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Transfer this week

Seems like our big transfer options have all fallen through this offseason. Reading the tea leaves, Evan really wanted to be a Lion to the point he verbally committed to Cael, contingent on it working academically (transfer credits wise) Just bad luck. I have no expectations for Griffith either at this point. I think the fact Cael was all in on Wick showed he didn't have much hopes for it either.

That being said, we have a fantastic roster and I'm very excited for next season. Kerkvliet being healthy and seeing how one of Bartlett/Van Ness looks is very exciting. Also, don't think our hammers are done evolving just because they've won titles ....

It looks like we have 3 holes right now (which will make beating Iowa very difficult) but 165 is very fixable if Joe comes out with a fire and wrestle the way we know he can.
Can’t see winning NCAA with 3 holes in the lineup.
 
Of course Turk uses sharpie, he lives a lasting impression of being a “dum-dum”.... just ask Willie
 
I think we'll get more bonus points this year; it would be hard to NOT improve on 2021's bonus point totals.
 
I think we'll get more bonus points this year; it would be hard to NOT improve on 2021's bonus point totals.
We did fine from a bonus perspective overall. We got 17, which is a finalist but Beard/Kerkvliet actually pulled their weight for bonus the most. I don't see Aaron, Carter in the Zain/Nolf/Bo mold but I don't think it's unreasonable they can get majors through the quarters. It might be tougher for Carter since 174 is getting so deep. RBY literally seems like he can get a takedown whenever he wants with how quick he can get in on the legs.

Last year, Aaron won his R16 and QFs 5-0 and 9-4 ... I think he can transform those into majors considering he's bonused both of his opponents there before (Webster/Venz) Keep in mind, he majored the 4th place finisher (Poznanski) at Big Tens. Carter won 8-2 and was up 6-1 before giving up a TD at the end. Similar story there. Carter has a top game the rest that I can he can slowly convert into turns (not unlike Zain but I don't think near that level)

Similarly, I think Kerk gets more points just from seeding. I think he was the 5th best heavy last year but earning a 9th seed put him against Schultz in wrestelbacks. I think we need to be cautious just penciling him above Schultz even (let alone Cassioppi) but I think it's safe to say he should start this year 5th ranked heavy (considering Gremmel is gone and he comfortably beat Hilger off the couch basically at Big Tens)
 
We did fine from a bonus perspective overall. We got 17, which is a finalist but Beard/Kerkvliet actually pulled their weight for bonus the most. I don't see Aaron, Carter in the Zain/Nolf/Bo mold but I don't think it's unreasonable they can get majors through the quarters. It might be tougher for Carter since 174 is getting so deep. RBY literally seems like he can get a takedown whenever he wants with how quick he can get in on the legs.

Last year, Aaron won his R16 and QFs 5-0 and 9-4 ... I think he can transform those into majors considering he's bonused both of his opponents there before (Webster/Venz) Keep in mind, he majored the 4th place finisher (Poznanski) at Big Tens. Carter won 8-2 and was up 6-1 before giving up a TD at the end. Similar story there. Carter has a top game the rest that I can he can slowly convert into turns (not unlike Zain but I don't think near that level)

Similarly, I think Kerk gets more points just from seeding. I think he was the 5th best heavy last year but earning a 9th seed put him against Schultz in wrestelbacks. I think we need to be cautious just penciling him above Schultz even (let alone Cassioppi) but I think it's safe to say he should start this year 5th ranked heavy (considering Gremmel is gone and he comfortably beat Hilger off the couch basically at Big Tens)

If the Carter we saw at the NLWC cards is the Carter we get at the start of the season this year, I think he'll rack up a lot of bonus points in both the regular and post seasons. He never really got his neutral game going like it was in the fall; if he does get his mojo back, he's going to be up by several TDs as opposed to making us hold our collective breath through OT in multiple matches. I know; it's obvious that more TDs result in more points, but with Carter, you have the potential for some top-game brutality that you don't get with AB or RBY that can rapidly blow open a match.

A full sized Kerkvliet will be in the mix this year if Gable is gone; a lot of people were poo-pooing him after he lost to Cass, Parris, etc., but he was the only person to score a TD on Gable all year. He beat Parris at OTTs. The talent is there; he just needed mat time and some bulk.

I think Nick Lee needs to play catch and release more often. Start using some of his opponents as FS-training tackling dummies. He's good on top but he's not transcendent like Zain or Bo. After he gets his 1:15 or so of RT, he needs to cut guys and get after it again on his feet. Thinking beyond bonus points, getting reps against non-practice partners will be good for his FS prospects, long term.
 
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If the Carter we saw at the NLWC cards is the Carter we get at the start of the season this year, I think he'll rack up a lot of bonus points in both the regular and post seasons. He never really got his neutral game going like it was in the fall; if he does get his mojo back, he's going to be up by several TDs as opposed to making us hold our collective breath through OT in multiple matches. I know; it's obvious that more TDs result in more points, but with Carter, you have the potential for some top-game brutality that you don't get with AB or RBY that can rapidly blow open a match.

A full sized Kerkvliet will be in the mix this year if Gable is gone; a lot of people were poo-pooing him after he lost to Cass, Parris, etc., but he was the only person to score a TD on Gable all year. He beat Parris at OTTs. The talent is there; he just needed mat time and some bulk.

