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WIll Rutgers emerge as a new threat in BIG wrestling?

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lionlover

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The rankings came out an Rutgers coach finished second (And I thought he deserved to get number one) as the best wrestling coach of the year on intermat:

http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/21758

I know a lot of you will scoff at the thought. But there is no denying that NJ is an elite state for producing wrestlers.

It should be an Iowa PSU battle for first this coming season. But do you see Rutgers emerging in the future?
 
When Cornell came in and dominated recruiting in NJ this year, I realized that they are pretty far behind. With how the state is set up and the sport being dominated by upper and upper middle class families in NJ, the top kids are just as concerned about academics as they are wrestling. Rutgers will get better but so will Princeton.
 
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lionlover said:
The rankings came out an Rutgers coach finished second (And I thought he deserved to get number one) as the best wrestling coach of the year on intermat:

http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/21758

I know a lot of you will scoff at the thought. But there is no denying that NJ is an elite state for producing wrestlers.

It should be an Iowa PSU battle for first this coming season. But do you see Rutgers emerging in the future?
Click to expand...
I don't think they can be discounted, but they have to have a lot go right for them to be serious contenders in the short term. A little at a time and never say never.
 
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They could turn the corner and get good recruits after the 2 NCAA champions this year. They had 2 great wrestlers and 2 other good wrestlers this year. Anyway, they will need to add to their lineup to be a threat to OSU, PSU, Iowa or Michigan.
 
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lionlover said:
The rankings came out an Rutgers coach finished second (And I thought he deserved to get number one) as the best wrestling coach of the year on intermat:

http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/21758

I know a lot of you will scoff at the thought. But there is no denying that NJ is an elite state for producing wrestlers.

It should be an Iowa PSU battle for first this coming season. But do you see Rutgers emerging in the future?
Click to expand...

Yes. I am biased.

Rutgers will always lose guys like Mekhi Lewis. He wanted to leave NJ for college. Can’t change that.

Rutgers will always lose kids to the northwesters, Cornells, and Princetons of the world. No shame in that either.

We need to turn 2x state champs like Scott delvecchio onto all Americans on a regular basis and keep the ashnault/Suriano super recruit ay home.

There is one less reason for them to leave now. But there are always still valid reasons.
 
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Seeds have been sown and well see where they go from here. Additionally a top assistant like a Bo or Noff and you might see them turn the corner. Right now I see them as a threat to PSU in both recruiting kids from NJ and some kids might even transfer knowing they can have success too.
 
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RU cant compete when it comes to recruiting. Yes, theyre getting a new facility & have 2 champs but, look at their roster for next season. After Suriano, how many points were scored at nationals?

Can coach Goodale out recruit Cael or TnT or Ryan or the Ivy leagues or their traditions? No. NJ is a hotbed of top wrestling talent. 4 NCAA champs this year, arguably 5 with the McKenna loss and 2 other top seeds Martin & Rivera didnt live up to expectations. Yet, RU really only convinced Ashnault from HS and it took him a 6th year to take the title. A guy like Ash could have been a 2 or 3 timer elsewhere.

For RU to even sniff the next level, they will need a new HC with some glitz to attract the elite wrestlers. Some are thinking Jordan Borroughs might fit the bill

That aside, RU has been an average team in the Bigs at best. Next year will not be so hot either. Most all the top NJ HS talent already committed elsewhere. They get just about nothing out of Pa or NY. They will not be a force until they have a reason for elite NJ wrestlers to stay home and that isnt the case so far.

Maybe then they can chase after top out of state wrestlers
 
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I think they hit Minnesota - Nebraska level in the next few years. Too much talent in New Jersey not to. As much as the B1G entry has been terrible for Rutgers athletic success in most sports I think it sets up Rutgers wrestling well. You just gave tons of talent a local option to be a part of by far the top wrestling conference in the country.
 
