IT IS TIME! – Badgers Ready for Big Ten Championships by Kirk Nelson | Photos Stacy Schiesl
https://wiwrestling.com/it-is-time-badgers-ready-for-big-ten-championships/
It is not going to be easy to get the Badgers qualified. Looking at the brackets there is no easy way to get to the top 7 as someone mentioned. Like Gable said to Davis this week in an interview, "You have to peak, be at your best now. It is the real season"
Hope they come prepared, ready and wrestle at a very high level
Quote from: dad 2 5 on March 05, 2022, 09:55:37 AM
It is not going to be easy to get the Badgers qualified. Looking at the brackets there is no easy way to get to the top 7 as someone mentioned. Like Gable said to Davis this week in an interview, "You have to peak, be at your best now. It is the real season"
Hope they come prepared, ready and wrestle at a very high level
100% agree. Time to turn a good season for many Badgers, or mediocre season for some Badgers ... into a great season. In college wrestling you have to earn it.That's why we love it. Go Bucky.
good first and quick TD
got him - PIN!
wow did you hear that, Iowa traveled!
Good start!
good motor Zargo
Zargo's growth is fun to watch. I believe his ceiling is high. Nice win, proves the win a few weeks ago was no fluke.
While I want Zargo to upset Lee next round, if it doesn't happen, he will wrestle the loser on Mat 3 right now. D'Emilio and Tal Shahar. That would be a huge match for Zargo with only 7 allotments at 141.
Tal Shahar beat Joe 5-4 in early January
An Illinois Coach yelled in the second period :" Duncan, he's tired"! ;D ;D
Zargo has probably the biggest gas tank on the team and doesn't get tired! I agree above that his ceiling is huge!!! That's two victories over a returning All American, no small feet!!
Big win for Chris Weiler! Great performance and good vibes so far for UW
that is a good win by Weiler
Very happy for Chris. Starting to look like last years version of Chris.
Something just missing from Amos. Seemed to work hard and run out of gas the last period and SV
Agreed and it may well be experience. At least he took some shots to try and win it.
Quote from: dad 2 5 on March 05, 2022, 12:11:06 PM
Something just missing from Amos. Seemed to work hard and run out of gas the last period and SV
Not only stamina, but he is not as explosive nor does he look as strong as we have all seen him before wresting 197. We have talked about this before. I don't know of anyone on this board that is down on him. We all believe in him and want to see him achieve greatness. Just not sure it can happen at 197. Admirable of him to make this weight cut.
Would love to see him look like Hilger, get huge and explosive and dominate at HWY.
Solid win for Hilger and good first round for the Badgers.
good win Barnett!
GO GET EM' BARNETT! OH BABY WHAT A WIN! GO BIG RED!
Tied for first!
I know it won't last long but I'll savor it.
What an awesome 3rd period for Barnett. Talk about a young man we have seen get better every season. Very happy for Eric. Eric's growth is what I hope to see from Zargo and Amos and Hamiti (even though he is amazing already). Hopefully Burwick as well.
Barnett earns a rematch of a 9-5 loss to DeAugistion from early January.
Gomez back to a traditional head gear.
good dominate win by Gomez
Berge a 10 seed. ::)
Great win by Gomez.
Hamiti thrives at any speed and pretty much any position or any flurry. He is not only a great wrestler, but a great athlete. His pick is my favorite. Today he ran an arm bar. He is so polished for a true freshmen.
Even though we are all focused on this tournament, I can't help but think a Hamiti vs. O'Toole match would be wild.
Quote from: onwisconsin on March 05, 2022, 01:26:01 PM
Hamiti thrives at any speed and pretty much any position or any flurry. He is not only a great wrestler, but a great athlete. His pick is my favorite. Today he ran an arm bar. He is so polished for a true freshmen.
Even though we are all focused on this tournament, I can't help but think a Hamiti vs. O'Toole match would be wild.
He'll have his hands full again against the bull. I'll be curious to see if he tries scrambling earlier this time around.
Quote from: ankle pick on March 05, 2022, 01:45:33 PM
Quote from: onwisconsin on March 05, 2022, 01:26:01 PM
Hamiti thrives at any speed and pretty much any position or any flurry. He is not only a great wrestler, but a great athlete. His pick is my favorite. Today he ran an arm bar. He is so polished for a true freshmen.
