember, Cenzo is not as slick as Mark and he wouldn't be able to replicate that necessarily.
Cenzo has to just be himself , this isnt Rocky Balboa going to train out in CA with Apollo for a rematch vs Mr. T , I’m getting images of Cenzo running on the beach and implementing freestyle swimming
