Haven't heard any news on weather Lee takes an Olympic year or not. In my opinion, he has a great shot at making the team and doing some serious damage in 2020. However, if Lee isn't wrestling for Iowa, his 25 points at Nationals go bye bye and they become a long shot to win NCAA's. And this really is the year they believe they can win NCAA's. So... the question is, if you're Brands, do you push Lee to take an Olympic redshirt or try to get him to wrestle for the team? Remember Gilman is there. Maybe, that factors into the equation? Iowa already has someone who can qualify so Lee wrestles this year? Could be Brands lets Lee decide? What would you do? Man.... it sure would be tough to pass on the Olympics when you have a shot to win them!
Spencer Lee
- Thread starter Wpial Bigot
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Anything to keep that bag of puke Gilman off of the team. Fix seems to have blown past him, so that helps. Spencer has been very silent on the freestyle front lately.
No need to pull any punches here, how do you really feel about Gilman?
if you olympic shirt, can you still wrestle at BIG’s and NCAA’s? Is that what Snyder did when he beat Gwiz a few years back?
I should have worded my question better, but if one chooses to olympic shirt they can still “pull the shirt” and compete at the NCAA level?
I do not think you are registered for school on an Olympic shirt. You’re off the books. So, it can’t be pulled.
That was just good clean wrestling- not at all like the time Gwiz shot that mean cheap leg attack and injured Stoll. Signed HR
Tough question... Brands needs to look out for Gilman's best interests, Lee's best interests, and the team's best interests. I think the best way to handle it is to have Lee wrestle a limited NCAA schedule while focusing on freestyle in '19-'20 - very similar to what Snyder did as a senior. But, you don't want to sacrifice Lee becoming a 4x NCAA Champ to pursue an Olympic dream that will be there in 2024, when there is no longer a conflict with Gilman or the 2020 NCAA team championship.
I guess after writing that, I'm changing my mind. I think Brands does his best to sell Lee that focusing on winning another NCAA title this season- and the training that goes along with it- is the best thing for him to reach his goals. SL can still become an Olympic champ in 2024- and has a better chance then than in 2020- but he can't become a 4x NCAA champ if he doesn't win the NCAA title this season. After losing the last match of his high school career and going from being on the short list for one of the greatest high school wrestlers of all time to having a story eerily similar to Gable's in a matter of six minutes, I'd guess that Spencer wants to close the deal on 4 NCAA titles. 2024 will be his year. That is what is best for business for both Iowa Wrestling and for Spencer Lee.
I guess after writing that, I'm changing my mind. I think Brands does his best to sell Lee that focusing on winning another NCAA title this season- and the training that goes along with it- is the best thing for him to reach his goals. SL can still become an Olympic champ in 2024- and has a better chance then than in 2020- but he can't become a 4x NCAA champ if he doesn't win the NCAA title this season. After losing the last match of his high school career and going from being on the short list for one of the greatest high school wrestlers of all time to having a story eerily similar to Gable's in a matter of six minutes, I'd guess that Spencer wants to close the deal on 4 NCAA titles. 2024 will be his year. That is what is best for business for both Iowa Wrestling and for Spencer Lee.
Why would Lee HAVE to win an NCAA title this year to be a 4x NCAA Champ? If he takes an Olympic Redshirt and doesn't wrestle college this coming season he can still be a 4x NCAA Champ.
True. But, Iowa doesn't win an NCAA title this year without Lee's 25+ points. I think Brands really wants/needs to win a team title this year so I think that Brands believes and will advise that the best thing for Spencer Lee's career- NCAA and Olympic- is for SL to focus on finishing his NCAA career with 4 straight titles and then focusing on freestyle and the 2024 Olympics. This also helps SL bring Iowa a team title, which is probably important to him. When SL chose Iowa, he talked about putting them back on top - it wasn't all about what Spencer could achieve individually. SL foregoing an OLRS helps him achieve that, if only for one year.
Good point. I think the Elephant in the room is team title aspirations. If Spencer sits out this year, there's no way Iowa is scoring more than 150 at the NCAA tournament this year ;-).
Imagine the G-forces + suspension of gravity created within HR once their posters shift position of:
“Teasdale is a washed up bum, Gulibon 2.0 - can never make 125.”
