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Here we go: Nebraska Grades

CaliHawkFan

HR All-American
Sep 24, 2006
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125- A+... we may be seeing the best of Spencer to date
133- C+... underrated opponent. Had some good action early but has to get out from bottom
141- C... didn’t do much in terms of shots. Red is a bad match up for Max.
149- C-... that’s a guy he needs to beat worse. That was a 2018 Lugo match. Maybe a low grade as his opponent has wrestled a bunch of guys close this year.
157- C+... he can do better on his feet. Where is the Young we saw in March 2019? Opponent wrestled Hidlay to a 3-2 match so maybe being too tough on his grade.
165- B+... came back from an early take down to dominate the match on top. What a ride.
174- B+... underrated opponent and a guy that knows Kem inside and out from high school. Solid match but could’ve finished some early shots
184- A+... big time atmosphere, came back from early takedown to score some awesome takedowns. This guy is athletic and strong.
197- C-... always thought his opponent was grossly underrated at 14. AA quality but Warner is capable of so much more. He is starting to show shades of Morningstar and Cash on offense. He is a fringe AA right now the way he is wrestling.
285- A... business as usual. Tony is steady Eddie

Challenging to grade this dual because I thought Nebraska had a great game plan as Brands alluded too. They wrestled hard and we still won 8 out of 10.

Team grade B
 
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I agree with your grades across the board. I didn't see Spencer bc of bball but 18-0 first period says it all. Abe Assad was the hero of the day and showed why he belongs in the lineup. He is going to be fun to watch .
Kaleb young wrestled well. BTN showed the neb guy as no. 4 so kaleb took care of business.
Desanto, lugo, bull, and kemdawg all had matches too close and should have won by more.
 
Labriola is a tough kid. 2x PA State champ. Would he ever have wrestled Kem in HS?

Kemerer competed at 106, 126, 138, 145 his 4 years in HS.

Labriola won his 2 PA titles at 170. I think he did beat KY in HS.
 
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They wrestled in HS when Kem was a senior in the semis of the state tournament I believe and it was a close match. Labriola is very good and knew it could be a close one but I was hoping Kem would eat him up
 
125: A+ lee may likely break the all time record for most tech falls in a season
133: c- pretty abnormal desanto match. Looked bad on bottom
141: D bad match up for murin that exposed some of his weakness. I do not believe he will ever beat chad red
149: C+ pretty typical Lugo match, controlled win but not much hustle to run up the scoreboard
157: B- actually thought young did ok, two takedowns was good and the one he gave up was a really slick move by his opponent. I seem to recall even brands making a face like "oh crap" when it happened
165: B minus the first period takedown it was all marinelli. Tough ride made all the difference.
174: C looked flat but his opponent was also pretty solid.
184: A for Assad. Did a great job and got a good W.
197: D warner continues to be warner
285: b+ not a ton of action but cass looked solid as usual

Team: B- not their best performance to date but they got it done and won a pretty lop sided dual. Looking forward to penn state at the end of the month
 
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125- A. He is a runaway train with no brakes. Good luck stopping him.
133-B. Won, but something seemed off. Hoping it was just an "off" night.
141-D. Struggled more than I thought he would. I knew this was a toss up, but Red won easily. He has to do better the next two duals against even better opponents. Tough stretch for Max.
149-B. Won against a build he struggles against and controlled the match, even if it was closer than I wanted.
157-B. Got the job done. Opponent was no slouch.
165-A-. Gutted out a win against another good opponent. Not his best, but found a way.
174-B+. Won a tough match. Not Kems best match, but Labriola (spelling?) is pretty dang good.
184-A. Abe is improving at an exponential rate. Venz is very good. I didn't expect a win, but was hoping. Abe expected one!
197-D. Schultz is better than his ranking, but Warner should win this match by 3 or 4 points. He is his own worst enemy. This was the only match that really disappointed me last night. Hope he figures it out soon. Next week won't help matters I'm afraid.
285-B+. Won fairly easy, just not as exciting as usual. Cass is a good one though!

Solid dual. We went 8-2 against a very good team. Should have been 9-1. Gutted out some close ones. Only thing we lacked was bonus points. That is a good night in the Big Ten.
 
Might be a little tough on grades but they were off a bit.

