Penn State debuts 4 new freshmen
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He could but dominating Mastriani was expected. Sorensen majored Mastriani at NCAAs last year. No offense to Sal but he just isn't that good. Rethorford will have his hands full with the top couple guys at 149.
I'd pick Rethorford but yes that will be an extremely close match
Zain may be on the next level, Before the season started I would have said Sorrenson, tshirt and Zain were 1A,1B,1C...My homer outlook now says a close match with those 2 is expected...Zain winning comfortably would not be a surprise...sorr orTshirt winning comfortably would absolutely be a surprise!!
I hope they already have Sorenson practicing against the crab ride..................That match will come down to whether the ugly spiral ride can offset the ugly crab/leg ride. I don't mean it in a bad way as they are both bona fide studs. Still, both of their go to rides are ugly. For what it is worth, Tsirtis rides even uglier. All 3 have great positioning on their feet and, as a result, will probably have several OT or RT decided matches!
I think this dual proved a few things for PSU and the team title implications on a national scale.
1. The freshman Nolf and Nickal are as good as advertised.
2. PSU is not a lock this year. Though they do probably have the most overall lineup balance, making them an exceptionally strong dual team.
3. They don't have any locks for an NCAA title IMO. Many colored Nico a lock before the season, but the pack has caught up to Nico during his RS, and 125 is very tough at the top. (Tomasello, Nico, Gilman, Dance) are my top 4 for that weight. in no order.
4. Retherford is just as good up a weight. Really excited to see how he pairs up with Tsirtsis and Sorensen, as i'm sure most are.
5. Most of PSU's studs are in very tough weights. 125, 149, 157, 174, 197 appear to be their best weights as of now. All looks to be high AA's, but like I said earlier, no lock for a title in any of them. Retherford/McIntosh probably have the best chance for titles.
1. The freshman Nolf and Nickal are as good as advertised.
2. PSU is not a lock this year. Though they do probably have the most overall lineup balance, making them an exceptionally strong dual team.
3. They don't have any locks for an NCAA title IMO. Many colored Nico a lock before the season, but the pack has caught up to Nico during his RS, and 125 is very tough at the top. (Tomasello, Nico, Gilman, Dance) are my top 4 for that weight. in no order.
4. Retherford is just as good up a weight. Really excited to see how he pairs up with Tsirtsis and Sorensen, as i'm sure most are.
5. Most of PSU's studs are in very tough weights. 125, 149, 157, 174, 197 appear to be their best weights as of now. All looks to be high AA's, but like I said earlier, no lock for a title in any of them. Retherford/McIntosh probably have the best chance for titles.
Good assessment, Lax. Agree completely. Nobody's a lock for a team title this year, which makes it all the more fun. Not that I'd mind if Iowa were a lock.
We have been looking forward to seeing these four freshmen get on the mat. Nolf looked the best of our 3Ns last year. Bo has shown the most improvement from last year.....absolutely explosive and fun to watch. You all know the issues Nevils has had staying healthy.
As many are questioning Rasheed's tank, I would compare his tank issues to Cory Clark's similar problems early last season. Rasheed is about 2-3 inches taller than Bo from what I've seen when they were side by side and was thought to have outgrown 165 last year. I gend to think he is more the wrestler that we saw in the first 2 periods today if he can get the weight under control.
I can see a real tight race at the Nationals as each of the front runners have some questions. I would not be surprised to see Jan Johnson as our hwt for the entire season. As he gets in "wrestling shape" we will see a very capable wrestler who will have to be athe the top of his game to make a difference because of being very undersized.
LASTLY..... ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE AND QUALITY WIN FOR YOUR HAWKEYES!
PSU,
Wish we would have you on our schedule......the Big boys in the BIG have dropped the ball.