Even though we are all focused on this tournament, I can't help but think a Hamiti vs. O'Toole match would be wild.
He'll have his hands full again against the bull. I'll be curious to see if he tries scrambling earlier this time around.
I hope he does. Looking forward to that match.
The Bull has the edge in experience and strength. Hamiti is going to have use his speed and athleticism to get some take downs this time to win.
Quote from: onwisconsin on March 05, 2022, 01:06:42 PM
Gomez back to a traditional head gear.
He had that on against Yianni too. First time I had seen in all year. Great sign that he must be feeling pretty good. That extra piece he had on was always getting moved around and I assume that was really annoying. Also kind of felt like a target for his opponents.
Quote from: vsmf2010 on March 05, 2022, 03:03:13 PM
Quote from: onwisconsin on March 05, 2022, 01:06:42 PM
Gomez back to a traditional head gear.
He had that on against Yianni too. First time I had seen in all year. Great sign that he must be feeling pretty good. That extra piece he had on was always getting moved around and I assume that was really annoying. Also kind of felt like a target for his opponents.
I watched that match and never noticed. Must be a great sign.
Braxton also wrestles someone he lost to this season. Once 6-2 at Midlands, and 8-7 in the Dual in early January.
Consolations I- Looks like everyone advanced.
Really need Braxton and Trent to wrestle well. Happy for Model, but otherwise we have been flat this round.
Consolation rd 2 the Badgers go 1 and 6. Model the only W.
Tough round. Didn't see that coming. Didn't seem we competed as hard as I have seen in our duals.
Pretty disappointing from 174 on up. Kinda how it's been a lot of the year.
If you can't watch the semi's on BTN, you should be able to listen to it on KXIC, 800 streaming.
Barnett to the finals!
We knew Gomez was good, but IMO he has exceeded all expectations.
Quote from: crossface21 on March 05, 2022, 08:26:32 PM
We knew Gomez was good, but IMO he has exceeded all expectations.
Absolutely. What a blast to watch all season long.
Glad to have some finalists for the first time since 2016. Already a big improvement from last season although the bar was pretty low to overcome. Hopefully they'll have a more consistent tomorrow.
Weiler punched his ticket
I'm looking forward to the possibility of Kharchla vs Hamiti.
Quote from: ankle pick on March 06, 2022, 08:47:37 AM
I'm looking forward to the possibility of Kharchla vs Hamiti.
Consolation results and final results at 165 will impact the NCAA seedings quite a bit.
Quite surprised to see Amine beat Kharchla. I think if DJ wrestles his match and gets to his stuff he takes it to him. Also think if DJ see Marinelli again at the NCAA's again he gets him. Assuming Marinelli, Wick and O'Toole win and DJ takes 3rd I would expect the seeds to look like this.
1 - Wick
2 - O'Toole
3 - Marinelli
4 - DJ
5 - Griffith
If DJ loses to Kharchla he would move into the 5 line and DJ would likely be the 6 or 7
Quote from: dad 2 5 on March 05, 2022, 12:11:06 PM
Something just missing from Amos. Seemed to work hard and run out of gas the last period and SV
Gosh I dont want to harp but after a long season getting to 197 getting rough. He looked tired but maybe he has some illness also or injury. It is a long season for sure.
Weiler MFF out of the tournament.
Quote from: crossface21 on March 06, 2022, 11:30:36 AM
Weiler MFF out of the tournament.
Even though it may not look like he did well at the tournament, his two losses are to guys going for 3rd and 4th. His two wins were against guys ranked in the top 33.
Quote from: vsmf2010 on March 05, 2022, 10:06:58 PM
Weiler punched his ticket
six so far correct?
Barnett; Gomez; Dean; Weiler; Amos; Trent
Model in!
Quote from: dad 2 5 on March 06, 2022, 12:43:05 PM
Quote from: vsmf2010 on March 05, 2022, 10:06:58 PM
Weiler punched his ticket
six so far correct?
Barnett; Gomez; Dean; Weiler; Amos; Trent
Model in!
Trent is not in yet.