Lee: A++
Desanto: B Kid he wrestled wasted the 3rd period on top I think Desanto would have scored more on their feet but he did need to get out.
Murin: C- Murin is not a good matchup for a wrestler like Red. But he matches up much better against a guy like McKee or Lee
Lugo: B needs to score more but its Lugo so I don't expect to many bonus pts just keep winning Pat
Young: B hard fought match and he won
Bull: A- He beat a AA that gives everybody a tough match nothing to worry about for me
Kem: B+ Don't know how there was no stall call in the 1st when Kem took 5 shots and couldn't finish which is a small concern but he's still my favorite so I won't be to hard on him
Assad: A++++ Big win in his Carver debut!
Warner: FFF I am sure the coaches have lost their mind over him. Beats #2 then loses to a round of 12 type guy!!!!!
Cass: A- nice workman type match was hoping for a bonus match but all is good with Cass

Team: B+ Nothing to worry about here especially since they have definitely wrestled better and still won 8 matches and easily could/should have won 9. Going into it I was worried about 141, 184 and 197 and Assad just propelled himself into AA contention!!!!
 
I don’t understand the concern with Kem. He’s 7-0, and in the last week he beat the #4 guy and #6 guy. He is looking spectacular for a guy coming off a missed season and bumping up two weights.

Hard to be too concerned that his energy level has been a little low. If anything, it makes it pretty exciting to picture him wrestling in March if we assume he’s back in peak condition.
 
I don’t understand the concern with Kem. He’s 7-0, and in the last week he beat the #4 guy and #6 guy. He is looking spectacular for a guy coming off a missed season and bumping up two weights.

Hard to be too concerned that his energy level has been a little low. If anything, it makes it pretty exciting to picture him wrestling in March if we assume he’s back in peak condition.

I think the concern is he looked much better earlier in year, maybe it’s nothing, maybe it’s something. The competition has certainly gotten better. Offensively he doesn’t look like the Kem of old. I’m not too worried though. Still like him to make semifinals or finals in Minneapolis. He is capable of winning it all.
 
I don’t understand the concern with Kem. He’s 7-0, and in the last week he beat the #4 guy and #6 guy. He is looking spectacular for a guy coming off a missed season and bumping up two weights.

Hard to be too concerned that his energy level has been a little low. If anything, it makes it pretty exciting to picture him wrestling in March if we assume he’s back in peak condition.
If they do not worry about Kem then they have to address their fear that the sky is falling. The Kem concern is easier for them to deal with. :)
 
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Let's not forget at one time Nebraska was the second rated team in the country after they destroyed it at CKLV. They're an easy top 5 team. They're just not consistent enough not to overlook opponents (Wisconsin), but when they are focused they are a tough team.

Murin, Lugo, Young, Assad, and Warner are all going to be nail biter AAs. Iowa cannot afford the other five to slip up. This is what makes Pyles' assertion of Penn State not really being that far behind a reality. However, don't let your ill-conceived perceptions of Nebraska to take away a big dual win last night.
 
CaliHawkFan's with some adjustments by me
125- No grade
133- C+... underrated opponent. Had some good action early but has to get out from bottom
141- D... didn’t do much in terms of shots. Red is a bad match up for Max. Max had piss poor defense too.
149- B... that’s a guy he needs to beat worse.
157- C... he can do better on his feet. Where is the Young we saw in March 2019? Opponent wrestled Hidlay to a 3-2 match so maybe being too tough on his grade.
165- B+... came back from an early take down to dominate the match on top. What a ride.
174- B... underrated opponent and a guy that knows Kem inside and out from high school. Solid match but could’ve finished some early shots Didn't look to be clicking on all cylinders.
184- A+... big time atmosphere, came back from early takedown to score some awesome takedowns. This guy is athletic and strong.
197- D-...He is a fringe AA right now the way he is wrestling. Farted around most of the match.
285- B... business as usual. Tony is steady Eddie Little slow out of the gate
 
125- A+... we may be seeing the best of Spencer to date
133- C+... underrated opponent. Had some good action early but has to get out from bottom
141- C... didn’t do much in terms of shots. Red is a bad match up for Max.
149- C-... that’s a guy he needs to beat worse. That was a 2018 Lugo match. Maybe a low grade as his opponent has wrestled a bunch of guys close this year.
157- C+... he can do better on his feet. Where is the Young we saw in March 2019? Opponent wrestled Hidlay to a 3-2 match so maybe being too tough on his grade.
165- B+... came back from an early take down to dominate the match on top. What a ride.
174- B+... underrated opponent and a guy that knows Kem inside and out from high school. Solid match but could’ve finished some early shots
184- A+... big time atmosphere, came back from early takedown to score some awesome takedowns. This guy is athletic and strong.
197- C-... always thought his opponent was grossly underrated at 14. AA quality but Warner is capable of so much more. He is starting to show shades of Morningstar and Cash on offense. He is a fringe AA right now the way he is wrestling.
285- A... business as usual. Tony is steady Eddie

Challenging to grade this dual because I thought Nebraska had a great game plan as Brands alluded too. They wrestled hard and we still won 8 out of 10.