.... to
“Teasdale will cover almost all of Spencer Lee’s 27 pts at NCAAs @ 125 and Iowa will score 150!!”
Brands knows he isn't winning a team title this year, he just hasn't told HR. With Spencer the Hawks have a shot at finally standing first in line to suck exhaust from PSU's chrome tipped exhaust pipe, but even that is a bit of a longshot.
If Spencer takes an Olympic year he could finish as a 4 time champ with a couple world golds as well as 2 Olympic golds.
No team titles isn't going to negatively impact that resume'. Hell, after compiling that resume' Spencer can take the Iowa State head coaching job (completing the circle) and challenge Cael for the title of King Kong of the recruiters and provide Penn State and Cael a real challenge from the state of Iowa.
If Lee or anyone other college wrestler believes they have a realistic shot to make the Olympic team in 2020, pretty obvious to take the Olympic Redshirt if possible to train freestyle fulltime. The Olympics could around every 4 years, a lot can happen in 4 years, take your shot when it is there.
That is an excellent question. Both would have their benefits.
Knocking off PSU would show the wrestling world that Cael and PSU are indeed beatable and the Hawks are back. Could help swing momentum away from Happy Valley and help with future recruitment. "Come wrestle for the team that dethroned the juggernaut."
Spencer getting a gold while still in college would probably speak to the highest level of recruits only, but just as beneficial. "So you are a top 10 PFP, well we helped make Spencer an Olympic champ. Come to Iowa and you will be next!"
I can't speak for Tom Brands, but it seems like he will let Spencer make this decision and will back him 100% either way. Although I would highly suspect that they have already discussed this exact situation.
^^^This, it should be about the Kid and I’m sure an Olympic Gold would mean far more to Spencer than a NCAA team title.
100%.
If he’s good enough to make it he gets valuable experience for 2024.
And in 2024 try again.
I look at Ohio State and Kyle Snyder.
It seems that Kyle's personal international success is much more valuable for OSU's long term future than the title they got in 2015.
Although, on the other hand, J'Den Cox got an Olympic bronze while in college and that wasn't exactly a huge inflection point for Missouri's program. So who knows...
Can't we just apply the HR logic that when you recruit a stud as good as Lee you don't have to make him anything because he's already a champ and you don't really need to coach the guy?
Yep.
Spencer Lee already secured 1 World Cadet title and 2 World Junior titles from his PA roots before ever joining the Hawkeyes.
Missouri’s program also lacked tanning beds, long bus rides, positive infinity & a pin chain.
IMO its pretty easy the team aspect carry more weight.. A team title shows Iowa is good at all 10 weights and that you can win a team title somewhere other than Happy Valley nowadays.
While an olympic gold would be a great recruiting pitch it will still be labeled as only a place to go for lightweight guys to train under Terry.
Of course last time I checked Spencer can do both without having to choose.
Yes- really. They gave TG 2 points when the video review clearly showed Fix did not touch his knee to the mat. 3 point ref assist for Gilman and Fix still won. Blown Past.
Apparently the knee in that situation doesn’t need to be down to call the two, if something is obstructing it, according to the rules expert Pyles spoke too.
And you can't forget they brought hell with them, but hell left the building after Cassar beat Moore.And robes
Mizzou isn't the same type of program. They don't go after those top end P4P recruits, for the most part. They have a more workmanlike approach to their team. Coach Smith does a great job at taking mid to lower level recruits and turning them into AA's, Cox being the exception.
It is nice to think about the individual but really that is not the job of Tom and Terry Brands, Cael Sanderson, or John Smith. Their job is to coach their teams and do what is best for those teams. Hopefully most times the personal and team goals align. I know that Olympic sports are a little different than Football and Basketball but as a coach you are employed to act in the best interest of your employer.
Snyder winning Olympic gold was better for OHST then having him wrestling a full regular season schedule.
I'll disagree. Coach Cael, and many other coaches out there absolutely DO think about the individual. It is their job. Working with the wrestlers and their families on THEIR goals/needs, sometimes as an advisor and other times not, but always with the best interest of the student-athlete in mind, is their job. Team-first-and-only thinking leads to discord in the long run.
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