Quote from: Wisconsin Wrestling Fan on March 06, 2022, 01:14:49 PM
Quote from: dad 2 5 on March 06, 2022, 12:43:05 PM
Quote from: vsmf2010 on March 05, 2022, 10:06:58 PM
Weiler punched his ticket
six so far correct?
Barnett; Gomez; Dean; Weiler; Amos; Trent
Model in!
Trent is not in yet.
I must have looked at it wrong. Thought they had 10 allotments at Hwy and he is wrestling now for 9th? Hope he gets in!
Bucky did two med forfeits - Amos and Weiler. Any back story available here? Is this because they were protected with automatic allocations already?
Probably.
Hillger wins 4-3!
7 Auto Qualifiers... and hopefully some wildcards...
Quote from: Wisconsin Wrestling Fan on March 06, 2022, 01:56:04 PM
Hillger wins 4-3!
7 Auto Qualifiers... and hopefully some wildcards...
The Wisconsin Wrestling Twitter feed was saying that Burwick was in. That's wrong, right? He took 11th, BT was only allotted 10 allocations for 133 from everything I've seen.
Nevermind, they've corrected the Tweet and said he needs a WC.
GO! GO! GOMEZ YEAH BABY B1G CHAMPION!
UW's first champion since Isaac Jordan in 2016 and first for Wisconsin at 149 pounds.
Awesome weekend for Gomez and great addition to the team. Credit to the coaching staff for recruiting him and getting him back to form.
Congratulations to Gomez! He wrestled great!
Congrats Austin. So fun to watch. Multiple attack options on his feet.
Quote from: wrestlemania on March 06, 2022, 04:39:11 PM
GO! GO! GOMEZ YEAH BABY B1G CHAMPION!
UW's first champion since Isaac Jordan in 2016 and first for Wisconsin at 149 pounds.
Awesome weekend for Gomez and great addition to the team. Credit to the coaching staff for recruiting him and getting him back to form.
There isn't enough being said about this. Gomez' career was over. What a huge accomplishment for him and the Badger program. He's trouble for guys like Sasso who don't have a ton of offense.
Can't wait to see him in Detroit in two weeks.
Hamiti with the overtime win 4-2, for 3rd! Very nice!!
Hamiti with the overtime win in the third place match at 165!
Quote from: Ghetto on March 06, 2022, 04:58:30 PM
Quote from: wrestlemania on March 06, 2022, 04:39:11 PM
GO! GO! GOMEZ YEAH BABY B1G CHAMPION!
UW's first champion since Isaac Jordan in 2016 and first for Wisconsin at 149 pounds.
Awesome weekend for Gomez and great addition to the team. Credit to the coaching staff for recruiting him and getting him back to form.
There isn't enough being said about this. Gomez' career was over. What a huge accomplishment for him and the Badger program. He's trouble for guys like Sasso who don't have a ton of offense.
Can't wait to see him in Detroit in two weeks.
Absolutely right. To take the time away he has ... and like he says not make the best social choices ... then to recommit. Amazing story. Very happy for him and the program.
DJ is so fun to watch now. Just wait til he gets stronger.
It's a great day to be a Badger! Awesome job today.
I think that there are Badgers with an outside but legitimate chance to make the finals in Detroit.
Quote from: PAUL on March 06, 2022, 05:33:39 PM
I think that there are Badgers with an outside but legitimate chance to make the finals in Detroit.
If Gomez wrestles like this he can beat anybody. He dominated that match. Sasso's only TD came when Austin tried to make a big move. Listening to Burroughs talk about Hamiti was fun. Predicts he will be on top of the podium in the future.
Has anyone considered that Parris losing the 3rd place match did not impact the team race but likely dropped his seed so he is opposite Gable. Not saying he threw the match but if he wins he is probably the 4 or 5 and with a loss he is probably the 6 or 7.
DJ Hamiti Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Austin Gomez Co-Outstanding Wrestler for the Big Ten Tournament
Quote from: onwisconsin on March 06, 2022, 05:16:22 PM
DJ is so fun to watch now. Just wait til he gets stronger.
I wonder if he will stay at 165 as he puts on muscle.
