Mostly the process went as planned -- plenty of GIFs on Twitter and no controversy. And while we could be blissful that the NCAAs system allotted and organized a mostly correct batch of individuals for the tournament, the system itself remained a target, and for good reason.
The NCAA system for selecting and seeding wrestlers is opaque and unnecessarily subjective.
As we've seen with issues of amateurism and pay-to-play appeals, the NCAA (like any closed club) restricts information. Athletes, parents and fans are treated as potential sources of income, and thus, of friction. The NCAA's campaign to restrict information is probably best seen in basketball's selection process, but is mirrored well in wrestling.
Wrestling may even be the murkier of the two sports, with a challenge and review process hidden from fans in the arena. Like the most controversial calls on the mat, the discussion of administration off the mat are hidden from the public eye.
But why?
Shouldn't transparency be the best avenue forward for any educational organization? The NCAA is an organization directly supported by its members, most of whom are publicly funded universities. That means your state and federal tax dollars help to, at least in part, fund the organization which will then not allow you to see how the sausage is made. Why? Is there anything to hide?
I don't doubt the individuals on the committee have the best interest of wrestling in mind. This is not an indictment of them or recent decisions. However, we can't be left to stand by and not question why in 2017 we still have bureaucrats in a closed-door meeting making decisions that belong to more than them alone.
We live in a time that demands more clarity, not less. I hope that the NCAA prioritizes truth and transparency in the future and either adjusts the qualification system for wrestling and makes it totally objective, or at the very least opens the selection process for total and complete public review.
To your questions …
Q: I'm still trying to figure out what's up with Kevin Dresser. I watched much of the ACC tournament on the computer and did not see him or hear any discussion about him. In your mailbag you speculated that Dresser would be at the ACCs. Then, during the Big 12 finals (on TV), no mention of him. Since Iowa State did not have a finalist, I never got to see who was coaching. Was Dresser there? Or is Kevin Jackson still in charge?
The whole bad boy Pat Downey situation is puzzling also. Hadn't Jackson already retired and Dresser been hired when Jackson dismissed Downey from the team? How did that work?
-- Mike J.
Foley: Kevin Jackson had chosen to step aside after he stepped down, and right about the time Kevin Dresser was hired. Travis Paulson was named the interim coach for the postseason. Dresser was not the coach at Iowa State, nor was he in the corner for Virginia Tech.
I called the ACC tournament, so admittedly I was unable to check ever crevice of the facility, but from my understanding Dresser was not at the event. Though he was rumored to be appearing, it's not difficult to imagine that the coaching staff asked that he hold off on attending. Or not … it's difficult to dig in too deep.
The Virginia Tech wrestling team comes together as a team after winning the ACC title (Photo/HokieSports.com)What is obvious is that the upheaval did nothing to affect the Virginia Tech wrestling team. The athletes were in prime condition and competed better than they ever had at the ACC tournament. In a post-tournament interview, interim head coach Tony Robie resisted naming Coach Dresser by name, but did shine a light on the adversity the team faced that week. No matter how they felt as individuals the team performed.
Smart money gives Virginia Tech four All-Americans, possibly five, at the NCAAs in St. Louis. Smarter money says Robie becomes the full-time head coach.
As for Pat Downey … his behavior isn't worthy of thoughtful discussion.
Q: Who are your picks for the individual NCAA champions?
-- Gregg Y.
NC State's Kevin Jack rides Lehigh's Randy Cruz (Photo/Juan Garcia)Foley: I'm betting the chalk, save 141 pounds where I think Kevin Jack of NC State will have a completely dominant NCAA tournament. Does Jack have a nickname? His build, coupled with that type of dominance, demands something.
125: No. 1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa)
133: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State)
141: No. 2 Kevin Jack (NC State)
149: No. 1 Zain Retherford (Penn State)
157: No. 1 Jason Nolf (Penn State)
165: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois
174: No. 1 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State)
184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell)
197: No. 1 J'den Cox (Missouri)
285: No. 1 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State)
Dylan GeickQ: What are your thoughts on high school wrestler and Columbia recruit Dylan Geick?
-- Gregg Y.
Foley: To catch readers up on Dylan Geick and his decision to publicly announce that he's gay, please read this article.
As an athlete, Geick's a two-time state placewinner in Illinois, a state that produces a high number of NCAA Division I wrestlers and national qualifiers. He's an athletic competitor with more muscle to put on in college, but he might be a great addition at 174 pounds. Maybe 165 pounds for a season or two.
Columbia is the perfect place for Dylan to study, wrestle and live openly gay. College can be the worst type of bubble, but Columbia can be an exceptionally welcoming place, despite the controversy from earlier this year. Dylan seems likable, talented and outgoing, which should bode well for creating friendships and insulating himself from naysayers.
I understand that there are some in the community who'd rather not see Dylan wrestle and they have a … wait, no they don't have a point. It's 2017 and Dylan is a fully actualized human being who can chase any dream he likes: wrestling, school, career, piano and marriage.
Rock on, Dylan.
Insight on THAT Taleb Rahmani move
By Larry S.
Taleb Rahmani scores nearfall points in the ACC finalsTRIVIA TIME
By Larry S.
The only reason Coleman Scott was not a four-time PA state champion is that he could not beat his high school teammate Drew Headlee out for the starting spot at 103 pounds. So Coleman. who looked like he weighed about a 100 pounds, had to wrestle up at 112 pounds. He still made it to the semifinals, but would, in my opinion, have won at 103 pounds. I coached midgets at that time, at a neighboring high school, and based on head-to-head matches with our kids, Coleman was 4 or 5 points better, but when you grow up wrestling a kid on your team every day and he starts out beating you at age 5 … well, it's a mental thing.
INTERESTING THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
By @footestomper
I found a report from the NCAA which indicated there were 90 challenges during the 2016 Division 1 Wrestling Championships: 20 calls were reversed, and 1 was inconclusive. Simple subtraction yields 69 were valid. Therefore 70 out of 90 resulted in no change.
I'm a growing a little weary of coaches challenges during collegiate wrestling matches. Why? Because it seems to me that a lot of the challenges are made by the coach of the wrestler trailing in the match. And, it appears to being used more and more as a strategy by coaches to give their wrestler a rest, particularly when the losing wrestler is in a close match with a highly ranked opponent.
It isn't difficult to for any fan to think of an example lately -- regardless of which conference championship you watched. And, it will be happening in the upcoming NCAAs. Part of the reason the highly ranked wrestler is highly ranked is superior conditioning. And, by calling for a delay in the match, this takes away one advantage of the more conditioned athlete.
Proposed rule change: For conference tournaments, and the NCAA tournament, employ one extra assistant referee. If a question/challenge arises, then the 3 officials quickly meet. If 2 out of 3 agree, go with the decision. And, get back to wrestling! Also, limit coaches to a certain number of challenges (if not already in the rule book).
I enjoy watching some matches where the underdog is fairly competitive for one period, maybe half way into the second, then the superior skilled and conditioned wrestler just explodes with a flurry of points. I do not enjoy watching when a coach notices that his wrestler is getting tired, and then jumps on the first opportunity to question a call, resulting in a much-needed rest for their wrestler.
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