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Match Thread Ohio State dual - Fri, Feb 2

As for future matchups, hope springs eternal from Buckeyeville:

“I am on the same page. This recruiting class they are all calling the best of all time.
I disagree and like our recruits coming in better.

I take davino over Lillahahl all day. Davino has beaten Jax Forrest and Blaze who have won college opens beating Ramos and Stinich the top 125 wrestlers in the nation this year in college opens. Davino had more dominating win against Forrest. Both will be good but Davino is a little better imo. Davino has 5 wins over top 14 p4p guys in last year.

Gibson being ranked top 15 p4p was a complete joke. Penn State commitment jumps you up. Gibson is not top 50 maybe not too 100. He lost to Kilkeary last year. He isn’t ever going to start for Penn state. He’s not even top 15 in his weight class imo.

Mirasolas have both lost to Ryder in last year. One will have to go heavyweight and I don’t think will even come close to Feldman. By next year Feldman is going to be a problem for everyone. This is basically his true freshman year. Think steveson jumping levels year two. I think we see same from Feldman.

Sealy and Birden are a wash imo. Sealy got his ranking bc of a world championship. Nothing to me shows he is that much better. I think Birden is still more raw and his athletism can help him jump levels in college. Henckal from Blair lost to Birden also that is coming to Penn state next year. Birden beats sealey and Henckal just 2 months ago and is not ranked in p4p and they both are top 20. Another joke.

There is nothing completely scary about this class. I am far more worried about Jax Forrest and Bo Bassett.”

Don’t tell this guy about Zack Ryder and PJ
All talk until they have to go bottom.
 
Anyone know whether or not Shane Sparks will be at rec hall tomorrow? I’d love to get the chance to meet him and get a picture.

Speaking of him, what are everyone’s thoughts on sparks? Personally I love him and everything he does for the sport. He’s a great announcer who really makes a big impact on the sport.
 
As for future matchups, hope springs eternal from Buckeyeville:

“I am on the same page. This recruiting class they are all calling the best of all time.
I disagree and like our recruits coming in better.

I take davino over Lillahahl all day. Davino has beaten Jax Forrest and Blaze who have won college opens beating Ramos and Stinich the top 125 wrestlers in the nation this year in college opens. Davino had more dominating win against Forrest. Both will be good but Davino is a little better imo. Davino has 5 wins over top 14 p4p guys in last year.

Gibson being ranked top 15 p4p was a complete joke. Penn State commitment jumps you up. Gibson is not top 50 maybe not too 100. He lost to Kilkeary last year. He isn’t ever going to start for Penn state. He’s not even top 15 in his weight class imo.

Mirasolas have both lost to Ryder in last year. One will have to go heavyweight and I don’t think will even come close to Feldman. By next year Feldman is going to be a problem for everyone. This is basically his true freshman year. Think steveson jumping levels year two. I think we see same from Feldman.

Sealy and Birden are a wash imo. Sealy got his ranking bc of a world championship. Nothing to me shows he is that much better. I think Birden is still more raw and his athletism can help him jump levels in college. Henckal from Blair lost to Birden also that is coming to Penn state next year. Birden beats sealey and Henckal just 2 months ago and is not ranked in p4p and they both are top 20. Another joke.

There is nothing completely scary about this class. I am far more worried about Jax Forrest and Bo Bassett.”

Don’t tell this guy about Zack Ryder and PJ

1. Davino is going to be dang good. This incoming lightweight class is ridiculous (Davino, Lilledahl, Blaze, Knox, Forrest, etc)

2. It is entirely possible Gibson never wrestles at NCAAs. But he could also be the 133 after Nagao. I don't really see it, but he's going to get his chance 3 years from now.

3. People are going to need to put Gable in context. He lost to ONE person his freshman year. And was 1 second away from that match going into OT. And he was fat and lazy at the time. Feldman has one less loss (with more coming) in one season than Gable has since the 8th grade. Feldman can't make a "gable jump" and he ain't gonna become the worlds best heavyweight.

4. The biggest problem Tom Ryan is going to have is Tom Ryan. Until he decides that wrestling doesn't need to be "controlled anger like Tom and Terry Brands" - his guys are going to continue to be beat up and not progress.
 
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Anyone know whether or not Shane Sparks will be at rec hall tomorrow? I’d love to get the chance to meet him and get a picture.

