Quantity v. Quality

[hawkaeg80]

The Hawks have gotten many recruits in the last couple of weeks. What makes me nervous is all but one are from Iowa. This happened last time when the Hawks didn't win championships for too many years. Too many wrestlers from Iowa and didn't look out of state, or were not able to close the deal with other state quality kind of wrestlers. They are top-heavy with Pennsylvania guys, which has turned out to be championship caliber teams. Has Iowa high school wrestling gotten this good to win championships?

 

[Grip220]

The Hawks have gotten many recruits in the last couple of weeks. What makes me nervous is all but one are from Iowa. This happened last time when the Hawks didn't win championships for too many years. Too many wrestlers from Iowa and didn't look out of state, or were not able to close the deal with other state quality kind of wrestlers. They are top-heavy with Pennsylvania guys, which has turned out to be championship caliber teams. Has Iowa high school wrestling gotten this good to win championships?

Yes

 

[jrod65]

Timing of the visit matters as well. For some of the out-of-state guys, they still have official visits planned(Arnold-UNC, Mendez-Mich, not sure about Barr or Franklin).

Don't know if Iowa will land any of them or not, but it would have been very difficult to get them to commit without finishing all of their visits.

 

[pml_dad]

The Hawks have gotten many recruits in the last couple of weeks. What makes me nervous is all but one are from Iowa. This happened last time when the Hawks didn't win championships for too many years. Too many wrestlers from Iowa and didn't look out of state, or were not able to close the deal with other state quality kind of wrestlers. They are top-heavy with Pennsylvania guys, which has turned out to be championship caliber teams. Has Iowa high school wrestling gotten this good to win championships?

A 3rd of the team is graduating after this year Tom needs a lot more bodies ASAP. Considering Kueter was free, the 9 committs so far this year probably haven't cost as much as you may think.
Heck if anything I think Iowa's casting a much wider net than usual this year....

 

[IAChief32]

The Hawks have gotten many recruits in the last couple of weeks. What makes me nervous is all but one are from Iowa. This happened last time when the Hawks didn't win championships for too many years. Too many wrestlers from Iowa and didn't look out of state, or were not able to close the deal with other state quality kind of wrestlers. They are top-heavy with Pennsylvania guys, which has turned out to be championship caliber teams. Has Iowa high school wrestling gotten this good to win championships?

Iowa HS has improved quite a bit….not to the extent to build a team solely from it though. I think the goal is to build depth, bring that quantity in and see if they develop while grabbing some P4P guys. Except for 149, 157, 165, 197 we have hammers for 2023 and 2024. If Rathjen is able to be the dude at 149 and Riggins at 157/165, that will solve some questions. Same goes for Glazier after Warner. After 2024, you figure a bump happens with Nate J entering the lineup.

By 2024, we could see 6-8 Iowa guys as starters. The crop of “room guys” is very solid so we might see an unexpected rise of one or two guys.

 

[texas twister]

I think PK will go 165 after The Bull moves on. My 2 cents.

 

[pml_dad]

Also missing on a stud here and there (Bouzakis) isn't as devastating since the coaches are talking to kids in Maryland (Shapiro), Indiana, Georgia, Michigan, and others. Wider net. Wasn't too long ago I can remember wishing they went after more pfp blue chips.....Looks like they are.

 

[IAChief32]

I think PK will go 165 after The Bull moves on. My 2 cents.

Would work out great…bump Brands down to 174, Assad 84. Just don’t know if it will happen.

 

[SPOONER]

The Hawks have gotten many recruits in the last couple of weeks. What makes me nervous is all but one are from Iowa. This happened last time when the Hawks didn't win championships for too many years. Too many wrestlers from Iowa and didn't look out of state, or were not able to close the deal with other state quality kind of wrestlers. They are top-heavy with Pennsylvania guys, which has turned out to be championship caliber teams. Has Iowa high school wrestling gotten this good to win championships?

You’re looking at this completely wrong. A full 1/3 of the roster is done after this year and half or more after next. They needed to refill it. That’s what’s happening with most of the recruits who committed over the past two weeks. Don’t overthink it.

 

[el dub]

A 3rd of the team is graduating after this year Tom needs a lot more bodies ASAP. Considering Kueter was free, the 9 committs so far this year probably haven't cost as much as you may think.
Heck if anything I think Iowa's casting a much wider net than usual this year....

So, I’d maybe have four guys on full ride. (Goal of bringing in one per year.) and maybe six at about 75%. That would leave 1.5 scholarships for development.