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fufighters said:
Seeds have been sown and well see where they go from here. Additionally a top assistant like a Bo or Noff and you might see them turn the corner. Right now I see them as a threat to PSU in both recruiting kids from NJ and some kids might even transfer knowing they can have success too.
Click to expand...

Excellent point. Suriano's transfer success back to NJ didn't exactly help PSU, right?
 
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roeisele said:
I think they hit Minnesota - Nebraska level in the next few years. Too much talent in New Jersey not to. As much as the B1G entry has been terrible for Rutgers athletic success in most sports I think it sets up Rutgers wrestling well. You just gave tons of talent a local option to be a part of by far the top wrestling conference in the country.
Click to expand...

Yep. The BIG TV network only serves to help lower profile teams like Rutgers to get more spotlight on their program's success as they continue to win.
 
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roeisele said:
I think they hit Minnesota - Nebraska level in the next few years. Too much talent in New Jersey not to. As much as the B1G entry has been terrible for Rutgers athletic success in most sports I think it sets up Rutgers wrestling well. You just gave tons of talent a local option to be a part of by far the top wrestling conference in the country.
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That talent has been coming out of NJ for years and they are where they are now... I expect a lower finish next year.

We will know soon enough with the next recruiting class. If you can't pull kids fresh off of 2 local boys winning it all then you are... Rutgers. ‍
 
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lionlover said:
The rankings came out an Rutgers coach finished second (And I thought he deserved to get number one) as the best wrestling coach of the year on intermat:

http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/21758

I know a lot of you will scoff at the thought. But there is no denying that NJ is an elite state for producing wrestlers.

It should be an Iowa PSU battle for first this coming season. But do you see Rutgers emerging in the future?
Click to expand...
Rutgers lost to Lock Haven this year, that says enough to me.
 
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JohnnyHandsome said:
RU cant compete when it comes to recruiting. Yes, theyre getting a new facility & have 2 champs but, look at their roster for next season. After Suriano, how many points were scored at nationals?

Can coach Goodale out recruit Cael or TnT or Ryan or the Ivy leagues or their traditions? No. NJ is a hotbed of top wrestling talent. 4 NCAA champs this year, arguably 5 with the McKenna loss and 2 other top seeds Martin & Rivera didnt live up to expectations. Yet, RU really only convinced Ashnault from HS and it took him a 6th year to take the title. A guy like Ash could have been a 2 or 3 timer elsewhere.

For RU to even sniff the next level, they will need a new HC with some glitz to attract the elite wrestlers. Some are thinking Jordan Borroughs might fit the bill

That aside, RU has been an average team in the Bigs at best. Next year will not be so hot either. Most all the top NJ HS talent already committed elsewhere. They get just about nothing out of Pa or NY. They will not be a force until they have a reason for elite NJ wrestlers to stay home and that isnt the case so far.

Maybe then they can chase after top out of state wrestlers
Click to expand...

Mostly agree with this except for the comment about Ashnault.

I guess Mike Grey (NJ’s first ever 4-time state champ) shouldn’t have to Cornell, Gulibon shouldn’t have gone to PSU, etc
 
1032004 said:
Mostly agree with this except for the comment about Ashnault.

I guess Mike Grey (NJ’s first ever 4-time state champ) shouldn’t have to Cornell, Gulibon shouldn’t have gone to PSU, etc
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Fair enough but neither Grey nor Gulibon proved they were good enough to be NCAA champs, Ash did.

Also, Im applying my personal opinion about Ash, its not written in stone but take look at how many champs Cornell and PSU have produced and how many came out of RU.

Point being training with better practice partners, better coaches and better facilities just might have something to do with it. Thats my case for Ashnault. Your position is very believable as well
 
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JohnnyHandsome said:
Fair enough but neither Grey nor Gulibon proved they were good enough to be NCAA champs, Ash did.

Also, Im applying my personal opinion about Ash, its not written in stone but take look at how many champs Cornell and PSU have produced and how many came out of RU.

Point being training with better practice partners, better coaches and better facilities just might have something to do with it. Thats my case for Ashnault. Your position is very believable as well
Click to expand...

