ICAlumni
Well-Known Member
Just because i'm home at lunch at bored... going to writeup each weight and add PSU notes. I don't think OSU has the depth/desire to compete for the championship but you never know. I think PSU is the other heavy in the tourney.
125 - McD is rolling right now and has figured out Precin... the only guy with a chance to beat him in my opinion. He's going to ride the arm heavy, keep pressure on the head and make it hard for Matt to shoot. That doesn't mean MM will win it all but he should. He's just wrestling at such a high level right now and last year will pay huge dividends. BM taught him more than anyone ever could... he watched how you have to do it. Robles is a bit of a worry as well but I just don't think he has faced the competition this year that MM has week in and week out. PSU has nothing here and this will be big ++ for Iowa.
PREDICTION - Championship over Robles
133 - Ramos, like McD is doing really well right now. No one is working him over, he's in each match and looks technically sound. He's aggressive and is learning how to be an A+ finisher. He's wrestling well when it matters most. He's taken on the best all year and done really well against them. PSU has a stud here although it just irks the F out of me that he's even wrestling for them. I must be missing something here - just don't understand how he leaves ISU and wrestles for PSU the same year. I don't like the kid anyway... I think he's slimy. But he's good, and will do well at Nationals. He's gonna slip up though, I can feel it.
PREDICTION - Ramos over Long for 3rd
141 - Montell is like a cat on heroin. He's got as much talent as anyone... is aggressive as hell, never gives up on a match, gets caught where he shouldn't and pushes every top wrestler he faces. He can win everything or he can not even place AA. He's an enigma and his focus was like a laser when he came back... which you'd expect given his 0 tolerance policy. Kennedy is the worst matchup in the country for him and he has to avoid that matchup or hope he misses him. Other than that, i'd take MM against anyone. Because he did it last year, i'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he does really well. I don't see Alton placing... he's sucked the second half of the season.
PREDICTION - Marion 4th place, losing to Kellen Russell
149 - We won't get a WC here. It's funny watching Molinaro this year because he's so huge and tough against everyone. It's funny to think about how BM used to toy with him and tech fall him continually. It tells you how good BM was if you think about what Molinaro has done this year. He's good... really good and he's wrestling well. I think he gets to the final and gets smoked by Caldwell. Just don't see him beating a guy who beat BM twice.
PREDICTION - Molinaro runner up
157 - DSJ and Taylor are the two best wrestlers at this weight IMO. DSJs level of wrestling the last month or so has gone sky high. He looks to have figured it out whereas at the beginning of the year he and Gambrall looked lost at times. His performace yesterday against Taylor told me a ton... when you give a crap, you work hard and you are coached by the best... you can make up a ton of ground. He's not a Taylor's level and may never be, but he's going to get to the point where he's the only guy who can challenge him. Taylor will roll through the field here... his #3 ranking is a joke. How he's not #1 is beyond me. The most dominant freshman season in the history of the sport.
PREDICTION - Taylor champ, DSJ 7th
165 - When Kerr got replaced this year I wondered what must be going on. He did fairly well in Omaha last year and surprised us with some unexpected points. Janssen replaced him and has been phenomenal. He reminds me a lot of Jimmy Kennedy at 141... a senior who's been through the grind and is technically sound. Howe is a 2x champ and nearly unbeatable... Janssen had him beat, and I think can do it again. Janssen can beat anyone and considering this is his first full year... that's saying a lot. He seems cool and collected and I wouldn't write him out of any match. I like him to do really well at Nationals and get us many many points at a weight where PSU will have none.
PREDICTION - Janssen 6th losing to Sponseller
174 - Ed Ruth is nearly as good as David Taylor but has started to sputter a bit the last few weeks. Wondering if his motor has run down or if people are figuring him out. Ethen Lofthouse had him beaten. Ethen is an Enigma like Montell... he wrestles really well at times and gets ridden hard at others. I love his drive and think he will be really good for the Hawks. He will be a workhorse like his uncle who has really turned into a good wrestler. I see Ethen doing well early but getting knocked out and not placing. Ruth will roll early on but struggle when it's down to the big boys. I see him losing once, maybe twice. Too many people seem to be figuring him out. If he can learn to adjust which elite wrestlers do, he will kick *** but that's a ?? for him.