Team grade B

I thought White's only chance was to stay in a tactical match, which is a big ask, with the strength/size, and gas tank difference. Had he ridden out in the first, got choice, neutral, a second takedown, you still are only up 4 and have to stave off the coming assault, so not too realistic...
 
I agree with your grades across the board. I didn't see Spencer bc of bball but 18-0 first period says it all. Abe Assad was the hero of the day and showed why he belongs in the lineup. He is going to be fun to watch .
Kaleb young wrestled well. BTN showed the neb guy as no. 4 so kaleb took care of business.
Desanto, lugo, bull, and kemdawg all had matches too close and should have won by more.
I thought Venz was 1 of 4 matches we could win, and predicted 2, but forgot about pulling redshirt, and didn't realize how good Assad is.

In regard to the other matches mentioned, that Iowa won, but didn't dominate, those Huskers aren't chumps.

If we had wrestled even close to like this against Wisconsin, we win that dual.
 
People need to stop worrying about Kem, he looked better at the beginning of the year? Yeah he was wrestling cupcakes and has wrestled some really tough competition lately and he's still undefeated. Remember he’s wrestling 17 pounds heavier than what he’s ever been used to. I think he’s acclimating quite nicely and will be a total threat to win it all in March
 
Thought we looked a little tired, but know what the potential is. TEAM GRADE B-. I hate everything about everything that is Nebraska, but I give them credit, they have a lot of talent and wrestled the only way they could to keep it close...if you can call that final score close. TEAM GRADE NEBBY A.
 
Regarding White.......all I can think about is Frank the Tank and "I Choose Down"!

Does anybody have a copy of that cartoon thingy?
 
People need to stop worrying about Kem, he looked better at the beginning of the year? Yeah he was wrestling cupcakes and has wrestled some really tough competition lately and he's still undefeated. Remember he’s wrestling 17 pounds heavier than what he’s ever been used to. I think he’s acclimating quite nicely and will be a total threat to win it all in March

Yep, also I think he is trying not to extend himself on his shot as much as he used to know he has a lot more power to deal with. Part of it is adjusting and part probably not wanting to risk injury.
 
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OT: Mark Manning
Where did he go to school? What is his wrestling pedigree? National champ or anything?
Googled him and couldn't find much info.
 
OT: Mark Manning
Where did he go to school? What is his wrestling pedigree? National champ or anything?
Googled him and couldn't find much info.
All you need to know about Manning is he is probably the least respected coach out there he is a tool and his antics make Brands Brothers look like choir boys he just is not a powerhouse traditional team so nobody pays attention but he is complete D-bag.
 
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People need to stop worrying about Kem, he looked better at the beginning of the year? Yeah he was wrestling cupcakes and has wrestled some really tough competition lately and he's still undefeated. Remember he’s wrestling 17 pounds heavier than what he’s ever been used to. I think he’s acclimating quite nicely and will be a total threat to win it all in March

Kinda funny looking at him now, compared to Berger in the corner.
 
My grades are higher than most. You have to factor in Manning had trained them to slow Iowa down, wrestled to not lose, and then have a unique TD attempt in the end. Manning did outcoach Brands and it showed.

125 - A+: There can be no other grade for a 1st period tech.
133 - A-: That guy was well-coached to slow down ADS, yet it wasn't close.
141 - D: Below average in holding position, commitment to get TD, or TD technique variety.
149 - B-: Wrestled to protect his lead instead of score. Wrestle like you're ranked #1.
157 - B: Gutted it out when he had to. This will help for the future.
165 - A-: Came back vs. a great wrestler. Excellent intensity. Sloppiness cost him 2 in the 1st.
174 - A-: In on a shots, but now encountering 174 AA strength. Better scrambler in the end went caught.
184 - A: He's gaining confidence in this high ranked win, but the aggression alone makes it an excellent grade.
197 - D: Below average shot attempts. Below average awareness. Below average defense at the end.
HWT - B+: Pulled in the leg of a very strong guy. Great positioning. Too tentative to get pin record.
 