As many are questioning Rasheed's tank, I would compare his tank issues to Cory Clark's similar problems early last season. Rasheed is about 2-3 inches taller than Bo from what I've seen when they were side by side and was thought to have outgrown 165 last year. I gend to think he is more the wrestler that we saw in the first 2 periods today if he can get the weight under control.
I can see a real tight race at the Nationals as each of the front runners have some questions. I would not be surprised to see Jan Johnson as our hwt for the entire season. As he gets in "wrestling shape" we will see a very capable wrestler who will have to be athe the top of his game to make a difference because of being very undersized.
LASTLY..... ELECTRIC ATMOSPHERE AND QUALITY WIN FOR YOUR HAWKEYES!
PSU,
Wish we would have you on our schedule......the Big boys in the BIG have dropped the ball.
I did forget to mention Rasheed, he looked very good, but had a tough opponent in McFadden who is proving to be the real deal. Rasheed was more athletic than him, and slicker it seemed. But McFadden was just tougher today. He will probably score some points for you guys at NCAAs, could be a low AA, but tough to tell now, the national landscape at 165 is a mess other than the top 2.
Might Rasheed eventually get stuck riding the pine with all of the talent that appears to be accumulating 165-184?
It seems Nolf will move up to 165 next year to make room for Joseph, and from your board it appears Nickal will eventually move up to 184. Maybe Rasheed slots in at 174, but then what about when Mark Hall gets to campus?
Might Rasheed eventually get stuck riding the pine with all of the talent that appears to be accumulating 165-184?
It seems Nolf will move up to 165 next year to make room for Joseph, and from your board it appears Nickal will eventually move up to 184. Maybe Rasheed slots in at 174, but then what about when Mark Hall gets to campus?
The Mark Hall arrival will be determined by Marks decissions to got the OTC/RTC next year and weather he RSs. Depending on Nolf and how/when he matures, Rasheed may goes to 74 & Nickal to 84 etc. I think it is going to be a war to see who starts going forward. As fans of the program, we will just have to cheer for our guys & debate on the boards what we think
I'd guess Hall moves into Rasheed's slot, I can't see him RSing. McCutcheon looks much improved, a probable AA, he will not sit. Mr Joseph may be out of luck.
I've got a secret I'll only share with my closest friends here on HR. I'm jealous of PSU's freshman class. They have gotten some fabulous recruits recently and are well set for the next few years.
FM -- I wouldn't be so quick to relegate Joseph to the back up role at 157. Joseph dominated everyone at 152 last year at PA States (Including a Tech or Major of both Young and Maruca). He also dominated Stroker (either Tech or Major) at the Dapper Dan as well. With all the talk of Nolf, Nickal and Nevils and the signings of Suriano, Lee Brothers and now Hall there hasn't been much discussion about Joseph since he arrived at PSU. I believe we will see him for the 1st time this weekend at the Mat Town Open (Loch Haven on Sunday).
IMO, he was college ready as a HS senior. My guess is he has continued to improve as a result of rolling around with Nolf, Retherford, Molinaro and others every day.
No way Joseph sits..he is really good, arguably better than Kemmerer from Iowa who they all think is AA good Right now. Cutch will stay in the lineup at 197 in my opinion. I know Cassar, Stoudt are gonna be good but my money is on Cutch. Nickal to 184 and Rasheed to 174 unless Hall starts as a freshman.
Cutch is the guy that eventually is on the pine, IMO. I don't think he's big enough for 197, and I'm not as high on him as most. They need to find a way to get Joseph in the lineup
Or Joseph can transfer to Iowa. I hear there's no longer a 1-year ban for transferring between B1G schools :O
You forgot the Michigan/Ohio State exception in the footnotes. I'm not sure it applies to others.
McCutcheon would not sit because of either Cassar or Rasheed now, and it's not even close. There may be a scenario in 2 years when Mark Hall enters the lineup and forces some issues where he has to battle it out with those guys and in 2 years who knows what happens. But McCutcheon will be in the lineup next year at 84 if Nickal doesn't bump up, and at 97 if he does.