Well the tourney is over. What are your thoughts on overall performance. 8th place, is that where we expected to be? Did Badgers underperform, over perform or just hold serve. I know there has been talk of a top ten finish in two weeks, is that still a reasonable goal. Interested in everyone's thoughts. What would talk be if Barry's badgers finished 8th.
Quote from: tex on March 06, 2022, 09:11:50 PM
Well the tourney is over. What are your thoughts on overall performance. 8th place, is that where we expected to be? Did Badgers underperform, over perform or just hold serve. I know there has been talk of a top ten finish in two weeks, is that still a reasonable goal. Interested in everyone's thoughts. What would talk be if Barry's badgers finished 8th.
This weekend was mixed results for the Badgers. Guys like Barnett, Gomez, and Hamiti looked phenomenal. I thought Model wrestled tough after losing to Berge first round and battling all the way back to qualifiy.
Burwick has been underwhelming all year and lost to Hudkins twice.
I thought Zargo was going to make a run after beating Duncan again, but I believe that was the second time he lost to the guy from Northwestern. Not sure what I think about Zargo. I hope he gets into the tournament because he has the potential to make a run.
McNally looks like he didn't want to wrestle this last year.
Weiler is hit and miss. Did his job to qualify, but I find myself always hoping for more with this guy.
Amos struggles to win the close matches. Not sure if he will figure it out by NCAAs.
Hillger was not impressive against Luffman. He seems like a guy that always turns it on at NCAAs.
I would say it was not a great weekend for the Badgers, but it was an improvement from last year.
Quote from: 1Iota on March 06, 2022, 05:54:41 PM
Quote from: PAUL on March 06, 2022, 05:33:39 PM
I think that there are Badgers with an outside but legitimate chance to make the finals in Detroit.
If Gomez wrestles like this he can beat anybody. He dominated that match. Sasso's only TD came when Austin tried to make a big move. Listening to Burroughs talk about Hamiti was fun. Predicts he will be on top of the podium in the future.
I DEFINITELY think Gomez can beat anybody...outside of Ithaca, New York...but hopefully this B1G result gives him the 2nd or 3rd seed and he won't have to deal with that particular individual until the finals.
I think Hamiti still has a chance to get to the finals, he's just got to force Marinelli to open up earlier on...and other guys at that weight will certainly give him opportunities. As good as O'Toole is...I don't hate that matchup. Wick doesn't scare me as a Hamiti fan. There's no clear cut #1 stud at that weight. I'll definitely roll my dice with him.
Burnett just took a 2nd in the B1Gs behind the guy who's the favorite in my opinion so hard to argue he doesn't have a shot. It'd be nice if someone could knock off Arujau as he's just a very bad match up with Burnett...and he may actually be a bad matchup for anyone. In fact...I think I'd have him winning if I were to make a bracket.
But those 3 guys are in there and they should make runs. Trent always seems to. Maybe Amos will. Not unprecedented for a Freshmen who is kinda up and down to go to the NCAAs with low expectations and open up a bit and exceed expectations.
I did see someone ask how would we react if Barry was here and had this performance...and I get it, reading this forum over the years he was the subject of many debates...but it seems pretty clear to me that Bono has the ship pointed in the right direction. It wasn't JUST about B1G placements. He wasn't great when we had Donny and a couple other AAs, then bad for a while, then pretty good when Graff and a couple other guys were here. Time to let the Barry angle die, no?
I mean, you can't even kick the horse anymore. It's just brittle bones and even they're turning to dust...
Quote from: tigerking on March 07, 2022, 04:58:54 AM
Quote from: tex on March 06, 2022, 09:11:50 PM
Well the tourney is over. What are your thoughts on overall performance. 8th place, is that where we expected to be? Did Badgers underperform, over perform or just hold serve. I know there has been talk of a top ten finish in two weeks, is that still a reasonable goal. Interested in everyone's thoughts. What would talk be if Barry's badgers finished 8th.
This weekend was mixed results for the Badgers. Guys like Barnett, Gomez, and Hamiti looked phenomenal. I thought Model wrestled tough after losing to Berge first round and battling all the way back to qualifiy.
Burwick has been underwhelming all year and lost to Hudkins twice.
I thought Zargo was going to make a run after beating Duncan again, but I believe that was the second time he lost to the guy from Northwestern. Not sure what I think about Zargo. I hope he gets into the tournament because he has the potential to make a run.