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I keep seeing “red is a bad match up for Murin”. I don’t get it, so, anyone who can counter attack is a bad match up for max? He’s gonna have a rough time making top if this is the case.
 
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I keep seeing “red is a bad match up for Murin”. I don’t get it, so, anyone who can counter attack is a bad match up for max? He’s gonna have a rough time making top if this is the case.
It's not just the ability to counterattack. Red is a clingy guy that ties up hands and slows the match down, then attacks in quick bursts. He moves really well laterally. He got a quick takedown which meant Murin had to come to him. He could sit back, tie up hands, slow the match down, and reattack whenever Murin shot.

The "bad matchup" part really is in the handfight. Murin has a really hard time getting a hold of him and getting to a good set up. This leads to him shooting from positions that aren't open, and when you take bad shots against Red he makes you pay.

For another example, watch the Marinelli-White match. White uses his length to keep Marinelli from getting to his collar and post series. Marinelli is prolific on his feet and in 14 minutes of wrestling against White, he's only managed 1 takedown. White's handfight gives him problems, just like Red's handfight gives Max problems.
 
It's not just the ability to counterattack. Red is a clingy guy that ties up hands and slows the match down, then attacks in quick bursts. He moves really well laterally. He got a quick takedown which meant Murin had to come to him. He could sit back, tie up hands, slow the match down, and reattack whenever Murin shot.

The "bad matchup" part really is in the handfight. Murin has a really hard time getting a hold of him and getting to a good set up. This leads to him shooting from positions that aren't open, and when you take bad shots against Red he makes you pay.

For another example, watch the Marinelli-White match. White uses his length to keep Marinelli from getting to his collar and post series. Marinelli is prolific on his feet and in 14 minutes of wrestling against White, he's only managed 1 takedown. White's handfight gives him problems, just like Red's handfight gives Max problems.

Red is a lot quicker than Max, too.
 
It's not just the ability to counterattack. Red is a clingy guy that ties up hands and slows the match down, then attacks in quick bursts. He moves really well laterally. He got a quick takedown which meant Murin had to come to him. He could sit back, tie up hands, slow the match down, and reattack whenever Murin shot.

The "bad matchup" part really is in the handfight. Murin has a really hard time getting a hold of him and getting to a good set up. This leads to him shooting from positions that aren't open, and when you take bad shots against Red he makes you pay.

For another example, watch the Marinelli-White match. White uses his length to keep Marinelli from getting to his collar and post series. Marinelli is prolific on his feet and in 14 minutes of wrestling against White, he's only managed 1 takedown. White's handfight gives him problems, just like Red's handfight gives Max problems.

Seems like this to me as well. Both Red and White were able to stay out of ties well and wrestle from space. They are also taller and can keep them out of arms length pretty well. Avoiding ties and wrestling from space favors the quicker guys and puts Max and Bull in positions difficult to score from. They need to tie up and move their guys around to set up their take downs. Wrestling from space is not ideal for them. And when they lose the first takedown, it forces bad shots from space worsening things. That is what makes them bad match ups.
 
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Seems like this to me as well. Both Red and White were able to stay out of ties well and wrestle from space. They are also taller and can keep them out of arms length pretty well. Avoiding ties and wrestling from space favors the quicker guys and puts Max and Bull in positions difficult to score from. They need to tie up and move their guys around to set up their take downs. Wrestling from space is not ideal for them. And when they lose the first takedown, it forces bad shots from space worsening things. That is what makes them bad match ups.
Exactly. This is why Marinelli's comeback was impressive. White is at his best reattacking, much like Red. They thrive on frustrating their opponents with stiff arms and wrist ties. Marinelli stayed patient and didn't take bad shots that weren't there, which would have given White opportunities to put the match away.
 
We lost the hand-fighting all night long. Abe was the only guy who held his own. Well, maybe Tony too. They did a great job all night of slowing us down. I'm not taking anything away from Nebraska, but we were definitely flat all night. I was wondering all the usual stuff; flu going through the room, training through the meet, not taking opponent seriously enough, big heads? We just got outworked and out-strategized. All that said, we still smoked them 26-6. I hope we don't look like that the next couple weeks, or we might not be as lucky (although I think Nebraska is better than tOSU). We looked like crap last Friday and were a whole different team Sunday. NCAA is still two months away, so it's good we're not peaking yet. Let's take the win, move on, and be great when it counts.
 