Speaking of him, what are everyone’s thoughts on sparks? Personally I love him and everything he does for the sport. He’s a great announcer who really makes a big impact on the sport.
Someone in another thread said they heard it was going to be Tim Johnson tomorrow, which would probably mean Malik Amine too. Also--they've been covering a lot of duals remotely from BTN HQ this year, though I could see them on location for the marquis matchups, such as this.

I agree w/ you though--Shane is great for our sport. Man!
 
Musta been cuz he was from the historically weak PA AAA? 🤷🏿‍♂️
I remember watching some of Carter’s matches at Hershey his senior year. He was a fine wrestler, but I was much more impressed by Thayne Lawrence* that year and thought both his ceiling and floor were above Carter’s ceiling. Shows how much I know. 😂
 
Anyone know whether or not Shane Sparks will be at rec hall tomorrow? I’d love to get the chance to meet him and get a picture.

Speaking of him, what are everyone’s thoughts on sparks? Personally I love him and everything he does for the sport. He’s a great announcer who really makes a big impact on the sport.
Unfortunately not but I'm sure Willie will be there if you would care for a pic with him.

I like Willie's hairdo far more then Shane's.
 
3. People are going to need to put Gable in context. He lost to ONE person his freshman year. And was 1 second away from that match going into OT. And he was fat and lazy at the time. Feldman has one less loss (with more coming) in one season than Gable has since the 8th grade. Feldman can't make a "gable jump" and he ain't gonna become the worlds best heavyweight.
Yeah, comparing Feldman to Steveson is going overboard. Gable is generational and an Olympic champ, but Feldman is damn good for college wrestling. He's going to be a contender. Maybe not this year, but he'll be there eventually.
 
Someone in another thread said they heard it was going to be Tim Johnson tomorrow, which would probably mean Malik Amine too. Also--they've been covering a lot of duals remotely from BTN HQ this year, though I could see them on location for the marquis matchups, such as this.

I agree w/ you though--Shane is great for our sport. Man!
I met Shane at Big Tens last year. Much more laid back in person off mic.
 
Anyone know whether or not Shane Sparks will be at rec hall tomorrow? I’d love to get the chance to meet him and get a picture.

Speaking of him, what are everyone’s thoughts on sparks? Personally I love him and everything he does for the sport. He’s a great announcer who really makes a big impact on the sport.
He will not be there, as stated earlier in this thread.

He would be more effective as an announcer if he would dial it back. I don't like being yelled at.
 
High school is high school, upside matters. Carter was really not that highly ranked coming out of high and could be the only 5 time champ.Also Feldman, not seeing it ,for a smaller heavy weight really not that athletic. Penn st guys get better as they proceed through college ,the only thing that ohio st improve on is their dead lifts.
That take on Feldman is as bad as the Bucknut take on the PSU 2024 recruiting class. Feldman had a pretty serious injury last year. He is now barely halfway thru his first college season and has improved throughout, with a clutch win over the #4 ranked guy in the weight. And he IS pretty darn athletic. Next season he could become a a real problem for most guys.
 
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Anyone know whether or not Shane Sparks will be at rec hall tomorrow? I’d love to get the chance to meet him and get a picture.

Speaking of him, what are everyone’s thoughts on sparks? Personally I love him and everything he does for the sport. He’s a great announcer who really makes a big impact on the sport.
PSU/Ohio State dual meet at the Jordan Center in 2017. Very approachable and told us "this is the best wrestling environment in the country".

 
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Knowledgeable but insufferable!!!

Don't have a guest if you like the sound of your own voice so much it's a never ending monolog.

If Buyers got up and left he wouldn't have even noticed.
I have this issue listening to Basch sometimes. He'll have a wrestling guest on, but talk endlessly about how much traction a tweet of his got.
 
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At the time he meant the D1 coaches. Carter had for God knows what reason gotten less recruiting attention than lesser prospects, and committed much later than most. At one point Willie publicly begged D1 coaches to recruit Carter.
I remember seeing Carter wrestle in Hershey his senior year of HS. From what I remember, he was a little undefined from a muscular standpoint - a little pudgy. He clearly wasn't cutting weight. And his wrestling seemed a bit raw. You could see the potential in him, though. FF a few months and you could see he got very serious about his wrestling and overall regimen. That told me he was focused and disciplined.

But if you were looking at his peers (top 20 HS wrestlers), he was not as "put together" as them. How things changed.
 
