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Lee and 141

dmm53

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Feb 4, 2017
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Here are FLO's (specifically) predictions (as opposed to rankings) for 141. Lee comes in at #4. He lost to McKenna, Eiermann, and Carr last year. He has beaten Mason Smith and lost to Chad Red in high school, I believe. Brock should be a good challenge, too, if they meet.

FLOs preview:
https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6252605-2018-19-ncaa-preview-predictions-141-pounds

Predictions for 141
  1. Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell
  2. Joey McKenna, Ohio State
  3. Jaydin Eierman, Missouri
  4. Nick Lee, Penn State
  5. Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State
  6. Chad Red, Nebraska
  7. Mikey Carr, Illinois
  8. Mason Smith, Arizona State
 
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FLO's 141 rankings (Top 20):

Rank Grade Name School Previous Rank
1 SO Yianni Diakomihalis Cornell 1
2 SR Joey McKenna Ohio State 3
3 JR Jaydin Eierman Missouri 4
4 JR Kaid Brock OK State 5 (133)
5 SO Nick Lee Penn State 5
6 SO Chad Red Nebraska 7
7 JR Sa`Derian Perry Old Dominion 8
8 SR Josh Alber UNI 12
9 JR Mason Smith Arizona State 13
10 SO Michael Carr Illinois 14
11 SR Ryan Diehl Maryland 16
12 SR Cole Weaver Indiana 17
13 JR Nate Limmex Purdue 19
14 SR Bryan Lantry Buffalo 13 (133)
15 JR Mitch McKee Minnesota 16 (133)
16 JR Tristan Moran Wisconsin NR
17 FR Max Murin Iowa NR
18 SO Kanen Storr Michigan NR
19 JR Samuel Krivus Virginia NR
20 FR Yahya Thomas Northwestern NR
 
141 matches to keep on the radar this year:

Dec. 14th - Arizona State at Penn State (Mason Smith vs Lee)

Dec. 30th - Cornell vs Missouri (Yianni vs Eierman)

Jan. 12th - Northern Iowa at Nebraska (Josh Alber vs Chad Red)

Jan. 20th - Nebraska at Penn State (Red vs Lee)

Jan. 27th - Illinois at Nebraska (Mikey Carr vs Red)

Feb. 8th - Penn State at Ohio State (Lee vs McKenna)

Feb. 16th - Oklahoma State at Missouri (Brock vs Eierman)

Feb. 17th - Nebraska at Ohio State (Red vs McKenna)

Feb. 22nd - Ohio State at Cornell (McKenna vs Yianni)
 
Here are FLO's (specifically) predictions (as opposed to rankings) for 141. Lee comes in at #4. He lost to McKenna, Eiermann, and Carr last year. He has beaten Mason Smith and lost to Chad Red in high school, I believe. Brock should be a good challenge, too, if they meet.

FLOs preview:
https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/6252605-2018-19-ncaa-preview-predictions-141-pounds

Predictions for 141
  1. Yianni Diakomihalis, Cornell
  2. Joey McKenna, Ohio State
  3. Jaydin Eierman, Missouri
  4. Nick Lee, Penn State
  5. Kaid Brock, Oklahoma State
  6. Chad Red, Nebraska
  7. Mikey Carr, Illinois
  8. Mason Smith, Arizona State
He got beat up by Yanni pretty good too. Lee wrestled like the high pace, aggressive Freshman he was. Short of the Yanni match, his loses during duals were due to some sloppiness i thought he was going to pull out the Mackenna match during the dual. If he gets a little more strength and tightens things up the only guy I don't think he can't beat is Yanni
 
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Eierman schooled Nick some too. It seems conventional wisdom that McKenna jumped a level or two after his dual bout with Lee. Certainly from his freestyle performance at WTT, that is possible. But I still feel that Nick can beat him. I feel less confident about Yianni and Jaydin, but.... Maybe he's developed some defensive savvyness and/or greater strength--both of which could go a long way for Lee. Love watching him work.
 
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So Yanni has ACL surgery in March and in December he’s gonna wrestle Eierman?

I think not.
 
I think Yanni and Eierman are a notch above the rest. I think Lee was close to beating McKenna last year and he will take the next step and beat him this season.
 
Lee has proven he has the skills to be a top 5 guy every year. I think it will become apparent early on if he has gained the horsepower to knock off those 2-3 guys above him. Keep in mind that he was just a true freshman last year and maturity will add power. I could be way off but my eyes tell me that is the one missing ingredient to him becoming yet another PSU bonus point machine. He has the gas tank and attack mentality- just lacks some power.
 
Lee has proven he has the skills to be a top 5 guy every year. I think it will become apparent early on if he has gained the horsepower to knock off those 2-3 guys above him. Keep in mind that he was just a true freshman last year and maturity will add power. I could be way off but my eyes tell me that is the one missing ingredient to him becoming yet another PSU bonus point machine. He has the gas tank and attack mentality- just lacks some power.
"Becoming yet another PSU bonus point machine"? I liked the reference, just adding some facts to the discussion...