Taking a look at PSU's dual result, which will include some analysis of their freshmen:
125: Nico looks to be about the same guy he was when he left. That is to say, really freaking good, but leagues beyond anyone. He probably outwrestled Dance, but not by much, and ended up losing. This match showed me that Nico is still obviously a NC contender, but he's part of a group of top guys, as opposed to belonging in a separate tier.
133: Conaway is who he is. A very solid wrestler who is a low AA threat. He's always the same guy, and if he's wrestling a top guy, he can win if they're not on their A or B game, but he doesn't really have the talent to challenge for anything higher than the 5-6 match at the absolute best.
141: Gulibon is who most people thought he was, a good wrestler who hasn't quite been able to take that next step, and may be a little small for the weight.
149: Zain. Wow. He's really good and an obvious title contender with Tsirtsis and Sorenson being the primary opposition (at this point). Sorenson also majored Mastriani. That said, Zain looked great and brutally strong with his ride.
157: Nolf. Double wow. What a prospect. He's non-stop.on his feet. From bottom he was explosive, too. From top, if I'm being honest, he was not great, but then again, he's a freshman, so that's to be expected. From neutral, I think his only competition at 157 is I-Mart, obviously, and Ian Miller.
165: Shakur Rasheed looked dynamic early, but gassed hard. Maybe he settles into the cut, maybe not. If he does, he looks like a Round of 12 type guy to me.
174: Bo Nickal. Controversial opinion alert, I wasn't super high on Nickal. He clearly controlled the entire match, but the style wasn't totally pleasant to my eye, and I think his style is one that people will do better against once there's more tape on him. He's insanely long, so that will be a benefit. I was much more impressed by Nolf.
184: Matt McCutcheon. After Nolf and Zain, I was most impressed by the Man They Call Cutch. He gave up that first little cheap takedown and it seemed to piss him off, and then he just put a dominant display on, beating on poor Zavatsky from pillar to post.
197: McIntosh looked a little sluggish to me, and I almost wondered if he was battling some sort of injury. If healthy, he's very dynamic and a title favorite.
HW: Nada.
125: Nico looks to be about the same guy he was when he left. That is to say, really freaking good, but leagues beyond anyone. He probably outwrestled Dance, but not by much, and ended up losing. This match showed me that Nico is still obviously a NC contender, but he's part of a group of top guys, as opposed to belonging in a separate tier.
133: Conaway is who he is. A very solid wrestler who is a low AA threat. He's always the same guy, and if he's wrestling a top guy, he can win if they're not on their A or B game, but he doesn't really have the talent to challenge for anything higher than the 5-6 match at the absolute best.
141: Gulibon is who most people thought he was, a good wrestler who hasn't quite been able to take that next step, and may be a little small for the weight.
149: Zain. Wow. He's really good and an obvious title contender with Tsirtsis and Sorenson being the primary opposition (at this point). Sorenson also majored Mastriani. That said, Zain looked great and brutally strong with his ride.
157: Nolf. Double wow. What a prospect. He's non-stop.on his feet. From bottom he was explosive, too. From top, if I'm being honest, he was not great, but then again, he's a freshman, so that's to be expected. From neutral, I think his only competition at 157 is I-Mart, obviously, and Ian Miller.
165: Shakur Rasheed looked dynamic early, but gassed hard. Maybe he settles into the cut, maybe not. If he does, he looks like a Round of 12 type guy to me.
174: Bo Nickal. Controversial opinion alert, I wasn't super high on Nickal. He clearly controlled the entire match, but the style wasn't totally pleasant to my eye, and I think his style is one that people will do better against once there's more tape on him. He's insanely long, so that will be a benefit. I was much more impressed by Nolf.
184: Matt McCutcheon. After Nolf and Zain, I was most impressed by the Man They Call Cutch. He gave up that first little cheap takedown and it seemed to piss him off, and then he just put a dominant display on, beating on poor Zavatsky from pillar to post.