There might be a goal of getting the best off full rides as upperclassmen through alternative monetary incentives

 

[Tcalumet]

Would work out great…bump Brands down to 174, Assad 84. Just don’t know if it will happen.

This

 

[24 so far]

Also missing on a stud here and there (Bouzakis) isn't as devastating since the coaches are talking to kids in Maryland (Shapiro), Indiana, Georgia, Michigan, and others. Wider net. Wasn't too long ago I can remember wishing they went after more pfp blue chips.....Looks like they are.

Iowa has always recruited Nationally. Always. But they found the perfect storm for many Gable years, because a bunch of what turned out to be the studs were right in Iowa, and others nearby in the Midwest. Then fill in with a Banach, a Kistler, a Rico and Heffernan, a Zadick, etc. and now you're golden.

As Iowa H.S. gets better, and on paper it has IMO, that "old" formula will work, but you still have to pull in the Banachs to really keep it rolling. Hopefully we can do that, and frankly there is no reason we shouldn't be able to.

 

[MVPFAN]

New recruits and guys yet to hit the lineup:

Iowa kids: Ayala and Jesuroga are blue chips any top program would want. Kueter in that discussion as well but a freebie. Imo Riggins is blue chip as well even if not currently ranked there. I think Block has a shot to be top 20 overall. Rathjen is Murin/Young level recruit imo. I'm doubtful a lot of resources were used for Hill, Martinsons, Griffith, Fleshman and Rhodes but they have all had a lot of good mat time vs top competition and will be valuable additions. I think Tate Nak is top 20 blue chip and would be great to get.

Out of state: Henson and Kennedy are blue chips and Ybarra pretty close.

We have been getting some blue chips and have a few more targeted and working hard to get. Tate Nak, Mendez, Arnold, Shapiro, Franklin.

In short yes we have been getting some quantity but I don't feel it is at the expense of high end quality unless they crap the bed on the other targets.

 

[funnyfletcher]

New recruits and guys yet to hit the lineup:

Iowa kids: Ayala and Jesuroga are blue chips any top program would want. Kueter in that discussion as well but a freebie. Imo Riggins is blue chip as well even if not currently ranked there. I think Block has a shot to be top 20 overall. Rathjen is Murin/Young level recruit imo. I'm doubtful a lot of resources were used for Hill, Martinsons, Griffith, Fleshman and Rhodes but they have all had a lot of good mat time vs top competition and will be valuable additions. I think Tate Nak is top 20 blue chip and would be great to get.

Out of state: Henson and Kennedy are blue chips and Ybarra pretty close.

We have been getting some blue chips and have a few more targeted and working hard to get. Tate Nak, Mendez, Arnold, Shapiro, Franklin.

In short yes we have been getting some quantity but I don't feel it is at the expense of high end quality unless they crap the bed on the other targets.

I’d imagine Riggins moving up a bit next time rankings come out. He beat Taylor, who I believe is ranked 26 overall.

 

[slushhead]

Iowa HS has improved quite a bit….not to the extent to build a team solely from it though. I think the goal is to build depth, bring that quantity in and see if they develop while grabbing some P4P guys. Except for 149, 157, 165, 197 we have hammers for 2023 and 2024. If Rathjen is able to be the dude at 149 and Riggins at 157/165, that will solve some questions. Same goes for Glazier after Warner. After 2024, you figure a bump happens with Nate J entering the lineup.

By 2024, we could see 6-8 Iowa guys as starters. The crop of “room guys” is very solid so we might see an unexpected rise of one or two guys.

Do you suspect that part of the strategy is to (1) first ensure a full stable of desirables and then (2) keep pursuing top p4p kinda guys where opportunity & logic dictate? That is, make sure you at least get cake secured while you’re working on icing.

For example, you guys seemed to have a developing logjam at 125 & 133 a few years back, but then it all sorted out upon the addition of Lee and DeSanto.

As long as $$ is yet to be committed, it would seem a prudent strategy.

 

[IAChief32]

Do you suspect that part of the strategy is to (1) first ensure a full stable of desirables and then (2) keep pursuing top p4p kinda guys where opportunity & logic dictate? That is, make sure you at least get cake secured while you’re working on icing.

For example, you guys seemed to have a developing logjam at 125 & 133 a few years back, but then it all sorted out upon the addition of Lee and DeSanto.

As long as $$ is yet to be committed, it would seem a prudent strategy.