McNally looks like he didn't want to wrestle this last year.
Weiler is hit and miss. Did his job to qualify, but I find myself always hoping for more with this guy.
Amos struggles to win the close matches. Not sure if he will figure it out by NCAAs.
Hillger was not impressive against Luffman. He seems like a guy that always turns it on at NCAAs.
I would say it was not a great weekend for the Badgers, but it was an improvement from last year.
I completely agree on all Tiger King.
I do believe the program is trending in the right direction, but results don't fully show it. I was hoping/expecting much better in the first consolation round where only Model won. That was the most disheartening part of the weekend.
I am very happy with the direction of the program. We were way more fun to watch this season, than other seasons. I believe this will translate onto the mat in the future. Really hope we can win some big recruiting battles, because I believe in our staff and the culture being created.
Looking forward to Detroit.
To answer the Barry question. I liked Barry, but believed it was time for a change if we wanted the program to reach new heights. I want the program to reach new heights and I am very happy with our staff. I like the culture, I believe, they are creating. We know the staff is working their butt off.
I liked what I saw on the mat during duals. We definitely don't have the depth in the room that the top teams have in the country. Until we have that we will always be left wanting more. However wanting more is a great thing.
On Braxton. I remember him during the World Team and Olympic trials being a brute and aggressive right from the start. Kind of how we have seen Gomez.
I can't wait to see that Braxton again. Aggressive from the start and able to flow to different positions from the movement he creates. I just wonder what weight we will see him at. I wish college had a 210/220 weight class.
Barnett has made a huge jump this year. Awesome to watch. He has a couple studs in front of him.
Burwick honestly doesn't seem like he improved this season. He finished last season stronger if I remember.
Zargo has done better than I expected this season. I believe his ceiling is very high. Fun to watch.
Gomez - We are blessed to have him.
Model - very happy for him.
Hamiti - Fantastic. Wait til he gets stronger. Top of the podium a legit goal.
McNally - Agree with Tiger King
Weiler - Agree with Tiger King
Braxton - see above
Trent - I thought he improved during the regular season. He didn't have it this tournament. I expect better in Detroit.
Have a great day everyone.
Not saying this is right or wrong
Coming into the season everyone expected more out of McNally, Weiler, and Amos. All were below expectations
I think all were hoping for another step from Hilger- He has underperformed any preseason expectations
Burwick and Model did about what I expected so met expectations
Zargo has probably slightly exceeded expectations
Barnett and Gomez have exceeded expectations
Hamiti has greatly exceeded expectations.
Not saying preseason excitement and expectations are right but really only 3 guys exceeded expectations. I still like Bono better than Davis on the mat and off the mat in terms of coaching style and all the intangibles the program needs. Younger was better.
Placing only 4 wrestlers in the top 8 at Big Tens was below my expectations
Quote from: DocWrestling on March 07, 2022, 09:31:38 AM
Not saying this is right or wrong
Coming into the season everyone expected more out of McNally, Weiler, and Amos. All were below expectations
I think all were hoping for another step from Hilger- He has underperformed any preseason expectations
Burwick and Model did about what I expected so met expectations
Zargo has probably slightly exceeded expectations
Barnett and Gomez have exceeded expectations
Hamiti has greatly exceeded expectations.
Not saying preseason excitement and expectations are right but really only 3 guys exceeded expectations. I still like Bono better than Davis on the mat and off the mat in terms of coaching style and all the intangibles the program needs. Younger was better.
Placing only 4 wrestlers in the top 8 at Big Tens was below my expectations
That is a very truthful and realistic summary Doc. Thank you.
Quote from: DocWrestling on March 07, 2022, 09:31:38 AM
Not saying this is right or wrong
Coming into the season everyone expected more out of McNally, Weiler, and Amos. All were below expectations
I think all were hoping for another step from Hilger- He has underperformed any preseason expectations
Burwick and Model did about what I expected so met expectations
Zargo has probably slightly exceeded expectations
Barnett and Gomez have exceeded expectations
Hamiti has greatly exceeded expectations.