Fair enough but I guess there’s no way to know either way. I mean it’s not like they’ve gotten many other top recruits (which of course is a problem) that didn’t pan out - Winston is the only one I can think of.

I don’t think they need to move on from Goodale but I think they are destined to stay in the 10-15 range. They may get a top NJ recruit here or there, but I think it’s just that a lot of kids don’t want to stay that close to home. Schools like PSU and Cornell can be attractive because they’re neither too close nor too far away from home. And for people that do want to stay close to home, there is also Lehigh and the Philly schools which for some is even closer, plus some may be attracted to living in Philly.

Some may bring up PSU as a comparison but State College is kinda in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think many of PSU’s guys live within 1.5 hours of State College so it’s probably far enough away to not be “staying home.” Meanwhile almost the entire state of NJ is within 1.5 hours of Rutgers.

I think their biggest opportunity is out of state recruiting. I’m not sure it was a good thing their entire starting lineup was from NJ this year. Hopefully this season helps with getting more top out of state recruits. Wrestling in the Big 10 and being an hour from NYC is a decent recruiting pitch. But I think Princeton beats them at NCAA’s next year.
 
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1032004 said:
Fair enough but I guess there’s no way to know either way. I mean it’s not like they’ve gotten many other top recruits (which of course is a problem) that didn’t pan out - Winston is the only one I can think of.

I don’t think they need to move on from Goodale but I think they are destined to stay in the 10-15 range. They may get a top NJ recruit here or there, but I think it’s just that a lot of kids don’t want to stay that close to home. Schools like PSU and Cornell can be attractive because they’re neither too close nor too far away from home. And for people that do want to stay close to home, there is also Lehigh and the Philly schools which for some is even closer, plus some may be attracted to living in Philly.

Some may bring up PSU as a comparison but State College is kinda in the middle of nowhere. I don’t think many of PSU’s guys live within 1.5 hours of State College so it’s probably far enough away to not be “staying home.” Meanwhile almost the entire state of NJ is within 1.5 hours of Rutgers.

I think their biggest opportunity is out of state recruiting. I’m not sure it was a good thing their entire starting lineup was from NJ this year. Hopefully this season helps with getting more top out of state recruits. Wrestling in the Big 10 and being an hour from NYC is a decent recruiting pitch. But I think Princeton beats them at NCAA’s next year.
Click to expand...
" Wrestling in the Big 10 and being an hour from NYC is a decent recruiting pitch."

Thats a good pitch if youre debating going to Wichita St or RU. It just wont work against most of the Big 10 schools or nearby Ivy schools with decent wrestling programs

RU needs a hook. The school seems willing to support bumping up the program. The only variable I can see at this stage, is bring in a marquee coach that elite wrestlers would want to train under. Just like PSU did with Cael.

Jordan Burroughs, a NJ guy. Maybe someone like a Steve Mocco or maybe stealing Tom & Terry. Just kidding on that last comment lol
 
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JohnnyHandsome said:
" Wrestling in the Big 10 and being an hour from NYC is a decent recruiting pitch."

Thats a good pitch if youre debating going to Wichita St or RU. It just wont work against most of the Big 10 schools or nearby Ivy schools with decent wrestling programs

RU needs a hook. The school seems willing to support bumping up the program. The only variable I can see at this stage, is bring in a marquee coach that elite wrestlers would want to train under. Just like PSU did with Cael.

Jordan Burroughs, a NJ guy. Maybe someone like a Steve Mocco or maybe stealing Tom & Terry. Just kidding on that last comment lol
Click to expand...

Agreed on Ivies. It won’t work against PSU, Iowa or Ohio State, but I think it could work against the likes of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska, maybe Michigan, etc.
 
Honestly I think they could be a real contender for team trophy in 5 years. Having suriano and ashnault win titles has to be huge for their in state recruiting.
 
