Free falling Hawkeyes

[Mojo44]

Does anyone work harder or train for 2nd place better than the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling team?  They have a good recruiting class coming in, but if I was the AD I would be looking for the next coaching staff..

[CHROMEBIRD]

How many AAs do the Hawks have?

[BigRedFan]

2 minutes ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

How many AAs do the Hawks have?

Six.  The just went 1 for 5 in the consolation semi-finals.  Ouch.

[Eagle26]

Nobody was beating Penn State this year and Iowa is in second by a comfortable margin. I know they aren’t happy with 2nd but let’s not act like they free falling lol

[CHROMEBIRD]

Something I noticed from the post-match interviews with Ramos was how much he and the Purdue coaches gameplanned for the match, from watching footage to working on specific positions and strategies to give him the best chance at beating Lee. I mean if you're the best of course you'll have a target on your back and everyone will prep for you, but it was quite a contrast with Spencer saying he doesn't watch video or game plan for anyone, he just goes out and does his thing. He mentioned it in his GOAT Talk show on Youtube and Caitlyn Clark was pretty surprised by it. That's on Brands and the coaches for not doing their homework.

[swoopdown]

Iowa and TnT will be just fine.  What PSU has done over the decade is remarkable.  But in this age of portal, NIL, etc it is the wild west.  I could see four or five teams winning championships over the next decade. 

[BaldAt23]

13 minutes ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

Something I noticed from the post-match interviews with Ramos was how much he and the Purdue coaches gameplanned for the match, from watching footage to working on specific positions and strategies to give him the best chance at beating Lee. I mean if you're the best of course you'll have a target on your back and everyone will prep for you, but it was quite a contrast with Spencer saying he doesn't watch video or game plan for anyone, he just goes out and does his thing. He mentioned it in his GOAT Talk show on Youtube and Caitlyn Clark was pretty surprised by it. That's on Brands and the coaches for not doing their homework.

Good point. I hate that attitude by athletes/coaches. You NEED to gameplan for your opponents 

[Pinnacle]

1 hour ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

Something I noticed from the post-match interviews with Ramos was how much he and the Purdue coaches gameplanned for the match, from watching footage to working on specific positions and strategies to give him the best chance at beating Lee. I mean if you're the best of course you'll have a target on your back and everyone will prep for you, but it was quite a contrast with Spencer saying he doesn't watch video or game plan for anyone, he just goes out and does his thing. He mentioned it in his GOAT Talk show on Youtube and Caitlyn Clark was pretty surprised by it. That's on Brands and the coaches for not doing their homework.

Ramos and his coaches sound like they were actually involved in coaching. Awesome. Totally rooting for him tonite. Very likeable. 

[Formally140]

1 hour ago, swoopdown said:

Iowa and TnT will be just fine.  What PSU has done over the decade is remarkable.  But in this age of portal, NIL, etc it is the wild west.  I could see four or five teams winning championships over the next decade. 

Which teams?

[Rassling]

[CHROMEBIRD]

6 minutes ago, Pinnacle said:

Ramos and his coaches sound like they were actually involved in coaching. Awesome. Totally rooting for him tonite. Very likeable. 

I agree, it's hard not to like Ramos especially after the way he handled the win. He also kind of looks like a little kid and has that scrappy underdog thing going for him. That's not a slight, just an observation.

Gloray has been attacking right off the whistle the entire tournament so we will see if Ramos and his coaches are prepared for that tonight.

[Rassling]

6 minutes ago, Rassling said:

the title says free falling Hawkeyes, no?

[Natty Boh Army]

I am no Iowa apologist, but they're hardly free falling. 6 AAs and wire to wire #2 in the nation is a result most schools would die for. And now that Ok St has more or less fallen off the map, there is no real perennial threat to their spot behind Penn St. And Penn St? Yeah, nobody is beating them. One could craft an argument that Cael and Co. have built not only the most dominant dynasty in college wrestling, but perhaps the most impressive dynasty in all college sports. No, Brands is fine, and Iowa wrestling is still Iowa wrestling. 

[russelscout]

8 minutes ago, Natty Boh Army said:

I am no Iowa apologist, but they're hardly free falling. 6 AAs and wire to wire #2 in the nation is a result most schools would die for. And now that Ok St has more or less fallen off the map, there is no real perennial threat to their spot behind Penn St. And Penn St? Yeah, nobody is beating them. One could craft an argument that Cael and Co. have built not only the most dominant dynasty in college wrestling, but perhaps the most impressive dynasty in all college sports. No, Brands is fine, and Iowa wrestling is still Iowa wrestling. 

Yep, Iowa is fine. They haven’t finished outside of the top 8 in 50 years. Pretty insane.

[swoopdown]

16 minutes ago, Formally140 said:

Which teams?

Pretty much the usual suspects - from the B10.   Iowa, PSU will be in the hunt almost every year.  Ohio State is the sleeping giant.  Michigan is a very popular destination as a graduate portal destination and can patch together one year runs quickly, as can some of the high end Big10 academic schools (Wiscy and NW).   Minn and Neb could strike if they can attach transfers to add to organic talent. 

If Pitt starts to care about wrestling I could see them sneak in as an ACC disrupter - but they will need a deep pocket donation.  I'd really like to see some ACC team emerge but until mid-atlantic states churn out more HS stars probably not.  OKSt is damaged right now but will emerge again after it finds the right coach. Iowa State is probably doomed to be a little brother.  Cornell is a dark horse but I have to believe that the Ivy's will remain also-rans.   The PAC12 situation is unsettled so probably nothing from here - Arizona State maybe.  There is a lot of talent on the left coast afterall.

