The ILLINI versus Iowa Preview (and the new JOMBO™)

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

Last year, this dual came down to heavyweight. But because of injuries, gambling, transfers, graduations, regular redshirts, Olympic redshirts and whatnot, Iowa will be a huge favorite this season. There's a swell preview of the match over to The ILLINI Wrestling Blog & Forum & Beyond Plus. The most important bits:

 

WHAT:  ILLINI versus Iowa dual

WHEN:  Friday, January 26 at 8:00 pm (Central)

WHERE:  Historic Huff Hall, Champaign, ILLINOIS

TV/STREAMING:  BTN (on the network); BTN+ (next day replay streaming)

TICKETS:  Free 

SPECIAL:  Orange Out (wear Orange)

SPECIAL X 2:  Foam Fingers to 1st 200 Fans

SPECIAL X 3:  Free Kids Clinic (Jesse Delgado, Lucas Byrd)

 

Oh, and we can't forget about our old friend JOMBO™: 

 

[Barracuda141]

At this point, Illinois under Poeta is the same as it was under Heff, very disappointing and a below average Big Ten 10. Blown out by Pitt, Mizz, and Ohio State. This will be another blow out and possibly a shut out. The only quality wrestlers are Webster, Ruth, and Luffman. The rest are about .500 wrestlers. Looking at the rest of their schedule, who are they favored against? Michigan State and that's it. 

125- Ayala techs. Cardani    5-0
133- Teske dec. Madrigal    8-0
141- Woods maj. Pucino      12-0
149- Webster dec. Rathjen   12-3
- Could see Voinovich
157- Franek maj. Roberts      16-3
165- Caliendo dec. Moore     19-3
174- Ruth dec. Kennedy        19-6
-Would be interested to see if Iowa send Arnold out here or at 184.
184- Riggins dec. Connell     22-6
197- Glazier maj. Pettigrew   26-6
285- Luffman dec. Hill          26-9
-I'm guessing we see Kueter wrestle once this weekend as he works his way into wrestling shape. Either here or against NW, my thought is NW.

[bnwtwg]

1 hour ago, Barracuda141 said:

At this point, Illinois under Poeta is the same as it was under Heff,

Poeta is changing things but it takes time for how terrible Heff left things and the incoming classes speak to the positive changes happening. He has through the 25-26 season and then the grace period is over. Next season Byrd will be competing for high AA, Luffman should be competing for R12/low AA, 197 Braunagel needs to break through and AA, and Webster should be competing for R12/low AA status. Hopefully within three to five years the program will be back to 3-6 annual AAs and top 6 B1G with a big gun in the hunt for a title.

[Barracuda141]

15 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

Poeta is changing things but it takes time for how terrible Heff left things and the incoming classes speak to the positive changes happening. He has through the 25-26 season and then the grace period is over. Next season Byrd will be competing for high AA, Luffman should be competing for R12/low AA, 197 Braunagel needs to break through and AA, and Webster should be competing for R12/low AA status. Hopefully within three to five years the program will be back to 3-6 annual AAs and top 6 B1G with a big gun in the hunt for a title.

Agree to an extent. After 25-26, it's either working with Poeta or not. Still doesn't seem like there's been a noticeable uptick in recruiting. Yes, he secured Webster, which is awesome and an absolute must have. But not much else. In fact, Poeta and Co. have secured the commitment of a whopping 1 ranked recuit on the current Flo boards, #15 144 Ryan Bennett. Need to secure Domenic Munaretto, Seth Mendoza, Aaron Stewart, Kai Calcutt, etc. If they can't do that, Illinois needs to find someone that can.

 

Recruits Poeta can't seem to close

Ben Davino #1 132- going to Ohio State
Tyler Guerra #8 138- going to Indiana
William Denny #15 150- going to NC State
Colin Kelly #3 175- going to Wisconsin
Dillan Johnson #1 heavy- going to Wisconsin

[bnwtwg]

24 minutes ago, Barracuda141 said:

Agree to an extent. After 25-26, it's either working with Poeta or not. Still doesn't seem like there's been a noticeable uptick in recruiting. Yes, he secured Webster, which is awesome and an absolute must have. But not much else. In fact, Poeta and Co. have secured the commitment of a whopping 1 ranked recuit on the current Flo boards, #15 144 Ryan Bennett. Need to secure Domenic Munaretto, Seth Mendoza, Aaron Stewart, Kai Calcutt, etc. If they can't do that, Illinois needs to find someone that can.

 

Recruits Poeta can't seem to close

Ben Davino #1 132- going to Ohio State
Tyler Guerra #8 138- going to Indiana
William Denny #15 150- going to NC State
Colin Kelly #3 175- going to Wisconsin
Dillan Johnson #1 heavy- going to Wisconsin

It's a chicken and the egg problem. If you're good why would you go until someone proves it? Can't prove it until more quality recruits come. Johnson was the only mildly surprising recruiting loss but Bielema wouldn't let him do both because he would rather contend for a Jim's Used Golf Carts bowl every other year. I bet he would have acted different after Keuter and Hutmacher but that's a year late and an NIL dollar short.

