I wonder if McKee will go 133 with Spratley at 125. Figueroa will be in the mix at 25 also
Honest expectations
- Thread starter DropitlikeitsHawk
- Start date
"No way" means it is impossible. Well, it's been done before, by Minnesota in 2001 (and they won the team title without a finalist). There are hundreds of examples in sports where teams and athletes did what most thought wasn't possible, so "no way" is seldom a phrase to use when talking sports.
If Lee, Cassioppi or Woods suffer an injury in an early match and they have to injury default out of the tourney, then they won't AA....so they are NOT 100% locks to AA - no one is! However I'll agree that those three are the most likely Hawks to AA.
Iowa has work to do. More needs to change/advance. One title in 13 years. Progress is being made. New facility. HWC roster growing. I don't see that alone as reasons to pick Iowa over PSU anytime soon. Unfortunately, I don't see progress past already mentioned minus the start on endowing the HWC. The HWC needs to start competing for Olympic and World spots and gaining pieces like the NLWC to help attract the top high schoolers. Iowa needs to recruit every year like they have last year's class leaving. Forgot letting scholarship dollars determine recruiting targets. Iowa's annual football recruiting weekend should absolutely never look like last year's no matter the scholarship dollars they have available. Recruit, recruit, recruit and figure it out Gable style. Yes, probably not possible any longer, but try, put forth the effort. Hire a recruiting coordinator. Put the staff out there more to glad hand and grow interest and money raise. Loosen the purse strings on all things fans love. Make it easier for the novice, non-die hard wrestling fans to like Iowa. Will bring more revenue in to the program. A lot said for a team two years past a title and trophy winning 13 of 15 years, but that is more to do with PSU's success than Iowa non-success. They have created a Gable empire that will need more than Iowa is progressing to overcome. Hard pill to swallow, but unfortunately won't happen until people say it and then force it.
Gotta give it to you you got a thread going and the discussion has been interesting although I doubt it stays that way cause things devolve round here. I don’t blame you for flaming me, I deserved it, not sure the mongaloids did but it was timely after my low IQ joke.
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My friend, I don’t know you at all but it appears you are implying that Ayala doesn’t have a chance to make the finals next year. I don’t know if you’re a 20-year old Penn State kid or a grown man, but I’m willing to put money on the line WRT how far Ayala goes next year. You say there’s no chance that he makes the finals and I’m saying he will definitely make the semis and has a legit chance at the finals. I don’t want to bet with kids (no offense) but if you’re 30 plus I would love to negotiate a bet. I can’t talk to how Chittum will do but am all in on Drake.
I don’t see the “Puncher’s chance” just yet and hate that we lost one of our key pieces to the military (though of course support the decision). That said I’m looking forward to seeing what we put on the mat next year.
Just because I liked your post, doesn't mean I agree. I just like knowledgeable fans.
BTW, any betting proceeds will go to wrestling clubs, etc
Step 1, see if he's willing to come: 814‑867‑2410. Step 2, call Barta and finalize the details: 319-335-9435.
I agree, 125 clears out and I have extremely high expectations for Drake next year.
Lol, I was playing that little jingle in my head each time i read this threat title
As do I, my friend...audacious indeed. But as we all learned in our first couple years in the workforce, if you're going to provide a problem, please also provide a solution. And with the exception of your solution, I don't see a better option. It's either call Cael and the AD and work out the details or we keep building on our successes and improving upon our weaknesses.
I think Drake has the quickness and scoring ability needed. As long as he gets his strength where it needs to be and can get off bottom he should be right there with anyone.
I mean, no offense, but the post you quoted explicitly says "barring injury", so saying "they might injury default out" is a curious rebuttal in context.If Lee, Cassioppi or Woods suffer an injury in an early match and they have to injury default out of the tourney, then they won't AA....so they are NOT 100% locks to AA - no one is! However I'll agree that those three are the most likely Hawks to AA.
I can respect that. One thing I can tell you with all the people out there that want us to replace the staff and change things up your nuts. Do you realize without Tom and especially Terry we would not have Spencer. Spencer will be a great addition to the club and it will start to bring in more bigger recruits. I have faith and trust what the future brings. My biggest hope is that Cunningham gets his own gig and we can see what the great and all mighty can do without the guy that is the glue in that programs success.