Not saying preseason excitement and expectations are right but really only 3 guys exceeded expectations. I still like Bono better than Davis on the mat and off the mat in terms of coaching style and all the intangibles the program needs. Younger was better.
Placing only 4 wrestlers in the top 8 at Big Tens was below my expectations
I offer another perspective.
7 qualifiers with a shot at all 10
Likely 3 top 5 seeds at the NCAA's
3 top 3 at the Big 10's
2 Finalists
Same # of Big 10 champs as Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern
More champs than Ohio St, Nebraska, and Rutgers
2 for 2 against top seeded OSU wrestlers in the final session of the Big 10's
12-2 dual meet record including 6 wins over top 20 teams Northwestern, Rutgers, Minnesota, Purdue, Northern Iowa and Cornell
125 is a top tier NCAA guy top 8
133 is a work in progress who will have a great chance to improve
141 has potential but give the guy some more time, he is young
149 great transfer and a great chance to AA and possibly very high
157 is a hard worker and good team guy
165 is a stud in waiting thought the time is now. High AA
174 filled a spot and was a good dual guy
184 see above
197 is a work in progress but has potential
HWT is having a mystery year but is also a gamer so.......
Let's give the guys some time. Last fall I remember seeing post that Amos was or could be a top 5 or 3 guy at the NCAA. Boy with how tough the NCAA are that was a monster out on the limb. I wondered if he could even be top 5 in the big 10.
Amos has an incredible skill level but in the past year he was training freestyle/Greco. That is great but where is the top/bottom position work being done. That is a learned skill that only comes in a college room. Looking back at the season you could see some struggles in those 2 spots. Not saying Amos can devolpe but training freestyle and Greco only takes away some valuable mat time. Also he competed at 213 pounds and the cut down for an entire college season becomes very difficult especially taking some losses and injuries plus managing your weight.
I think in todays world of instant success we forget or get mad when this freshman arent the second coming of so and so. Burroughs took some time to place/win the NCAA. So has many also. Trevor brandvold comes to mind. Once he got his wheels under him and at a weight he was comfortable at he had an outstanding career as has many of the past Badger greats. Just give these guys some time and I do see this as a fun team that is on the up swing. Much different than the last few years of Davis.
That is a positive outlook but really focuses on 3 of our 10 wrestlers, one of which is a transfer.
Do you really think we will get 3 wild cards? I don't.
The Big Ten is brutal so placing 9th is still impressive and qualifying for the national tournament is impressive.
The team overall came up big at times to have a great dual season.
Individually all you can do is evaluate on their expectations. Can't expect that every wrestler can place top 5 in Big Tens.
8th as a team in the Big Ten is about where I think most expected UW to be.
125- Seeded 3rd, finished 2nd (+1)- Did not beat anyone seeded higher and did not lose to anyone seeded lower
133- Seeded 11th, finished 11th (Even)- Beat #10, did not lose to anyone seeded lower
141- Seeded 8th, finished ? (-1)- Did not beat anyone seeded higher but did lose to #10
149- Seeded 2nd, finished 1st (+1)- Beat #1 seed
157- Seeded 7th, finished 7th (even) Beat #6 seed, Lost to #10 seed (should not have been a #10 seed)
165- Seeded 3rd, finished 3rd (even)- beat #1 seed,
174- Seeded 11th, finished 10th (+1), beat #10 seed
184- Seeded 11th, finished 12th after two Medical forfeits (-1)- beat #6 seed, lost to #12 seed
197- Seeded 8th, finished 10th after medical forfeit (-2), lost to #9
285- Seeded 7th, finished 9th (-2), lost to #9
https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/7562356-every-ranked-wrestler-not-qualified-for-ncaasyet Take a look at this. I originally thought three wildcards was unlikely as well, but after looking at these lists for those three weight classes, and looking at the resumes for this season of those wrestlers and their results against each other, I think there's a pretty good chance all three Badgers get in.
Quote from: fastnfurious on March 07, 2022, 04:54:14 PM
https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/7562356-every-ranked-wrestler-not-qualified-for-ncaasyet Take a look at this. I originally thought three wildcards was unlikely as well, but after looking at these lists for those three weight classes, and looking at the resumes for this season of those wrestlers and their results against each other, I think there's a pretty good chance all three Badgers get in.