I think Nick Lee needs to play catch and release more often. Start using some of his opponents as FS-training tackling dummies. He's good on top but he's not transcendent like Zain or Bo. After he gets his 1:15 or so of RT, he needs to cut guys and get after it again on his feet.
Yup ... Carter beating Marstellar was very impressive. He also dominated Skatzka then he came back. Getting thrown by Washington actually wasn't the most concerning thing, that happens and we've seen now that Washington is pretty dang good on his feet but he was just hanging on against nonqualifiers at first (like Fisher and Krattiger) ... honestly, Carter more or less used sheer blue collar grit to beat a ton of his opponents this year and it was something to see.

149 I think can be fixed with one of Bartlett/Van Ness. We'll see what Cael's plan is for that next January likely.

Like I said, it doesn't matter where he starts now but I'll want to see Kerk against Parris/Cass again in folk before I just say oh he's healthy and big now, he will be above those 2. He obviously was a shell of what he could be last year but keep in mind getting off bottom won't be as simple as being big. Cass particularly knows how to utilize his weight and keep you down. But once again, heavyweight is a great spot for us to close some points on Iowa.
 
Can’t see winning NCAA with 3 holes in the lineup.

I assume a hole is a non AA potential guy? I don't see three. We should see growth on multiple fronts.

I am not so sure we have as many holes as we think, and there is always the injury bug that could bite Iowa as much as the inclusion of Ivy teams lowering their point total next year.

125 Steen - I will go out on a limb, accepting the 'he is getting big' rumors and say he qualifies and gives us a few points

149 Beau (SVN shirts) - I have no issue seeing Beau as an AA despite all of the obvious arguments against. The kid is super talented and a full year at 149 will make believers out of most.

157 Claw or Joe - qualifier for sure in either case. Joe down at 157 is very interesting and might be the key to unlocking his protential. His sloppy risk taking style needs to change either way. More likely the Claw.

165 Joe or Alex - I would give the edge to Joe for sure and I think we are pretty much guaranteed he will do better next year. AA it's not out of the question. A shirt for Alex will help him immensely.

Well, on second thought, I think Shane Griffith thread is still active, at least with some food related stuff :-/
 
I think Cael goes John Smith on this lineup and Dean slots in at 97 and everyone else moves down a weight from 84-65. Lol
 
[...]

I think Nick Lee needs to play catch and release more often. Start using some of his opponents as FS-training tackling dummies. He's good on top but he's not transcendent like Zain or Bo. After he gets his 1:15 or so of RT, he needs to cut guys and get after it again on his feet. Thinking beyond bonus points, getting reps against non-practice partners will be good for his FS prospects, long term.
Some people on here have said that Lee winning the NCAA this last year was good enough and doesn't need to "improve any facets" of his game. I disagree, but what do I know...
 
Even if our 8th scored 1 point, we still needed 8. He was going to die on that illogical hill
Last night had dinner at a Vietnamese place. Our friends' 3-yo daughter threw the mother of all fits when the restaurant did not have kiddie chopsticks (with a rubber band at the top to keep them together).

This was much like trying to get Guns to define "scoring wrestler."
 
I am reasonably certain he was fragged by his own men :)
vlcsnap-2012-05-27-06h43m39s189.jpg
 
Heads: I win. Tails: "LOL you thought I was really journalism-ing," as Mineo struts away like a cat pretending that it actually meant to fall in toilet bowl.

I realize I'm violating my own advice, but it'd be great if everyone stopped giving this assclown any oxygen.
 
Last night had dinner at a Vietnamese place. Our friends' 3-yo daughter threw the mother of all fits when the restaurant did not have kiddie chopsticks (with a rubber band at the top to keep them together).

This was much like trying to get Guns to define "scoring wrestler."
How’s the Vietnamese in Iceland?
 
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Yup ... Carter beating Marstellar was very impressive. He also dominated Skatzka then he came back. Getting thrown by Washington actually wasn't the most concerning thing, that happens and we've seen now that Washington is pretty dang good on his feet but he was just hanging on against nonqualifiers at first (like Fisher and Krattiger) ... honestly, Carter more or less used sheer blue collar grit to beat a ton of his opponents this year and it was something to see.

149 I think can be fixed with one of Bartlett/Van Ness. We'll see what Cael's plan is for that next January likely.

Like I said, it doesn't matter where he starts now but I'll want to see Kerk against Parris/Cass again in folk before I just say oh he's healthy and big now, he will be above those 2. He obviously was a shell of what he could be last year but keep in mind getting off bottom won't be as simple as being big. Cass particularly knows how to utilize his weight and keep you down. But once again, heavyweight is a great spot for us to close some points on Iowa.
Bottom will be so important for Kerk. Cass has shown a couple times that he can be drawn into shootouts against smaller, quicker guys where he's at a disadvantage (match 2 against Davison at u23's), but if he can still ride Kerk like he did at big tens, there's not enough opportunity for Kerk to turn the match into a shootout.

HWT should be really exciting next year.
 
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Bottom will be so important for Kerk. Cass has shown a couple times that he can be drawn into shootouts against smaller, quicker guys where he's at a disadvantage (match 2 against Davison at u23's), but if he can still ride Kerk like he did at big tens, there's not enough opportunity for Kerk to turn the match into a shootout.

HWT should be really exciting next year.
Also - it wasn't a pure bottom thing seeing how Cass got 3 takedowns against him to 0. Cass is elite on his feet (particularly his ability to find feet to back) He did just beat Dom Bradley in free. Like I said, I expect Kerk to be a lot better this year because he was working from total inactivity at Big Tens and NCAAs but Penn State fans should know better than anyone it's not as simple as, look at him workout, he's going to dominate everyone this year.

I do think we kind of close the gap at heavy on paper to start just because I think Kerk should start the season 5 this year when he finished 7th.
 
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