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meatloaf55 said:
Honestly I think they could be a real contender for team trophy in 5 years. Having suriano and ashnault win titles has to be huge for their in state recruiting.
Click to expand...
Well it won't hurt. How much it helps remains to be seen. Suriano went elsewhere out of H.S. and primarily a bad experience at PSU brought him back so.........
 
JohnnyHandsome said:
Fair enough but neither Grey nor Gulibon proved they were good enough to be NCAA champs, Ash did.

Also, Im applying my personal opinion about Ash, its not written in stone but take look at how many champs Cornell and PSU have produced and how many came out of RU.

Point being training with better practice partners, better coaches and better facilities just might have something to do with it. Thats my case for Ashnault. Your position is very believable as well
Click to expand...

Question: for the people who say ashnault would have won more.... as a redshirt freshman he wasn’t ready for a national title. He lost to dean heil as a sophomore and junior (before the dean heil rule was in effect), and then won as a 6th year senior.

You think if he went elsewhere he beats heil? And I think we agree if he bumped to 149 he wasn’t beating Zain.

Also for the people making lock haven and Utah valley jokes, I hate you. :)
 
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Their new Practice facility (they'll move in over summer) will be on another level compared to anybody. The Nutritional, Medical and training areas will be World class. This is going to help in recruiting and obviously the 2 National Champs will help. Had a chance to talk to HC and he said its been wild with the amount of calls he's getting about guys wanting to transfer in. I don't think many people realize where this program was at when Goodale took over. They had no fans, 4 scholarships, didn't charge for meets and wrestled in front of 50 parents and friends at the old College Ave Gym. The previous year Goodale took over RU didn't have 1 wrestler make the 2nd day of the EIWA Tournament. There were very few NJ fans that had any clue about NCAA D1 Wrestling ( except for Iowa Wrestling)..They were basically a D3 program. Last season they had over 3,000 season ticket holders and that # will grow after 2 Champs and hosting the B1G Championships in 2020. Goodale is a flat out winner and I think it's coming where they contend for a trophy in the near future. Will it happen?, time will tell but its very exciting to be a RU Wrestling fan these days. Signing their 1st Pennsylvania native #1 ranked Wrestler will help.

Live video of new facility

https://scarletknights.com/sports/2018/2/2/rwjbarnabas-health-athletic-performance-center.aspx
 
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As my fellow RU fan said, you have to look at the growth of the program before judging goodale.

When I was in HS, Rutgers came calling and it was the only school I would have considered wrestling at... when they were wrestling in front of all of 15 people, my thought was “cut weight for this? Pass”. I don’t think people will leave because wrestling isn’t big time.

Coach goodale is a wonderful CEO for the program. We do well in attendance, grades etc.

He isn’t perfect, no one is. But Rutgers is now a desirable job, and able to show kids “winning is possible here”.

I’ll take our trajectory over Minnesota and Nebraska right now for sure.
 
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D2rPj1IWsAA03eX.jpg
 
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BanjoSaysWoof said:
As my fellow RU fan said, you have to look at the growth of the program before judging goodale.

When I was in HS, Rutgers came calling and it was the only school I would have considered wrestling at... when they were wrestling in front of all of 15 people, my thought was “cut weight for this? Pass”. I don’t think people will leave because wrestling isn’t big time.

Coach goodale is a wonderful CEO for the program. We do well in attendance, grades etc.

He isn’t perfect, no one is. But Rutgers is now a desirable job, and able to show kids “winning is possible here”.

I’ll take our trajectory over Minnesota and Nebraska right now for sure.
Click to expand...
Sorry to say it’s as a desirable a job as Lock Haven, Bloomsburg or any other D1 PA state school. Same dynamic, good state for recruiting wrestling, however RU will always still come in second to PSU, OSU and others for the elite NJ talent. The same as the Pennsylvania state schools. And like the PA state schools it’s not a destination. Not a great wrestling history, others have the draw and are so much sexier for the elite recruits. If I were Rutgers, I would set my sights on being Lehigh first....
 
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