Cunningham doesn't appear to care about his own gig and Carl will make sure he is paid to keep it that way.
Mo
Moving sucks, I’d stay put forever if the pay is fine and the conditions are fine.
If Cunningham ever leaves, you're going to be really disappointed when Cael keeps succeeding. Pretending he can't actually coach and he's just gotten lucky all these years is one of the most pathetic behaviors I see on this board.
Are more bigger recruits, more better? 😉.
The HWC is exponentially better when Spencer is full time. Through the looking glass we need to dominate the first 4 weight classes because that’s who we are. It’s been extremely difficult to go head to head with PSU from 65 and up.
With Kennedy, Chittum, Woods, Block and Ayala it is critical for the staff to continue to develop them (and others) into top 3 ranked guys and National Contenders. If these wrestlers can win National Titles in the next two years, we can get closer to PSU.
Along the way we have to beat out Ohio State in recruiting the lower weights. We have to land wrestlers like Mendez, Bouzakis, Sasso and a couple of others.
Iowa needs to be most concerned about the development of the wrestlers we have already recruited.
Having the new facility, a possible Gold Medal from Spencer and having great success in 23-24 & 24-25 is the keystone to building a dynasty for the remainder of the decade.
The time to make hay is now.
I would say Cael has shown himself to be equal to Gable, so there is more than one. Maybe Spencer Lee will be another…
"No way" means it is impossible. Well, it's been done before, by Minnesota in 2001 (and they won the team title without a finalist). There are hundreds of examples in sports where teams and athletes did what most thought wasn't possible, so "no way" is seldom a phrase to use when talking sports.
If Lee, Cassioppi or Woods suffer an injury in an early match and they have to injury default out of the tourney, then they won't AA....so they are NOT 100% locks to AA - no one is! However I'll agree that those three are the most likely Hawks to AA.
All true.
Still, no way Iowa gets ten AAs…
This is what is doubly frustrating right now. Not only is Cael landing more top recruits than us, he is developing his top recruits FSR more effectively.
I agree with most of this, as performance on the mat under the bright lights is paramount. The dynasty part is a stretch — unless there is some scandal or coaching change, I think a hypothetical return of Iowa to the top will not be a crashing wave but, rather, an incremental process where the top 2-3 teams start trading championships every few years until eventually someone takes charge again. Will that happen before a groundshaking event like a coaching change? 🤷♂️
Also, while “there is no time like the present” is always an appropriate quote . . . the time to make hay was when Lee and Kemerer were together. That got blown up by several circumstances, though, resetting the momentum clock for the program.
I don't consider him equal, but close. Cael will never achieve the number of nattys in the same amount of years Gable did. That ship has sailed. And it remains to be seen whether he will achieve as many. And he certainly won't win 21 Big Ten's in 21 years, not even close. What his regime is even more amazing at than Gable is preparing his wrestlers for the finals on Saturday night.
I agree with you. Whether right or wrong though, how wouldn’t you expect them to develop talent better/faster?
They basically have the whole olympic team at their disposal on a daily basis. Gilman, Retherford, Dake, Taylor, and Snyder. Plus you have Nick Lee, Nolf, Nickal, Bekzod Abdurakhmonov. A young staff that can also roll on the mat that consists of two Olympic champions. They have built a machine.
Simple answer is money. I work with a former Nebraska AA who also was an assistant coach in the Big 10 for awhile. He told me elite guys like Taylor, Dake, Snyder, etc…will most likely never go into coaching because the money they make from their wrestling club is substantially more than they can make coaching. Only a few head coaching jobs pay more than they currently make. Until the HWC can raise enough money to compete with the NLWC you will continue to see this happen. And this isn’t a knock against Penn St. They have the donors backing this up and the proof is in the pudding based on their success.
I agree with this. Penn State wrestlers just always look much more "jacked/stronger" and faster than our guys do. Most of this is better recruiting and athletes but It seems like Iowa, more and more in recent years has had troubles with guys gassing out by the 3rd period. I don't know if it is nutrition deficiencies or cutting weight or what. It just seems like Iowa always has a loss or two by guys giving up late take downs in the 3rd period.. We used to be the guys getting those late takedowns..
I think then was a different era and Iowa was the obvious destination. Now I believe it's spread out a little more than then, but I could be wrong and even with PSU and their recruiting you can't quite stack the same amount of talent.
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