Oracle wrote: ↑Mon Dec 05, 2022 11:00 am
mookie's post has merit. However.....
149 is interesting. Did Max burn his RS for this year yet? If not, there is merit to saving it and letting MB4 wrestle through his challenges. D1 these days is a bear. With so few programs talent is sky high at the top 30 programs.
165 -- IMO Logan cannot make it there, nor should he have to if he is the best 174 we have. Why? So fans can maximize *their* feelings of what's best? What about the guy who won his starting spot fair and square? Meyer is our best option but maybe he needs a kick in the a$$ and sit out a dual or two to think about how he approaches his bouts?
174 -- if Burkhart can beat out Logan, then fine. If not, Logan starts. Pretty simple. Fans may not like guys not winning enough but IMO the solution is not to penalize the best guy at the weight...unless the next guy up can win more.
285- Taylor is a work in progress. Silly to pull the plug on him so soon into his career. Or was him winning the Okla U dual already forgotten? I favor Garcia, but like I said, he has to win the spot, not be installed to mollify the fan base.
Reinsel should preserve his RS, Hines is the much better option. Does this qualify as vitriol?
How weights are determined has changed since Sheridan, Leeman, Turner? They pretty much told wrestlers where they would go during season and then EIWA. With NCAA rules, a bit different in weight drops. Do wrestlers have ability to call for a wrestle off anymore? Sheridan allowed it when guys were close in ability. Does Pat call for the wrestle offs and can a wrestler approach him and say he wants and opportunity to get into the lineup?
The crux of the problem is that at a number of weights, you have essentially non-top 20 talent of both the varsity and the wrestler seeking to get into the lineup. The upside may not even be there. When recruiting discussion happen, it is a reality that we just are not getting enough National caliber wrestlers ready in Year 1 the way that OK State, Iowa, Cornell, Ohio State and others have been able to get. However, Pat does the best he can with what he has.
Overall, this is a good team. EIWA is once again 4/5 team competitive and Lehigh might not be at the top, but it could be. Personally, I think at EIWA that we will do well at 141, 149, 165 , 174 and 285 whether current lineup or someone supplanting them. They should all be national qualifier weights. However, at NCAA, it could be 0-2. Hoping some of those weights could be 2-2 finishes. So we 5 strong and 5 works in progress.