As a TRFR, Nick had 25 Bonus Point Wins, good enough for 18th Place for a season, all-time. Since there's guys with multiple seasons of BP Wins above him, he's the #11 individual on the same list. Can a True Freshman, with only one year under his belt, be considered a machine?
 
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"Becoming yet another PSU bonus point machine"? I liked the reference, just adding some facts to the discussion...

As a TRFR, Nick had 25 Bonus Point Wins, good enough for 18th Place for a season, all-time. Since there's guys with multiple seasons of BP Wins above him, he's the #11 individual on the same list. Can a True Freshman, with only one year under his belt, be considered a machine?

I'm thinking James was talking about Nationals, where Nick had only two MD on the bonus side.
 
I'm thinking James was talking about Nationals, where Nick had only two MD on the bonus side.
The young man has potential :), and is a goer even against the best competition. His 25 BP wins, are 2nd highest on the all-time list among freshmen, though he did wrestle more bouts than most since his RS wasn't pulled until later in the season. I get the NCAA Championships twist, though big-picture-wise, the stats are compelling. Looking forward to the season...
 
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Damn, when two bonus wins at NCAAs becomes an "only" for a freshman you know expectations are out of hand. In a pretty good way - at least it's based on a current track record, not a fan's hope and a prayer.
Luke Pletcher looks off wistfully in the distance thinking of such a bonus rate.

(oops - didn’t mean to trigger Uncle Pletch)
 
Luke Pletcher looks off wistfully in the distance thinking of such a bonus rate.

(oops - didn’t mean to trigger Uncle Pletch)
Dean Heil's bonus rate in 4 NCAA Tournaments was the same as Bluto's GPA

images
 
I think Yanni and Eierman are a notch above the rest. I think Lee was close to beating McKenna last year and he will take the next step and beat him this season.
What would make you think Eirman is a notch above the rest? He hasn’t beaten McKenna since he transferred to tOSU. Eirman seems like a guy the elite can figure out after having wrestled him at least once.
 
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Here are Lee's NCAA matches. 6 wins, including 2 over guys who finished 6th (Jack) and 8th (Perry). 2 Majors and just missed a third by one point. Not bad for a true freshman. The one outlier is when he was caught and pinned by Diehl, whom he had beaten 22-10 earlier in the year:


Weight
W/L By How
#5 Jack, Kevin (23 - 6) #4 North Carolina State 03/15 NCAA Championships 141 W SV-1 9 - 7
#1 Eierman, Jaydin (32 - 3) #10 Missouri 03/15 NCAA Championships 141 L MD 12 - 4
#69 Perry, Sa'Derian (18 - 19) #43 Eastern Michigan 03/15 NCAA Championships 141 W MD 12 - 4
#12 Smith, Tyler (29 - 6) #58 Bucknell 03/15 NCAA Championships 141 W DEC 13 - 6
#42 Weaver, Cole (27 - 12) #46 Indiana 03/15 NCAA Championships 141 W MD 13 - 5
#22 Smith, Mason (31 - 7) #27 Central Michigan 03/15 NCAA Championships 141 W DEC 5 - 0
#23 Alber, Josh (24 - 8) #26 Northern Iowa 03/15 NCAA Championships 141 W DEC 7 - 3
#28 Diehl, Ryan (12 - 14) #44 Maryland 03/15 NCAA Championships 141 L FALL 2:13
 
Damn, when two bonus wins at NCAAs becomes an "only" for a freshman you know expectations are out of hand. In a pretty good way - at least it's based on a current track record, not a fan's hope and a prayer.

But I think the point is not that his performance was lacking, but that it was not at "bonus point machine" level, which it may be at (I think it will) going forward. It's not any kind of knock on him. When his career is over, two bonus points in 8 matches will look relatively meager for him.
 
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The good news is....all of our wrestlers improve their bonus point output each year.

As if that is some sort of surprise.
 
What would make you think Eirman is a notch above the rest? He hasn’t beaten McKenna since he transferred to tOSU. Eirman seems like a guy the elite can figure out after having wrestled him at least once.

I guess I'm referring to NCAAs when he really dominated Nick in a way McKenna never had.
 
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Lee was much more of a bonus machine than I realized. I stand corrected. I do, however, believe that if his strength has improved he can win the whole thing.
 
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Lee was much more of a bonus machine than I realized. I stand corrected. I do, however, believe that if his strength has improved he can win the whole thing.
Like. I was surprised by his number too when researching. That said, here's hoping he maintains or improves his numbers this year, after a year as part RS/part starter. He'll surely face better overall competition in 2018-19.