But then again  I never thought PSU would keep it together as long as they already have.  The University is currently cutting staff in order to address a $145 million operating deficit so they are not exactly awash in money for wrestling facilities.  I don't think this will impact wrestling but who knows.

 

[BigRedFan]

3 minutes ago, swoopdown said:

Cornell is a dark horse but I have to believe that the Ivy's will remain also-rans.  

 

While I agree that the EIWA (not just the Ivy League teams) aren't a threat, Cornell returns everyone except Yianni, who will be replaced with possibly the #1 recruit in the country as a true freshman.  They also might get three of their injured starters back next year.  Threat to PSU?  Probably not.

[swoopdown]

2 minutes ago, BigRedFan said:

While I agree that the EIWA (not just the Ivy League teams) aren't a threat, Cornell returns everyone except Yianni, who will be replaced with possibly the #1 recruit in the country as a true freshman.  They also might get three of their injured starters back next year.  Threat to PSU?  Probably not.

It does sound like Cornell could make some noise with organic (i.e., non-transfer) talent alone. From what I understand Cornell has some handicaps regarding red shirting, transfers and academic entrance standards that make it hard. 

[Gus]

1 hour ago, Pinnacle said:

Ramos and his coaches sound like they were actually involved in coaching. Awesome. Totally rooting for him tonite. Very likeable. 

Imagine if Tom and Terry were as good at coaching their athletes as coaches like Tony Ersland…. They might have 2 AA’s in the last decade

[Threadkilla]

3 hours ago, Mojo44 said:

Does anyone work harder or train for 2nd place better than the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling team?  They have a good recruiting class coming in, but if I was the AD I would be looking for the next coaching staff..

That's funny,  last night I was thinking back to 10 years ago when the hawk fans were all saying that Cael couldn't coach, he could only recruit.  Well it's obvious that Brands is a better recruiter than a coach.  He had several recruits followed him from VT that he recruited,  but he also had the guys already at Iowa.    He won the three titles early on with those recruits and in 2021 on a PSU rebuilding year,  but Brands said his team was hurting in 2021 because PSU had 4 champs and head to head Starocci beating Kemmerer, Lee beat Eierman add RBY and Brooks winning.  PSU was celebrating second and Iowa was sullen in victory and the Iowa board reflected it.    Iowa has picked up transfers off of the portal in Eierman and Woods and others.   Woods their only finalist this year.  

I think the Brands bros are good people, But I haven't been a fan of Brands with the thug mentality of his team always wrestling after the whistle,  grinding the head into the mat,  poor sportsmanship and everyone speaking with the same inflection 

That said Brands inherited a dynasty, Cael has built one.    

Edited March 18, 2023 by Threadkilla

[VakAttack]

37 minutes ago, Threadkilla said:

He won the three titles early on with those recruits and in 2021 on a PSU rebuilding year,  but Brands said his team was hurting in 2021 because PSU had 4 champs and head to head Starocci beating Kemmerer, Lee beat Eierman add RBY and Brooks winning.  PSU was celebrating second and Iowa was sullen in victory.

This is just false.  I was in the building.  The team was very happy. 

 

37 minutes ago, Threadkilla said:

That said Brands inherited a dynasty, Cael has built one.    

Brands took over for Jim Zalesky.  There was no dynasty ongoing. He reawakening a sleeping giant. 

[CHROMEBIRD]

The biggest problem with Iowa Wrestling are the Iowa Wrestling Fans, myself included. Hawk fans are a passionate bunch but have little tolerance for even the most constructive criticism or dissent and are all too willing to eat their own. Too much victim mentality, be it the refs, the rules, or PSU fans. Expectations way out of line. I'm learning to appreciate the sport itself and enjoy the wild ride of the season for what it is.

[Threadkilla]

3 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

This is just false.  I was in the building.  The team was very happy. 

 

Brands took over for Jim Zalesky.  There was no dynasty ongoing. He reawakening a sleeping giant. 

Right.  lol.  Zaleski was HC at Iowa for 9 years won 3 Titles one runner up and 4th. that's 5 podium finishes.  Add that to what Gable did and Iowa wasn't a dynasty?   Fer sherr.     PSU won a title in 1953.  

[VakAttack]

30 minutes ago, Threadkilla said:

Right.  lol.  Zaleski was HC at Iowa for 9 years won 3 Titles one runner up and 4th. that's 5 podium finishes.  Add that to what Gable did and Iowa wasn't a dynasty?   Fer sherr.     PSU won a title in 1953.  

I'm not arguing that Brands brothers are better than Cael & Co.  That ship has sailed, unfortunately.

[Mr. PeanutButter]

34 minutes ago, Threadkilla said:

Right.  lol.  Zaleski was HC at Iowa for 9 years won 3 Titles one runner up and 4th. that's 5 podium finishes.  Add that to what Gable did and Iowa wasn't a dynasty?   Fer sherr.     PSU won a title in 1953.  

Yeah, I wouldn't call that a dynasty. The Hawks were trending downwards as Zaleski's clock worn down. What was the hawk's finish before Brands took over, 9th?

[Threadkilla]

But I was wrong Zaleski had 3 championships 2 runner up finishes and a 4th in 9 years.  Those years not winning are when  OK State had 5 champs and won 3 titles and Minnesota had a crazy good team for a couple years.