197: McIntosh looked a little sluggish to me, and I almost wondered if he was battling some sort of injury. If healthy, he's very dynamic and a title favorite.
HW: Nada.
Pretty much the same as you except Bo really impressed me. I have seen enough of Nolf to know what was coming. Right now, they have four guys that are legit finals threats...two of those four would have to have real good tournaments...one is an almost lock in Rutherford. Season is young yet...ask me after the Scuffle.
I would agree with this completely - and as it stands to reason with Vak also, except for maybe Bo. Maybe right on Bo, there's not a lot of resume there, but it was his top work that was really impressive in his match against Epperly and which I didn't expect. Overall, Va Tech was very, very positive from my PSU perspective. Nico and Gulibon are as I expected - didn't expect some great leap from Nico going from year 4 to 5 like some others, he will contend for a title with some others. Gulibon will beat some really good kids and then lose to some others - he needs to have a good tournament at the right time as always. The best part is that the freshman answered the bell in a big way. Rasheed can be very good, but he's going to have to find a way to deal with the cut (sound familiar Iowa fans?). McCutcheon looks really good early and by all accounts is much improved - but he wasn't dealing with any world beaters. Maybe disagree with Vak slightly about McIntosh - he doesn't look injured to me, this is how I think he generally looks. Maybe the Burak match of last year caused some different expectations with him, but I would point out other matches with Burak. I don't think he's dominant, but I think he's clearly top 2. Maybe 3 depending on Hartmann who is a bad matchup with his length for anyone.
Cassar is better than you might think. He won the Junior World Team trials this summer. Seeing him now vs any high school video, he is enormous now with about 0% body fat. The rich get richer.
Cassar is developing nicely, but he's got a ways to go. Folkstyle results DO count in the NCAA. Take a look at how he did against the kid McCutcheon just teched this past weekend. Plus, he just had major surgery (shoulder). As I posted above, we'll see where he is in 2 years, but for next year I would still give a big edge to McCutcheon should Nickal force McCutcheon up to 97. It's great that Cassar is in the fold, but I think many PSU fans are jumping the gun on him.
I honestly don't see Joseph sitting even for a year. I think Joseph is going to surprise some people and in my opinion will be a much better college wrestler than he was in highschool. I just think he has some Dake qualities about him and I am as high on him as any recent recruit maybe with the exception of Hall.
That being said, expect Nolf, Rasheed,Nickal and Cutch to all bump up next season making room for Joseph. Rasheed will eventually be the odd man out if Hall doesn't take red shirts. I also see PSU fans praising Cutch for wrestling at a weight (197) where he will be considered undersized. Just like we did when McIntosh went 197 when many felt he was suited for 184.
That being said, expect Nolf, Rasheed,Nickal and Cutch to all bump up next season making room for Joseph. Rasheed will eventually be the odd man out if Hall doesn't take red shirts. I also see PSU fans praising Cutch for wrestling at a weight (197) where he will be considered undersized. Just like we did when McIntosh went 197 when many felt he was suited for 184.
I guess to be more accurate I should have said, " was as high on him as any recent recruits." By that I mean, at the time of their signings out of highschool. But yeah...you are right, after seeing what the two N's did this past week I guess I would be high to think Joseph is a better recruit considering we didn't get to see him wrestle a college match yet. In the future I'll try to be more exact in the way I put things...
It will be interesting to see who will be the better recruit between Joseph and Kemmerer...They are both studs. I hope they both stay at 157 for 4 years of battles...that would be cool. I saw in another thread that some of you guys think Kem can make 141?
Do you project him 149 and Sorensen move up??
I think it is obvious Joseph is going 157, Zain is locked in at 149 for the next 3 seasons.
Do you project him 149 and Sorensen move up??
I think it is obvious Joseph is going 157, Zain is locked in at 149 for the next 3 seasons.