My thinking is that he'll never be a Nolf/Nickal type Bonus Point machine, more maybe like a 60%, plus a little bit type of guy.
 
I guess I'm referring to NCAAs when he really dominated Nick in a way McKenna never had.

I feel ya on this take...

However, right after that 12-4 MD whoopin Eierman put on Nick Lee on Sat morning, he went on to....lose 7-2 to Joey McKenna.
 
At the 2017 NCAAS, Eierman beat McKenna 8-0. At the 2018 NCAAs, McKenna beat Eierman 7-2.

I wouldn't count Lee out in a rematch with Eierman.
The Eierman vs McKenna score flip is a great example of why the matches are wrestled. To varying degrees, my thoughts are optimistic our guy will win when he's not the favorite.
 
Lee has proven he has the skills to be a top 5 guy every year. I think it will become apparent early on if he has gained the horsepower to knock off those 2-3 guys above him. Keep in mind that he was just a true freshman last year and maturity will add power. I could be way off but my eyes tell me that is the one missing ingredient to him becoming yet another PSU bonus point machine. He has the gas tank and attack mentality- just lacks some power.
There is very little else that will build a wrestler's wrestling maturity in a shorter period of time than losing one's first match at nationals, then wrestling back to fifth, three places better than his seed.
 
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Nick is very talented, super aggressive and has a high motor, all things that are hard to coach, they are either there or not, innate in the athlete.

He lacks a bit of strength, getting both caught underneath and is to slow to get good powerful hips when attacked. My second knock is he is really sloppy giving away points being reckless or careless, while also giving away far too many unnecessary points in the last few seconds of a period seemingly unaware of the clock. The McKenna dual match had all of these on display. All of these deficiencies can be either coached or conditioned away.

Net net is Nick has all of the tools to be a NC, and his shortcomings which are several and on full display last year can be corrected. Who better than Cael to maximize his potential? I suspect many will underestimate Nick's continuing development coming into this year.
 
Nick is very talented, super aggressive and has a high motor, all things that are hard to coach, they are either there or not, innate in the athlete.

He lacks a bit of strength, getting both caught underneath and is to slow to get good powerful hips when attacked. My second knock is he is really sloppy giving away points being reckless or careless, while also giving away far too many unnecessary points in the last few seconds of a period seemingly unaware of the clock. The McKenna dual match had all of these on display. All of these deficiencies can be either coached or conditioned away.

Net net is Nick has all of the tools to be a NC, and his shortcomings which are several and on full display last year can be corrected. Who better than Cael to maximize his potential? I suspect many will underestimate Nick's continuing development coming into this year.
I agree with most of what you say. However I would say that Nick gave up points last year when being over aggressive--I will take that fault every day of the week--strength will come with maturity and training--I do believe that we will see a stronger and even more aggressive Nick this year .

Clock awareness will also come in time
 
The Eierman vs McKenna score flip is a great example of why the matches are wrestled. To varying degrees, my thoughts are optimistic our guy will win when he's not the favorite.
Eierman results can span a wide gamut. I don't think it's a case where he doesn't show up for some matches, but he does take big risks and doesn't fight some things off. He's kind of a free spirit out there, maybe a bit like Dylan Ness, and that can result in feast/famine results. But he's talented enough to take anyone in that weight class out in a given match.

Nick is still evolving into the wrestler he'll be, but I think he'll mostly be the same guy he is already (tenacious, big gas tank, can go get takedowns or can capitalize on your mistakes) with fewer mistakes and some added strength.
 
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I was thinking of the first match with the sudden, unexpected pin.

I haven't seen that match since it happened but didn't Nick take an early lead, maybe a big move or something but Alber came back and it was close and then the pin? I do think it was something like that. A pin doesn't always indicate a match was dominated so I agree with you when you called it a wild match.
 
I haven't seen that match since it happened but didn't Nick take an early lead, maybe a big move or something but Alber came back and it was close and then the pin? I do think it was something like that. A pin doesn't always indicate a match was dominated so I agree with you when you called it a wild match.
An exact recap, and, yes, I interpreted it as a wild match as well.

 
And, after seeing Alber at 141 all year last year, me thinks he has no business being at 141. His cut to 133 wasn't that drastic anyway, so he could easily be at 133, where I thought that he was way more effective.
 
it was a tense match as everyone knew it was a tough matchup for the redshirt! Lot of his teammates came out to watch him matside. After the starter getting hurt, this was a good sign for PSU!
 
Eierman also won by fall over Nick in the 2016 at UWW Junior Freestyle at 60kg. Eierman beat Yianni early in the tournament and then lost to him for 3rd/4th. Nick beat Joshua Terao for 7th place after losing to Mitch McKee earlier. Nick avenged the loss to McKee later that year in the semifinals at Fargo. Yes, it was FS and I have no clue what the score was at the time of the fall.

That doesn't change anything for the future, but thought more info couldn't hurt.
 
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