Agreed, I thought Zargo was in easy, Burwick would be close and McNally was out but after digging in Zargo should be in but not easy with 3 tops guys not wrestling in. Burwick looks like somewhere between 2nd and 5th for 4 spots depending on they look at it. Much tougher schedule than any of them, a win over a qualifier (Gliva), most of his losses to qualifiers and a win over LaJoie from Cornell who he is competing with for a spot. McNally split with Shannon but won most recently which should put him in the 4 spot out of 4. That is assuming Foca and O'Reilly can go. Foca got a concussion so tough to know if he can recover in time and I do not know the status of O'Reilly.
I could be wrong, but it seems like over the past few years we've always pulled for some wildcards and ended up disappointed. Given the incredible toughness of the Big 10, I think any of them could make an impact so it would be nice to see any or all of them get in. I am hoping for the best (all 3) but expecting the worst.
Quote from: vsmf2010 on March 07, 2022, 02:15:55 PM
Quote from: DocWrestling on March 07, 2022, 09:31:38 AM
Not saying this is right or wrong
Coming into the season everyone expected more out of McNally, Weiler, and Amos. All were below expectations
I think all were hoping for another step from Hilger- He has underperformed any preseason expectations
Burwick and Model did about what I expected so met expectations
Zargo has probably slightly exceeded expectations
Barnett and Gomez have exceeded expectations
Hamiti has greatly exceeded expectations.
Not saying preseason excitement and expectations are right but really only 3 guys exceeded expectations. I still like Bono better than Davis on the mat and off the mat in terms of coaching style and all the intangibles the program needs. Younger was better.
Placing only 4 wrestlers in the top 8 at Big Tens was below my expectations
I offer another perspective.
7 qualifiers with a shot at all 10
Likely 3 top 5 seeds at the NCAA's
3 top 3 at the Big 10's
2 Finalists
Same # of Big 10 champs as Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern
More champs than Ohio St, Nebraska, and Rutgers
2 for 2 against top seeded OSU wrestlers in the final session of the Big 10's
12-2 dual meet record including 6 wins over top 20 teams Northwestern, Rutgers, Minnesota, Purdue, Northern Iowa and Cornell
This is how I see it as well! Great season and looking to finish strong at NCAA's. I love this team, the coaching staff, and the fan support.
Quote from: Harris on March 07, 2022, 07:36:19 PM
Quote from: vsmf2010 on March 07, 2022, 02:15:55 PM
Quote from: DocWrestling on March 07, 2022, 09:31:38 AM
Not saying this is right or wrong
Coming into the season everyone expected more out of McNally, Weiler, and Amos. All were below expectations
I think all were hoping for another step from Hilger- He has underperformed any preseason expectations
Burwick and Model did about what I expected so met expectations
Zargo has probably slightly exceeded expectations
Barnett and Gomez have exceeded expectations
Hamiti has greatly exceeded expectations.
Not saying preseason excitement and expectations are right but really only 3 guys exceeded expectations. I still like Bono better than Davis on the mat and off the mat in terms of coaching style and all the intangibles the program needs. Younger was better.
Placing only 4 wrestlers in the top 8 at Big Tens was below my expectations
I offer another perspective.
7 qualifiers with a shot at all 10
Likely 3 top 5 seeds at the NCAA's
3 top 3 at the Big 10's
2 Finalists
Same # of Big 10 champs as Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern
More champs than Ohio St, Nebraska, and Rutgers
2 for 2 against top seeded OSU wrestlers in the final session of the Big 10's
12-2 dual meet record including 6 wins over top 20 teams Northwestern, Rutgers, Minnesota, Purdue, Northern Iowa and Cornell
This is how I see it as well! Great season and looking to finish strong at NCAA's. I love this team, the coaching staff, and the fan support.
I really love this team too. I have been watching Badger wrestling a long long time and this my favorite team to watch ever! I love how they get after it, compete and support each other!
Also just in case anyone forgot. Last years squad was 12th at the Big Ten tournament qualified 3 and got 1 at large bid (Barnett).
7 to 10 this year in a historically difficult year due to the extra Covid eligibility. That is with only 2 super seniors. Iowa has 5, Michigan has 4 etc...
