Jump to content
  • Playwire Ad Area

Most Improved Team 2024-2025 Edition


nhs67

Recommended Posts

Obviously some coaching changes could shake up a few rosters and make them seem almost, if not actually entirely different than last year.  Given what we see right now and what we could see, I think there are a few teams that come to mind that could make another leap next season... and I don't think either of them are Stanford (with Koll's massive recruiting class) or North Carolina (I think he is at least a season away - if not two - from a trajectory leap there).  Cal Poly, Chattanooga, and Illinois.

Cal Poly

They came in to the season with high expectations and because their upward trajectory didn't seem to pan out and LRA came 'out of nowhere' it can be ignored that they had a comparable season to last year.  That is still a massive improvement for 3/4/5 years ago.

If they were to play with their lineup a bit and get a solid incoming transfer (or two - ahem Saldate), they could make another step forward.  They will need to with OSUW, ASU, and LRA all improving as well.  I want to see them land Saldate (I will explain what I, as a fan, want to see below).  They either need an incoming 141
125 - Mendez, SO 15W - 12L
133 - Romney, SO 19W - 9L
141 - Heracules Windrath, TrFR - He will need to live to his name...
149 - LEGEND Lamer, SR 15W - 12L
157 - CHANCE Lamer, JR 19W - 7L
165 - Wick, SO 14W - 12L - Coming off Injury
174 - Saldate, SR 25W - 8L - Incoming Grad Transfer
184 - DASCHLE Lamer, FR 8W - 4L
197 - Priest, SR 9W - 9L OR Hodges, FR 4W - 3L
285 - Tinker, JR 11W - 7L

Their only true hole will be at 141lbs and I understand their valley could be right where they are now, depending on injuries, but their peak could be an outright P12 title.  Saldate a double bump?  Why?  Because I don't think Wick has the strength, even if he has the length, to go 174lbs.  I would be okay with the swap, though.  Saldate could have a helluva chance for content on social medias with 'bulking' or whatnot.  I think the 'smaller' Lamer brothers swap and both will see an increase in productivity.  Big Lamer will wrestle outside his weight class for a season, though.  He'll be fine as I think he should focus on 184lbs long-term anyways.  Priest?  He is a 165lber at heart, but he always gives it his full-go.

Anyone else care to give it ago?  With a breakdown with hows and whys?

Illinois and Chattanooga to follow...

  • Bob 1
  • Brain 2

"I know actually nothing.  It isn't even conjecture at this point." - me

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chattanooga... Chattanooga...Chattanooga...

Chattanooga had a very young roster last year and return basically everyone except Brayden Palmer and broke the ten win barrier for the first time in nearly ten years.

Here is what their starters looked like this year...

125 - SR, 17W - 4L
133 - SO, 18W - 6L
141 - FR, 25W - 4L
149 - JR, 13W - 4L
157 - JR, 11W - 4L
165 - FR, 17W - 11L
174 - FR, 17W - 8L
184 - SO, 5W - 8L
197 - FR, 7W - 8L
285 - JR, 6W - 12L

One thing to note is that I did leave the names off... that was deliberate.  I wanted you to see the numbers as only numbers.  Many of these gents were only a match away from qualifying and won two or three matches at their conference championships, as it were.

Now 184 is deceiving in that the kid who ended the season started it at 157lbs, so some lineup shuffling and the weights will fall right in to place.  Especially if they can get a transfer along the lines of a Rocky Jordan in. 

One of their redshirt frosh at 125 is a pinner, and that looks promising, especially in a dual sense, but they have two guys coming off redshirt that will be vying for the spot there as well as a two year starter returning to the lineup after being displaced by Palmer dropping.

This lineup, with a replacement at 125 and perhaps a small shuffle in the 165-184 range, has potential to grow together and increase their peak wins, which is typical year after year.  Those 17W should become low to mid 20s and those Ls should be about the same (assuming they qualify for NCAAs and take 2-3 losses there as well).

I think this team could challenge both App State and Chattanooga, especially in a dual format (5 of their first 7 matches against Campbell were one takedown, close decision losses).

I hope the coaching staff is out their shooting their shot with the likes of Billy Janzer (Rutgers 184/197), Kraisser (Iowa State ~157), Alvarez (OSU, Rutgers 141-165 😅), and the two Navy 125lbers.  They land two or even one of them, and that could provide the leadership needed to help with that next step next year.

  • Bob 2
  • Brain 1

"I know actually nothing.  It isn't even conjecture at this point." - me

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

29 minutes ago, JuanMogen said:

I got Penn State widening the gap a little more. 

Care to give us a breakdown as to how and why?

"I know actually nothing.  It isn't even conjecture at this point." - me

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 3/28/2024 at 6:54 AM, nhs67 said:

Obviously some coaching changes could shake up a few rosters and make them seem almost, if not actually entirely different than last year.  Given what we see right now and what we could see, I think there are a few teams that come to mind that could make another leap next season... and I don't think either of them are Stanford (with Koll's massive recruiting class) or North Carolina (I think he is at least a season away - if not two - from a trajectory leap there).  Cal Poly, Chattanooga, and Illinois.

Cal Poly

They came in to the season with high expectations and because their upward trajectory didn't seem to pan out and LRA came 'out of nowhere' it can be ignored that they had a comparable season to last year.  That is still a massive improvement for 3/4/5 years ago.