Yes to the first question. I also think that many of these guys are from the same club (Sebolt) and want to stick together. Our depth is not top 10 p4p dudes like some people (ahem) but Iowa high school has climbed back up at the right time for the Hawks.

 

[hawkaeg80]

Thanks for all the input!

 

[Mendoza77]

New recruits and guys yet to hit the lineup:

Iowa kids: Ayala and Jesuroga are blue chips any top program would want. Kueter in that discussion as well but a freebie. Imo Riggins is blue chip as well even if not currently ranked there. I think Block has a shot to be top 20 overall. Rathjen is Murin/Young level recruit imo. I'm doubtful a lot of resources were used for Hill, Martinsons, Griffith, Fleshman and Rhodes but they have all had a lot of good mat time vs top competition and will be valuable additions. I think Tate Nak is top 20 blue chip and would be great to get.

Out of state: Henson and Kennedy are blue chips and Ybarra pretty close.

We have been getting some blue chips and have a few more targeted and working hard to get. Tate Nak, Mendez, Arnold, Shapiro, Franklin.

In short yes we have been getting some quantity but I don't feel it is at the expense of high end quality unless they crap the bed on the other targets.

DId you forget Schriever? Would you consider him blue chip / borderline?

 

[GoHawks1996]

DId you forget Schriever? Would you consider him blue chip / borderline?

Healthy Schriever is definitely blue chip IMO. Showed a ton of potential in the exhibition matches last year.

 

[MVPFAN]

DId you forget Schriever? Would you consider him blue chip / borderline?

If he has stayed healthy in HS maybe but no he wasn't.

 

[chuck285]

Just my opinion but scholarship money means very little now days. NIL is the key and do we have any big local donors willing to buy two or three TOP recruits. I'm sure PS will buy anyone they want.

 

[Inthecircle]

If he has stayed healthy in HS maybe but no he wasn't.

Schriever was #39. When he committed to Iowa he was a blue chip.
He was named the most dedicated wrestler on the team for 20-21. Big things to come from him in the future. I’ve been hearing for over a year he is outstanding on his feet.
He puts in a ton of mat time.

 

[smalls103]

Riggins was at #34 on Big Board but that's dated. When new ones come out after S32 i'd imagine him in the 25 range, maybe higher. he took a match from Levi Haines, too

 

[MVPFAN]

Schriever was #39. When he committed to Iowa he was a blue chip.
He was named the most dedicated wrestler on the team for 20-21. Big things to come from him in the future. I’ve been hearing for over a year he is outstanding on his feet.
He puts in a ton of mat time.

I consider top 20 overall blue chip and the question was coming out of highschool. He obviously has been putting the work in since getting there but that is not relevant to the question. Everyone knew his potential was higher than his ranking which was dropped by the injury issues.

 

[DonHawkeye]

I like the solid Iowa base we just recruited. We have 2 p4p top 10s in there and some really good other talents. If we whiff on all other top guys we are recruiting it's not the end of the world. Unlike the last couple of years, we should be in the conversation for any top transfers with so many of our guys graduating. So wouldn't be the worst thing to have some scholarship money allocated for that.

 

[so cal hawkfan]

IMHO Jesuroga, Block and Riggins are bonafide point scorers in March. Keuter’s football could derail him, but if at some point he commits to wrestling, he could add to that March point tally. Hopefully, a couple of the other recruits develop into AA type kids, but Iowa is going to need to pull in other high level kids if it hopes to continue to win National titles. It doesn’t really matter much what state they are from, Iowa HS wrestling was down and is obviously on the uptick. Hawks can take advantage of that (which they have) and hopefully get other high caliber kids as well.

 

[west2east]

IMHO Jesuroga, Block and Riggins are bonafide point scorers in March. Keuter’s football could derail him, but if at some point he commits to wrestling, he could add to that March point tally. Hopefully, a couple of the other recruits develop into AA type kids, but Iowa is going to need to pull in other high level kids if it hopes to continue to win National titles. It doesn’t really matter much what state they are from, Iowa HS wrestling was down and is obviously on the uptick. Hawks can take advantage of that (which they have) and hopefully get other high caliber kids as well.

Agree with all of that. Getting all these kids will help them pluck other high level talent here and there. A couple big high level out of state guys have Iowa in the final 2

 

[MitchLL]

I see no downside to all these commits.

It's also highly likely some of these kids will transfer after a year or two to smaller schools. The Iowa room is full of guys wanting to win. The kids also realize some of the current roster will stay with HWC post college. That's a recipe for improving your skills as they get older.