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I remember seeing Carter wrestle in Hershey his senior year of HS. From what I remember, he was a little undefined from a muscular standpoint - a little pudgy. He clearly wasn't cutting weight. And his wrestling seemed a bit raw. You could see the potential in him, though. FF a few months and you could see he got very serious about his wrestling and overall regimen. That told me he was focused and disciplined.

But if you were looking at his peers (top 20 HS wrestlers), he was not as "put together" as them. How things changed.
Umm no. Carter was a specimen his entire career. Absolutely great genetics.

b81a3883-66bc-4908-970b-1e22f7d8477c-Carter_Starocci2.jpg
 
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That was around the time they moved it from Bliss to Dugway, right?

07-12 here.
Yeah we had four phases then which was new. The last was he desert in Dugway. We flew from Florida and did a Hollywood jump at dawn. I was too tired to really appreciate it but the memory is spectacular.
 
Anyone know whether or not Shane Sparks will be at rec hall tomorrow? I’d love to get the chance to meet him and get a picture.

Speaking of him, what are everyone’s thoughts on sparks? Personally I love him and everything he does for the sport. He’s a great announcer who really makes a big impact on the sport.
He’s at Michigan
 
I remember seeing Carter wrestle in Hershey his senior year of HS. From what I remember, he was a little undefined from a muscular standpoint - a little pudgy. He clearly wasn't cutting weight. And his wrestling seemed a bit raw. You could see the potential in him, though. FF a few months and you could see he got very serious about his wrestling and overall regimen. That told me he was focused and disciplined.

But if you were looking at his peers (top 20 HS wrestlers), he was not as "put together" as them. How things changed.

I've been going to states for about 30 years now. If you would have told me that Carter would have been a 4-time national champ at any time during his high school career, I would have said you were nuts.

I also remember thinking Nolf was somewhat over-rated, prior to his off-season after his Senior season.

I love being wrong sometimes.
 
Umm no. Carter was a specimen his entire career. Absolutely great genetics.

b81a3883-66bc-4908-970b-1e22f7d8477c-Carter_Starocci2.jpg
But which year is that? He wrestled 160 his junior year and 182 his senior year. My recollection of Hershey could be flawed but I remember him as much less defined at 182.
 
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I remember watching some of Carter’s matches at Hershey his senior year. He was a fine wrestler, but I was much more impressed by Thayne Lawrence* that year and thought both his ceiling and floor were above Carter’s ceiling. Shows how much I know. 😂
I think he was hiding in plain sight for a long time winning on pure heart/guts. The only real indicators I had was him winning the southern scuffle and the way Mark Hall talked about him in interviews during Carter's redshirt year. I think he sold the world with his trashing of Hayden Hidley. No one thought there was going to be that much of a gap. During the 24 hours in which he beat Hidley then Lewis he went from good to probable four timer in the public perception (I was a little more sold than that but to me he was not Bo/Zain level). Now he is an unstoppable legend.
 
But which year is that? He wrestled 160 his junior year and 182 his senior year. My recollection of Hershey could be flawed but I remember him as much less defined at 182.
This was senior year. When he beat Stout. I thought he was a 184.
 
I remember seeing Carter wrestle in Hershey his senior year of HS. From what I remember, he was a little undefined from a muscular standpoint - a little pudgy. He clearly wasn't cutting weight. And his wrestling seemed a bit raw. You could see the potential in him, though. FF a few months and you could see he got very serious about his wrestling and overall regimen. That told me he was focused and disciplined.

But if you were looking at his peers (top 20 HS wrestlers), he was not as "put together" as them. How things changed.
Carter was a 170 who wrestled up a weight his entire SR year, for the challenge. Zain and Mouse both did the same thing their SR years.

This was never a matter of him being unserious, unfocused, or undisciplined. Carter has always been as serious as a heart attack. He chose tougher competition, and he got it -- that was a good bracket (that would've been great if Nijenhuis hadn't decided midseason he had enough of Carter and cut to 170), and he wrecked it.
 
Carter was a 170 who wrestled up a weight his entire SR year, for the challenge. Zain and Mouse both did the same thing their SR years.

This was never a matter of him being unserious, unfocused, or undisciplined. Carter has always been as serious as a heart attack. He chose tougher competition, and he got it -- that was a good bracket (that would've been great if Nijenhuis hadn't decided midseason he had enough of Carter and cut to 170), and he wrecked it.
Mad respect for the work you put in to know what you are talking about.
 
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