I am thrilled that we are currently sitting in second place (even though by a razor thin margin). Says more about the abilities of our coaches than many are giving them credit for. Super bummed about the point record being in jeopardy tho.
Considering the obstacles Iowa faced this year
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We aren't currently sitting in second place.
MI upset at heavy catapaulted them up a few places to 2nd.
Ok third. But my point holds. Projected 9th place finish at the beginning of the tourney (which I know is still possible)
We are going to finish out of first place by more than 100 points. I am thrilled for Drake.
This is a stupid thread. We have the talent to do better and we didn’t. I want to give our coaches all of the credit in the world, and I laugh when I hear chatter about replacing Brands, who has proven time and time again that he’s the right guy for the job. But we need new guys on board if we’re going to improve. The defensive style of wrestling we see far too often sucks. We need to quit bringing on Iowa clones as assistants and start bringing on aggressive offensive minded middle and heavy weight guys since our offense and some of our recruiting pretty much sucks…and for that I do give credit to the coaches. We need to fix it.
You have incredibly low standards my friend. I don’t care what was projected; we are the Hawks! Getting bitch slapped all over the f**king planet at NCAAs is never good regardless of the “obstacles.”
I like your optism ev.
In the famous words of Ricky Bobby's dad, "If you're not first, you're last."
You don't see a problem with a projected ninth place finish? That is not a good sign if winning titles is the goal
He’s gotta be a PSU grad from the old days. LOL!!😂😂
I like the positivity, but 4AAs is COMPLETELY unacceptable.
And without the gambling, not sure there's a huge difference in points.
In four sessions, Iowa had, what, 2 falls?
Dan Gable would be rolling in his grave if he was dead.
OK, that last comment was in poor taste.
We'd have probably 2 more AA's & somewhere around 20 more pts at 174, 184 & 285 without the gambling...so I think that's pretty significant...
Rank/order statistics are not super informative about separation. It’s quite possible for 2-10 to be separated by 12-15 points, or +/- a good 3rd place wrestler.
Not low standards at all. Just trying to be optimistic and realistic.
Born at uihc on October 22 1966 on homecoming. Uiowa degree and employed in cancer research at uiowa. Both sons born at uiowa and work at uiowa. Hawkeye enough for you? Also my father was a PI at uiowa for 40 years.
I strongly believe the biggest loss from the gambling probe was Nelson Brands. He was on a roll and his trajectory was straight up. He was wrestling as well as anyone and could have been a top three guy. That is a good addition in points. Cass is top five all day long. Those two alone would have us in a solid second place. Everyone forgets about Assad. He had All American potential as well. I wouldn't pick him in the upper half, but a threat to be 5-8 again, that is significant points from a weight we scored zero. Let's be real. The gambling probe HURT. We can be upset by the distance PSU has created and that would be fair. Iowa has the support and resources to compete for national titles as we did in 2021 when we brought home the team title, but to not acknowledge that losing Brands, Assad and Cass had a HUGE impact on our team this year is unfair and not realistic.
Yah, piss poor taste. Dan is obviously eoic. Yeet, wrestling is fun!
More than that. Easily 25.
I don’t have a big problem with the performance this weekend. But even factoring in the gambling misfortune we will still end up 70 points behind PSU. That isn’t acceptable. Ever.
Things need to change at iowa and I question whether Tom Brands is a guy willing to make the necessary changes. He’s been a fantastic coach for a very long time, but he has not evolved.
If we enter next season with the same coaching staff I will be highly disappointed.
Gambling vs no gambling.
157...Franek 8th, Cobe NP
165..Calliendo 4th with bonus vs PK borderline AA.
174..PK vs NB 4/5
184..Zilch vs Assad 7/8
Hwt Hill vs Cass 4/5
That's 20 points????
Not a chance.
Let's be honest, the success at PSU allows them to have depth that true freshman are placing top 5. At this point in TNT tenure I don't see how they close thr gap. Props for the kids that competed this weekend. This was the first season I can remember under the Brands that we didn't limp into March beat up physically, so props on that.