If they were to play with their lineup a bit and get a solid incoming transfer (or two - ahem Saldate), they could make another step forward.  They will need to with OSUW, ASU, and LRA all improving as well.  I want to see them land Saldate (I will explain what I, as a fan, want to see below).  They either need an incoming 141
125 - Mendez, SO 15W - 12L
133 - Romney, SO 19W - 9L
141 - Heracules Windrath, TrFR - He will need to live to his name...
149 - LEGEND Lamer, SR 15W - 12L
157 - CHANCE Lamer, JR 19W - 7L
165 - Wick, SO 14W - 12L - Coming off Injury
174 - Saldate, SR 25W - 8L - Incoming Grad Transfer
184 - DASCHLE Lamer, FR 8W - 4L
197 - Priest, SR 9W - 9L OR Hodges, FR 4W - 3L
285 - Tinker, JR 11W - 7L

Their only true hole will be at 141lbs and I understand their valley could be right where they are now, depending on injuries, but their peak could be an outright P12 title.  Saldate a double bump?  Why?  Because I don't think Wick has the strength, even if he has the length, to go 174lbs.  I would be okay with the swap, though.  Saldate could have a helluva chance for content on social medias with 'bulking' or whatnot.  I think the 'smaller' Lamer brothers swap and both will see an increase in productivity.  Big Lamer will wrestle outside his weight class for a season, though.  He'll be fine as I think he should focus on 184lbs long-term anyways.  Priest?  He is a 165lber at heart, but he always gives it his full-go.

Anyone else care to give it ago?  With a breakdown with hows and whys?

Illinois and Chattanooga to follow...

You won't see the Lamer brother's switched... if you are up close you will see why. 

A two weight bump for Saldate is a BIG jump. I am pretty such Daschle is settled in at 174... I could see it in a couple years, but right now he is not strong enough to bump up

I don't see Hercules starting at 141...they need a transfer there. THey could also benefit from a Lujan transfer at 125 and give Mendez another year to develop. 

  • Bob 1

Sponsored by INTERMAT ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Link to comment
Share on other sites

43 minutes ago, JuanMogen said:

Because my boys won’t quit until they get 10 champs and Iowa doesn’t qualify anybody. 

Well your input is worthless, then.

  • Bob 1

"I know actually nothing.  It isn't even conjecture at this point." - me

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted (edited)
49 minutes ago, Idaho said:

You won't see the Lamer brother's switched... if you are up close you will see why. 

A two weight bump for Saldate is a BIG jump. I am pretty such Daschle is settled in at 174... I could see it in a couple years, but right now he is not strong enough to bump up

I don't see Hercules starting at 141...they need a transfer there. THey could also benefit from a Lujan transfer at 125 and give Mendez another year to develop. 

I agree with everything you have said.  As my signature says...

the exception being Chance and Legend swapping.  Legend is longer and all that, but Chance had said in a few interviews before when he was at Michigan that he had intended on going up to 157 once Lewan was gone.  His MFS weight is also 70 KG (currently) so that would align up with those aspirations as well.  Can't have Legend up at 165lbs again, we saw how that went.

Edited by nhs67
  • Potato 1

"I know actually nothing.  It isn't even conjecture at this point." - me

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, ThreePointTakedown said:

Illinois

Short answer, they are in the basement right now. Nowhere to go but up. And an army of redshirts or returning from injury

Speaking of Illinois...

you're wrong.  They have been treading water at about the same place the last four or five years... yes... but they did that this last year while utilizing a redshirt on no less that five (5) gents and one potential AA going down to injury (Luffman).

With these gents back, I think they can do some damage next year.  They'll certainly beat Wisconsin (with or without Bono... especially with, though).

125 - Ruzic (solid incoming Frosh cut from the same cloth as the Brawnagel brothers
133 - Byrd, Mid to High AA Contender
141 - Pucino, R12/R16
149 - Webster, Mid to High AA Contender
157 - Scoles, R12/R16 - Beat UNC's NQ Santiago
165 - Moore, R12/R16 - Surged late in the season
174 - Brawnagel, Mid to Low AA contender
184 - Ruth, Mid to High AA contender
197 - Brawnagel, Mid to High AA contender
285 - Luffman, Mid to Low AA contender

Depending on how Ruzin can perform coming in (or maybe another redshirt frosh/transfer) you are looking at potentially 9 NQ type gents there that can win at least a match or two at NCAAs... some of them many more.  Those sorts of lineups can be lethal in a dual setting.

Now obviously these are optimistic and are not factoring in potential injuries, which do happen.

All this said, believing that they are rock bottom is just silly and ignores the actual statistics available.

  • Brain 1

"I know actually nothing.  It isn't even conjecture at this point." - me

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, JuanMogen said:

Because my boys won’t quit until they get 10 champs and Iowa doesn’t qualify anybody. 

I almost broke my back cringing at "my boys".

  • Haha 2

"Half measures are a coward's form of insanity."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Hammerlock3 said:

I almost broke my back cringing at "my boys".

Got my trailer, got my coffee, and got my boys at Penn State. I’m 65 years old, and that’s all I got. This shit means everything to me. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Playwire Ad Area


  • Playwire Ad Area
  • Latest Rankings

  • College Commitments

    Adam Mattin

    Delta, Ohio
    Class of 2025
    Committed to Stanford
    Projected Weight: 125, 133

    Grant Stromberg

    Mukwonago, Wisconsin
    Class of 2024
    Committed to Northern Iowa
    Projected Weight: 285

    Hudson Ward

    Canton, Pennsylvania
    Class of 2024
    Committed to Lock Haven
    Projected Weight: 165

    Alex Reed

    Shikellamy, Pennsylvania
    Class of 2024
    Committed to Lock Haven
    Projected Weight: 125

    Darren Florance

    Harpursville, New York
    Class of 2024
    Committed to Lock Haven
    Projected Weight: 125
  • Playwire Ad Area
×
×
  • Create New...