PREDICTION - Ruth 3rd
184 - The biggest wildcard on the team for both teams. Both wrestlers can be really good and both can get aced early. GG can beat nearly anyone and so can QW. Will they? Who knows? I'm feeling like QW may have blown his wad at BTs and could really struggle at Nationals. GG could lose his first two matches and go home but i'm hoping his final match and the change he made from the one previous to that indicates the coaches go in his head. I don't like how soft he wrestles and how un-aggressive he is. He lets people get on his legs way too much and tries to get takedowns off of opponents' shots which is a recipe for disaster. I hope this kid can turn it around, but I see him out of the starting lineup next year.
PREDICTION - Wright 7th, no place for GG
197 - The other weight where we can really make hay and man do we have the guy for it. Old, wise, steady and technically sound. He will be disappointed in his BT final and based on his past... I see it really motivating him. He can hang with anyone and I see him getting us a lot of "unanswered" points. He's been a rock all year.
PREDICTION - 3rd place over Yohn
HWT - Maybe the biggest surprise all year. I kept telling people last year that Rasing could be really good. He's deceptively quick for his immense size and he's strong as well. He seems emotionless which is a good trait for a wrestler. I was worried about his pressure situation yesterday and all year for that matter as he's the guy who can often lose things or wrap them up. He rarely disappointed and his win yesterday was huge. It seems the coaches have gotten to him. He often hangs around and then wrestles a better 3rd Q than his opponent and if you know anything about HWT... that's how you generally do it. I like Rasing and I like what he's become. Wade is the most overrated HWT in the country... I don't like his game and I've never been sold on him.
PREDICTION - no place for Wade, 6th for Blake Rasing
I predict a NC for the Hawks... something tells me this loss yesterday is going to fire them up big time. Look what the disrespect card did for them all year long.
Did anyone think they'd be undefeated and ranked #2?
GO HAWKS
125 - McD is rolling right now and has figured out Precin... the only guy with a chance to beat him in my opinion. He's going to ride the arm heavy, keep pressure on the head and make it hard for Matt to shoot. That doesn't mean MM will win it all but he should. He's just wrestling at such a high level right now and last year will pay huge dividends. BM taught him more than anyone ever could... he watched how you have to do it. Robles is a bit of a worry as well but I just don't think he has faced the competition this year that MM has week in and week out. PSU has nothing here and this will be big ++ for Iowa.
PREDICTION - Championship over Robles
133 - Ramos, like McD is doing really well right now. No one is working him over, he's in each match and looks technically sound. He's aggressive and is learning how to be an A+ finisher. He's wrestling well when it matters most. He's taken on the best all year and done really well against them. PSU has a stud here although it just irks the F out of me that he's even wrestling for them. I must be missing something here - just don't understand how he leaves ISU and wrestles for PSU the same year. I don't like the kid anyway... I think he's slimy. But he's good, and will do well at Nationals. He's gonna slip up though, I can feel it.
PREDICTION - Ramos over Long for 3rd
141 - Montell is like a cat on heroin. He's got as much talent as anyone... is aggressive as hell, never gives up on a match, gets caught where he shouldn't and pushes every top wrestler he faces. He can win everything or he can not even place AA. He's an enigma and his focus was like a laser when he came back... which you'd expect given his 0 tolerance policy. Kennedy is the worst matchup in the country for him and he has to avoid that matchup or hope he misses him. Other than that, i'd take MM against anyone. Because he did it last year, i'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt and say he does really well. I don't see Alton placing... he's sucked the second half of the season.
PREDICTION - Marion 4th place, losing to Kellen Russell
149 - We won't get a WC here. It's funny watching Molinaro this year because he's so huge and tough against everyone. It's funny to think about how BM used to toy with him and tech fall him continually. It tells you how good BM was if you think about what Molinaro has done this year. He's good... really good and he's wrestling well. I think he gets to the final and gets smoked by Caldwell. Just don't see him beating a guy who beat BM twice.
PREDICTION - Molinaro runner up
157 - DSJ and Taylor are the two best wrestlers at this weight IMO. DSJs level of wrestling the last month or so has gone sky high. He looks to have figured it out whereas at the beginning of the year he and Gambrall looked lost at times. His performace yesterday against Taylor told me a ton... when you give a crap, you work hard and you are coached by the best... you can make up a ton of ground. He's not a Taylor's level and may never be, but he's going to get to the point where he's the only guy who can challenge him. Taylor will roll through the field here... his #3 ranking is a joke. How he's not #1 is beyond me. The most dominant freshman season in the history of the sport.
PREDICTION - Taylor champ, DSJ 7th
165 - When Kerr got replaced this year I wondered what must be going on. He did fairly well in Omaha last year and surprised us with some unexpected points. Janssen replaced him and has been phenomenal. He reminds me a lot of Jimmy Kennedy at 141... a senior who's been through the grind and is technically sound. Howe is a 2x champ and nearly unbeatable... Janssen had him beat, and I think can do it again. Janssen can beat anyone and considering this is his first full year... that's saying a lot. He seems cool and collected and I wouldn't write him out of any match. I like him to do really well at Nationals and get us many many points at a weight where PSU will have none.
PREDICTION - Janssen 6th losing to Sponseller
174 - Ed Ruth is nearly as good as David Taylor but has started to sputter a bit the last few weeks. Wondering if his motor has run down or if people are figuring him out. Ethen Lofthouse had him beaten. Ethen is an Enigma like Montell... he wrestles really well at times and gets ridden hard at others. I love his drive and think he will be really good for the Hawks. He will be a workhorse like his uncle who has really turned into a good wrestler. I see Ethen doing well early but getting knocked out and not placing. Ruth will roll early on but struggle when it's down to the big boys. I see him losing once, maybe twice. Too many people seem to be figuring him out. If he can learn to adjust which elite wrestlers do, he will kick *** but that's a ?? for him.
PREDICTION - Ruth 3rd
184 - The biggest wildcard on the team for both teams. Both wrestlers can be really good and both can get aced early. GG can beat nearly anyone and so can QW. Will they? Who knows? I'm feeling like QW may have blown his wad at BTs and could really struggle at Nationals. GG could lose his first two matches and go home but i'm hoping his final match and the change he made from the one previous to that indicates the coaches go in his head. I don't like how soft he wrestles and how un-aggressive he is. He lets people get on his legs way too much and tries to get takedowns off of opponents' shots which is a recipe for disaster. I hope this kid can turn it around, but I see him out of the starting lineup next year.
PREDICTION - Wright 7th, no place for GG
197 - The other weight where we can really make hay and man do we have the guy for it. Old, wise, steady and technically sound. He will be disappointed in his BT final and based on his past... I see it really motivating him. He can hang with anyone and I see him getting us a lot of "unanswered" points. He's been a rock all year.
PREDICTION - 3rd place over Yohn
HWT - Maybe the biggest surprise all year. I kept telling people last year that Rasing could be really good. He's deceptively quick for his immense size and he's strong as well. He seems emotionless which is a good trait for a wrestler. I was worried about his pressure situation yesterday and all year for that matter as he's the guy who can often lose things or wrap them up. He rarely disappointed and his win yesterday was huge. It seems the coaches have gotten to him. He often hangs around and then wrestles a better 3rd Q than his opponent and if you know anything about HWT... that's how you generally do it. I like Rasing and I like what he's become. Wade is the most overrated HWT in the country... I don't like his game and I've never been sold on him.
PREDICTION - no place for Wade, 6th for Blake Rasing
I predict a NC for the Hawks... something tells me this loss yesterday is going to fire them up big time. Look what the disrespect card did for them all year long.
Did anyone think they'd be undefeated and ranked #2?
GO HAWKS