We are still mentally getting beat in March. Not finishing and losing scramble situations is the bane of this staff. That is where is see between PSU and everybody else. They are keeping there composure wresting through positions and looking for backs at all times.
I'm not sure TNT have it in them to rework the staff and improve recruiting. The head coaches have to be closers. They have to improve the stable of the HWC to improve recruiting. PSU is selling world and Olympic titled, something we got zero on atm.
We are still mentally getting beat in March. Not finishing and losing scramble situations is the bane of this staff. That is where is see between PSU and everybody else. They are keeping there composure wresting through positions and looking for backs at all times.
I'm not sure TNT have it in them to rework the staff and improve recruiting. The head coaches have to be closers. They have to improve the stable of the HWC to improve recruiting. PSU is selling world and Olympic titled, something we got zero on atm.
Why do you guys keep acting like they don’t get the transfer without the gambling issues? Kennedy was coming off an injury and COBE wasn’t exactly a high end returning starter. I know it doesn’t fit the hang Brands narrative but YEAH, Iowa score 20-25 more points if the fiasco didn’t happen…
You think they go after Franek and Caliendo without the gambling?
I have no way to know, but both were going to Oklahoma until someone came up with $250K.
Please show me the math on 25 points.
Not doubting this is true but curious on the source.
If we aren’t bringing in the right assistants, and our guys are not wrestling well, I am puzzled at how our head coach can still be considered “the right man for the job.”
Or, to paraphrase Billy Beane in Moneyball, “If he’s a good coach why doesn’t he coach good?”
It’s actually pretty easy math.
174- Kennedy scored 3 points. Brands scored 10 points the year before. I think he probably does a little better this year, but for the sake of the argument we keep it the same. So that is 7 points.
184- Riggins DNQ. After the top 3-4 guys 184 was very thin. A healthy Assad could have scored 10+, but let’s be reserved and say 5 points.
285- Hill scored 1 point. Cass scored 14.5 last year. That is 13.5 points
That is 25.5 points…
Something has to change. I’m in favor of a staff shakeup. I am especially in favor of bringing in an assistant without ties to Iowa.
I have to question Assad scoring that many points, that is extremely optimistic based on his body of work. Reserve estimate is probably spot with a decent draw.
Just because they had a good tourney doesn't equate equal or better success the following year. Draws, injury, and brain farts influence placement so much. It is not a given equal better placement, same with any transfer in, (see PSU Truax). NB improved a ton last year, but he still suffers from the Hawkeye lack of points lose late potential.
They were coming either way. Heck, a final decision on gambling wasn’t handed down until after the season started. And yes it took $$$ to get them here. So what? That’s the world today—use the resources you have. No brainer.
The delta is in the 25 point range. PK and Hill scored next to nothing replacing 2 all Americans and we didn’t even qualify at 184. If it’s 20 and not 25, really don’t think it changes anyone’s point.
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The scrambling or lack of understanding how to scramble to score from a lot of Iowa wrestlers (not all but most) is the issue and it falls on the coaches. I don’t think they look for that in recruits and they certainly don’t seem to emphasize it in the room. Probably because it is not how they wrestled.
Everyone looks at scramblers and labels them as “defensive wrestlers”. If you look at the high level scramblers though, (e.g., O’Toole, Mesenbrink, Carr, etc.) they scramble to score. They are aggressive, offensive wrestlers and don’t panic in situations where others would simply bail out. They keep wrestling through situations. I don’t see many of the Iowa wrestlers doing that or having that ability.
Iowa needs a fresh coaching perspective in the room even if that is only a different assistant coach(es). Something has to change as they seem to be regressing in every facet.
You're being naive to think TnT didn't have a pretty good idea what the gambling fallout was going to be before they went after Caliendo and Franek.
I asked MSU for the math...throw me some numbers to get that loss of 20-25 points.