Ref: Absent. Just seemed like a lot of no calls, almost like he wasn't there, this not such a bad thing as long as equal for both teams. Other thing which seems to be a trend anymore is the quick out of bounds calls, wrestlers still have at least a foot in bounds but gets blown dead a lot recently.
Carver crowd: A. Cant wait for next Friday.
Huskers: B. Any other team would get an A but it is Huskers so theres that.
 
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Ref: Absent. Just seemed like a lot of no calls, almost like he wasn't there, this not such a bad thing as long as equal for both teams. Other thing which seems to be a trend anymore is the quick out of bounds calls, wrestlers still have at least a foot in bounds but gets blown dead a lot recently.
Carver crowd: A. Cant wait for next Friday.
Huskers: B. Any other team would get an A but it is Huskers so theres that.

I’m okay with calling them out when there’s only a foot inbounds and neither wrestler can possibly score without going OB. Technically I’d say it’s a stalemate, but either way nothing is going to happen there so they should restart.
 
I’m okay with calling them out when there’s only a foot inbounds and neither wrestler can possibly score without going OB. Technically I’d say it’s a stalemate, but either way nothing is going to happen there so they should restart.
I agree. It keeps the action moving. Maybe they are calling stalemate when Im assuming theyre calling OOB. But if calling OOB, that isn't a judgement call and they cant or shouldn't.
 
They wrestled in HS when Kem was a senior in the semis of the state tournament I believe and it was a close match. Labriola is very good and knew it could be a close one but I was hoping Kem would eat him up

Grip - My guess is that you are mixing Kemerer with either Kaleb Young or Kemerer's HS teammate Josh Maruca (Now at ASU).

Kemerer and Labriola never wrestled each other in HS. Kemerer was the 2015 AAA State champ his senior year at 145 lbs. Labriola won 2 AAA state titles (2016-2017) his Junior and Senior years at 170 lbs.

In 2015, Kemerer wrestled 145 and beat Hayden Hidlay in the Qtrs, Jon Ross in the Semis and Patrick Dugan in the finals. In the consis, Hidlay went on to beat Jarod Verkleeren to finish 3rd.

In 2015, Labriola was a sophmore and wrestled 152 at States. In the semis Josh Maruca beat Labriola and Vincenzo Joseph beat Kaleb Young. Joseph went on to beat Maruca to secure his 2nd state title. In the consis, K Young beat Nino Bonnacorsi (Pitt) and lost to Labriola for the 3rd place match.

Kemerer and Labriola are also from opposite ends of the state. Kemerer wrestled at Franklin Regional (Suburban Pittsburgh) and Labriola wrestled at Bethlehem Catholic which is in the Lehigh Valley (North of Philadelphia) and about 300 miles apart.
 
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Grip - My guess is that you are mixing Kemerer with either Kaleb Young or Kemerer's HS teammate Josh Maruca (Now at ASU).

Kemerer and Labriola never wrestled each other in HS. Kemerer was the 2015 AAA State champ his senior year at 145 lbs. Labriola won 2 AAA state titles (2016-2017) his Junior and Senior years at 170 lbs.

In 2015, Kemerer wrestled 145 and beat Hayden Hidlay in the Qtrs, Jon Ross in the Semis and Patrick Dugan in the finals. In the consis, Hidlay went on to beat Jarod Verkleeren to finish 3rd.

In 2015, Labriola was a sophmore and wrestled 152 at States. In the semis Josh Maruca beat Labriola and Vincenzo Joseph beat Kaleb Young. Joseph went on to beat Maruca to secure his 2nd state title. In the consis, K Young beat Nino Bonnacorsi (Pitt) and lost to Labriola for the 3rd place match.

Kemerer and Labriola are also from opposite ends of the state. Kemerer wrestled at Franklin Regional (Suburban Pittsburgh) and Labriola wrestled at Bethlehem Catholic which is in the Lehigh Valley (North of Philadelphia) and about 300 miles apart.
I thought they said on the BTN broadcast that Kem had wrestled and beat Labriola when Kem was a Senior and Labriola was a Soph. Don't recall if they said where.

In the Grand Scheme of Things, doesn't really matter much today.
 
I think the concern is he looked much better earlier in year, maybe it’s nothing, maybe it’s something. The competition has certainly gotten better. Offensively he doesn’t look like the Kem of old. I’m not too worried though. Still like him to make semifinals or finals in Minneapolis. He is capable of winning it all.
I think that’s probably a product of the level of completion he is facing...
 
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