 

[ILLINIWrestlingBlog]

Brian Swaw and I have started a podcast. For this episode, we interviewed the original Iowa Slayer Steve Marianetti. As a respected and impartial journalist, this was a dream come true for me! 

Everybody remembers Marianetti getting the upset in the 1995 NCAA Finals over the legend Lincoln McIlravey, but a couple years later, Coach Steve beat Iowa NCAA National Champ Daryl Weber in the finals of the US Open. 

We figured that the ILLINI need some big-time inspiration before this tough, tough dual. We also preview the dual:

 

 

Credits: Coach Steve Marianetti, the Rolling Stones, themat.com, the University of ILLINOIS Athletic Department and Elmhurst University.

[nhs67]

1 hour ago, ILLINIWrestlingBlog said:

Brian Swaw and I have started a podcast. For this episode, we interviewed the original Iowa Slayer Steve Marianetti. As a respected and impartial journalist, this was a dream come true for me! 

Everybody remembers Marianetti getting the upset in the 1995 NCAA Finals over the legend Lincoln McIlravey, but a couple years later, Coach Steve beat Iowa NCAA National Champ Daryl Weber in the finals of the US Open. 

We figured that the ILLINI need some big-time inspiration before this tough, tough dual. We also preview the dual:

 

 

Credits: Coach Steve Marianetti, the Rolling Stones, themat.com, the University of ILLINOIS Athletic Department and Elmhurst University.

I misread that as Brian Shaw before I clicked on it.  I was disappointed, but not upset.

[bnwtwg]

3 hours ago, nhs67 said:

I misread that as Brian Shaw before I clicked on it.  I was disappointed, but not upset.

I'm really digging the new basketball vibes 'round here

[Mr. PeanutButter]

25 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

I'm really digging the new basketball vibes 'round here

Interesting. When I hear "Brian Shaw" I think of the 4 time world's strongest man. A literal giant of a man and a true badass.

Basketball sucks 

[bnwtwg]

1 hour ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

Interesting. When I hear "Brian Shaw" I think of the 4 time world's strongest man. A literal giant of a man and a true badass.

Basketball sucks 

Someone didn't like being asked to volunteer how to show the 3rd graders how to do a left-handed layup line yeeeesh

[Mr. PeanutButter]

15 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

Someone didn't like being asked to volunteer how to show the 3rd graders how to do a left-handed layup line yeeeesh

Hahaha. Don't take what I say too seriously. Basketball is an alright sport. I even play a pick up game with the homies every once in awhile. But, it's pretty far down my list of sports I care about. 

[D3UC157]

I stalled DQ’ed myself just watching Rathjen and Kannon go at it.

[buckshot]

Anybody ducking in this one? 

[Hammerlock3]

Just now, buckshot said:

Anybody ducking in this one? 

teske must have beaten woods in a wrestle off....

[flyingcement]

Based on matchups, the natural starters of each team do not have two ranked wrestlers against each other

[bnwtwg]

Kannon F'n Webster

/send tweet

[buckshot]

4 minutes ago, flyingcement said:

Based on matchups, the natural starters of each team do not have two ranked wrestlers against each other

Who's going at 174 for Iowa? 

[flyingcement]

1 minute ago, buckshot said:

Who's going at 174 for Iowa? 

good call - it should be Kennedy who would face Ruth

[Hammerlock3]

1 minute ago, buckshot said:

Who's going at 174 for Iowa? 

If we don't see Arnold again, I'm gonna start grumbling that the coaching staff must not think he's that good.

[Hammerlock3]

caliendo is so athletic...and despite being a ginger he doesn't have that emptiness behind his eyes.

[flyingcement]

3 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

caliendo is so athletic...and despite being a ginger he doesn't have that emptiness behind his eyes.

My dad is light skinned Italian - and my younger brother has red hair and we are all fast-twitch sprinters who build muscle easily.  Kind of a weird thing but he looks like family.  

[Mr. PeanutButter]

10 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

If we don't see Arnold again, I'm gonna start grumbling that the coaching staff must not think he's that good.

I'm thinking that if Gabe was a clear step above Kennedy, he would be going. Since he hasn't had his shirt pulled yet, that leads me to believe that the difference between the two is not worth someone "losing" a year of eligibility over 

[Hammerlock3]

Just now, Mr. PeanutButter said:

I'm thinking that if Gabe was a clear step above Kennedy, he would be going. Since he hasn't had his shirt pulled yet, that leads me to believe that the difference between the two is not worth someone "losing" a year of eligibility over 

just as long as they put him in for penn state....

[Hammerlock3]

this promo is not having the intended effect....

[Le duke]

just as long as they put him in for penn state....

I’m just imagining Carter standing in the middle of the mat, pointing at Gabe on the bench, saying, “You!” while Angel Rivera and Kennedy wait for him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk