All the coaching bashing.....

[billymurphy]

"you must be looking at a different team than me, we have 4 returning starters that had winning records, 2 weights we need replacements and 4 weights with losing records.... I wouldn't consider that to be loaded and ready for a "great" season when 6 out of 10 starters are a question mark."

I have been following the "JV" team also.  How many times in the past 20 years has Barry Davis had 3 returning AA's and a RR talent coming back?
If I were to guess I would say only once before.
How many years have we had this much quality depth coming back?  I think it is clear the Badgers have high hopes for the replacement at 174.

I am not sure if it will be Ritter or Peissig at 197.   Peissig has not scored a single point in either of his two wrestle-offs.  Ritter looks good on video.
Too hard to call at this time.  When Medbery graduates then we can talk about a hole in the lineup.  He will be hard to replace.

[Brett Favre - R.I.P.]

The bashing is annoying. We just need to be able to complete a season healthy. Way too many guys wrestled with serious injuries at the end of the season. Hopefully they heal up and completely recover this off season. Don't be surprised if some of the guys start the season a little slow next year due.

Making excuses already and we are 6 months away from the start of the season.
It's getting sickening

[hammen]

Big man Brett is back! If you were so close to everyone on the team Brett you would probably know at least a little something about it. Go ask your friend and then relay back the message here please. Thanks buddy!

[jaguarwrestler]

"you must be looking at a different team than me, we have 4 returning starters that had winning records, 2 weights we need replacements and 4 weights with losing records.... I wouldn't consider that to be loaded and ready for a "great" season when 6 out of 10 starters are a question mark."

I have been following the "JV" team also.  How many times in the past 20 years has Barry Davis had 3 returning AA's and a RR talent coming back?
If I were to guess I would say only once before.
How many years have we had this much quality depth coming back?  I think it is clear the Badgers have high hopes for the replacement at 174.

I am not sure if it will be Ritter or Peissig at 197.   Peissig has not scored a single point in either of his two wrestle-offs.  Ritter looks good on video.
Too hard to call at this time.  When Medbery graduates then we can talk about a hole in the lineup.  He will be hard to replace.

The soph year of Howe we returned 3 AA's plus Jordan, Rutt and Schmitt.... that is 6 returning quality starters and that year we placed 8th in B1G duals, 4th in B1G tournament and 10th in NCAA's

next year we return 4 quality starters and have 6 question marks. Tell me what starter at 174 will be better than Frank? We will drop off at 197. At 125, 141, 149 and 157 we will struggle to have a .500 combined record... best case they win 60% of their matches at those weights... not adding any real points at the B1G or NCAA. All we can really hope for is that the top 4 guys place much higher because they won't have a lot of help. If I am missing a superstar sitting on the bench let me know. Don't get me wrong, I have high hopes for some "JV" guys but it doesn't come in their first year as a starter it is 2-3 years down the road. I think 2016 will look a lot like 2015 but I think 2017 will be a very good year for us even after losing Medberry.

[Brett Favre - R.I.P.]

Drew, you are the one talking smack behind the computer. Better get back to kissing BD's inappropriate term2

[hammen]

Brett - I would love to say everything to your face, but unfortunately I don't know who you are. I really wish I did - whenever you feel brave enough to show your real name instead of the name of a Hall of Famer, I'm all ears.

[wrastle63]

I honestly think we can have some kids step up and be good for us(60% maybe more). Lubeck had a rough year after the cut I look for him to be better, and I see someone like Sharenbrock coming in possibly and being tough.

[Jimmy]

Drew, I mean this with the utmost respect, why do you love Barry so much?

[Dale Einerson]

Start slow, end slow. All I know is Barry had had some of the best kids in his state come to his school and do Nothing. Let take for example Jesse Thielke and Alex Derienger. Coming out of high school both had been excellent recruits, both won just about everything you can win prior to college. You can see for yourself how things have shaken out for these two young men.



Could Derienger come close to be academically eligble for UW, no.  I think if some research is done the answer will be found.  Alex ended up at a terrific school for wrestling for him.  Congrats to his titles!  Was a perfect fit for him.

Don't make assumptions you don't know.  I'm not going to get into details....but yes Alex could have gotten in.  Infact he has done an outstanding job academically at OKi State.

Street Glide, I think you have fallen into an often repeated argument regarding Alex and his grades...truth of the matter is his grades were just fine and would not have been a problem getting admission into the UW.

This has been discussed several times on this forum and it keeps coming up...and those that say "grades" in relation to Alex really haven't listened to the input from family and community members that not only think, but truly know, better.

[hammen]

Drew, I mean this with the utmost respect, why do you love Barry so much?

When I got to UW I was about 115 lbs and very raw. Didn't know how to hand fight, undersized, not very athletic, but I worked by butt off. Each live go in the room I would battle, usually with Cudd. I would keep getting beat on but never backed down and kept on getting up. Eventually after that first year I was growing, I was developing my skills on the mat and really improving. I was committed to doing whatever it took to get on that line up and compete for a chance to be a qualifier and score points for the team at NCAAs. 2-3 times per day I was in there over that first summer, and I think Barry liked what he saw in my improvement and work ethic. Then he started bringing me and Cudd/Graff in for personal drills in the mornings throughout the week, and then it was just me and him. He would work around my work schedule during the summer to come into the room, sometimes at 5am, sometimes close to midnight, just to drill with me and teach me new skills. He put in so much effort in my development, and he did this with others on the team as well. This commitment and effort into my career gave me an opportunity to achieve my goals. Although they weren't achieved, I knew I developed so much as a wrestler and person under Barry, and I'm truly grateful for it. His values in family and relationships and commitment to his athletes align with how I try to live my life - he's was really a father figure, a role model and a great friend.

[Jimmy]

Thanks drew, I totally respect your feelings.i think your selling your parents, youth , middle school and high school coaches short as well as the sport itself short. Those were the people around during your most formative yrs. and put you on the path to being who you are today. No doubt that Barry continued that path for .i met several of the red shirts this yr. down at nationals and they possessed the same things your talking about. One yr. with Barry did not bring them that far, there family ,friends coaches had a lot to do with it long before Barry came into their lives. Also the sport itself demands the qualities you expressed to be successful .i am quite sure a large percentage of college wrestlers feel about their coach as you do.i have not seen what the requirements are in Barry's contract. I believe all sports teach valuable lessons and help further the development of excellent ,societally  productive young men and women.barry does that,butt thee other part of the equation is a steady upward development of the wrestling of the team, this I have not seen, sure there are moments but twenty yrs. of wait till next yr. is long enough.

[jaguarwrestler]

I respect Drew's love for Barry and why he has that respect. At the same time look at how many wrestlers have come through the program and never reached their potential/expectations, how many quit long before their career was over, how many transferred to another program... so I think it is great he helped Drew but that doesn't add up to keeping the position for life. I would expect the same from any D1 Big Ten coach or they shouldn't have the job. I would certainly hope that a coach is willing to do whatever it takes to help someone that wants to do what it takes to be better, if they don't have that in them they shouldn't be coaching at a high level. I have always claimed Barry to be a good man, mentor and coach but at the same time he has shown us his peak in team success, we have enough data to look at the numbers and know we will likely never be much better under him as a coach. If Barry Davis was able to get out of his wrestlers the same Bo Ryan does out of his basketball players we would be a top 8 team year in and year out. Problem is he does not seem to be able to get their best on the mat and that is why I would like a new voice in the room and mentality on the mat.

[hornbuckleb]

What would we all say if we let Barry Davis go and the 4 best wrestlers we had decided to leave with him?  Would we all give the new coach 8 years to get the program corrected?

Don't make the assumption this couldn't happen.

So what if we get a quality head coach and the recruits come flocking like they did for Zeke in Arizona.


Don't make the assumption it can't happen.

No you can't make any guarantees....but heck at some point you have to do something to make the program better....at least take a chance....now is as good a time as any.

I will make the assumption that the recruits would not have flocked to ASU and Zeke Jones if not for the man below and his money...

Jeff Metcalfe, azcentral sports 9:32 p.m. MST April 10, 2014
"Next year we will not be in the 50s," said Art Martori, former president of USA Wrestling and founder of Sunkist Kids Wrestling Club that sponsors some of the nation's best international wrestlers, including Jones when he was a 1991 World champion and a 1992 Olympic silver medalist. "Zeke and his coaches and this university are not going to be happy without this team hanging another national banner. I would love to see that happen sooner than later. If we aren't going in a better direction tomorrow, then he shouldn't be here. That's what he's here for."

[npope]

Thanks drew, I totally respect your feelings.i think your selling your parents, youth , middle school and high school coaches short as well as the sport itself short. Those were the people around during your most formative yrs. and put you on the path to being who you are today. No doubt that Barry continued that path for .i met several of the red shirts this yr. down at nationals and they possessed the same things your talking about. One yr. with Barry did not bring them that far, there family ,friends coaches had a lot to do with it long before Barry came into their lives. Also the sport itself demands the qualities you expressed to be successful .i am quite sure a large percentage of college wrestlers feel about their coach as you do.i have not seen what the requirements are in Barry's contract. I believe all sports teach valuable lessons and help further the development of excellent ,societally  productive young men and women.barry does that,butt thee other part of the equation is a steady upward development of the wrestling of the team, this I have not seen, sure there are moments but twenty yrs. of wait till next yr. is long enough.

Jimmy, if you ask a sincere question of Drew, then please just let his sincere response to you stand without picking at it. You asked why - he told you. Conversation done.

[Oldtimer]

An unbiased opinion.  I am not for or against BD in particular.  Noting Drew's response though.  He had high goals and worked his butt off but never achieved them, even with the incredible help and support of BD.  So did he not meet his goals because the coaching was frequent but not effective or was there another reason?  Drew, this is no insult to you.  Maybe Drew's potential was no better than a JV level wrestler but BD got much more out of him than his "potential" really was.  Everyone isn't going to be a national champ.  Who can really measure "potential"?