Quote from: vsmf2010 on March 07, 2022, 09:34:37 PM
Quote from: Harris on March 07, 2022, 07:36:19 PM
Quote from: vsmf2010 on March 07, 2022, 02:15:55 PM
Quote from: DocWrestling on March 07, 2022, 09:31:38 AM
Not saying this is right or wrong
Coming into the season everyone expected more out of McNally, Weiler, and Amos. All were below expectations
I think all were hoping for another step from Hilger- He has underperformed any preseason expectations
Burwick and Model did about what I expected so met expectations
Zargo has probably slightly exceeded expectations
Barnett and Gomez have exceeded expectations
Hamiti has greatly exceeded expectations.
Not saying preseason excitement and expectations are right but really only 3 guys exceeded expectations. I still like Bono better than Davis on the mat and off the mat in terms of coaching style and all the intangibles the program needs. Younger was better.
Placing only 4 wrestlers in the top 8 at Big Tens was below my expectations
I offer another perspective.
7 qualifiers with a shot at all 10
Likely 3 top 5 seeds at the NCAA's
3 top 3 at the Big 10's
2 Finalists
Same # of Big 10 champs as Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern
More champs than Ohio St, Nebraska, and Rutgers
2 for 2 against top seeded OSU wrestlers in the final session of the Big 10's
12-2 dual meet record including 6 wins over top 20 teams Northwestern, Rutgers, Minnesota, Purdue, Northern Iowa and Cornell
This is how I see it as well! Great season and looking to finish strong at NCAA's. I love this team, the coaching staff, and the fan support.
I really love this team too. I have been watching Badger wrestling a long long time and this my favorite team to watch ever! I love how they get after it, compete and support each other!
Also just in case anyone forgot. Last years squad was 12th at the Big Ten tournament qualified 3 and got 1 at large bid (Barnett).
7 to 10 this year in a historically difficult year due to the extra Covid eligibility. That is with only 2 super seniors. Iowa has 5, Michigan has 4 etc...
Great perspective on the growth.
A little context and perspective on the Badgers' 2021-22 season
No one should celebrate eighth place in the B1G meet but one should consider it a big improvement on 12th place from a year ago. One should also consider that UW finished in eighth in the conference meet three straight seasons in a row from 2015-2017 in the twilight of the Davis regime. This time around UW not only had a conference champion (the first since Isaac Jordan won back-to-backs in 2015-16) but also the meet's Most Outstanding Wrestler in Austin Gomez and the Freshman of the Year as well in D.J. Hamiti. The team was also 12-2 in dual meets and beat some tough competition in doing so while the dual meet records from 2016-18 were so-so.
Obviously the difference is the context between a coaching staff trying to build a program in its fourth season and coach who had been in charge since 1994. While that coach, Barry Davis, is the winningest all-time in UW history, coached his fair share of All-Americans and B1G champions and deserves of a lot more respect around here than he gets, it shows the big difference between being old and being new.
Wisconsin has never won an NCAA or B1G title as a team in wrestling and even with a new coach it should plainly obvious its darn difficult to do especially when your outside the top four group right now of Michigan, Penn State, Iowa and Ohio State. Northwestern had a heck of a tournament, as good as they could probably do given their limited resources, but UW beat Northwestern in dual. They also beat Minnesota and lost to Nebraska. They finished fourth in the league's dual meet standings at 6-2 ahead of Northwestern, Ohio State, Minnesota and Nebraska. That means it's basically a wash. Wrestling can be a funny sport given the difference between dual meet success and team success but it is what it is and for Wisconsin, this season at least, they were set-up more for duals success.
Of course, that doesn't excuse the fact the program is still vulnerable to having bad outings as a team during meets like the B1G or NCAA's. I remember in Coach Bono's first season they had a horrible Sunday at the B1G meet that year and it basically cost them a potential fourth place finish. Instead they finished seventh. Better showings by our upper weight wrestlers in 2022 could have meant fifth place but once a again a bad round kills that. The good programs, maybe one wrestler has a bad day or a bad session, okay, but not the whole fricken team! That's what UW still has to fix. Bottom line is, when you have more wrestlers competing for ninth place than first through eighth place, you're not going to score that many points. To get 68 was probably a miracle.
And yet, what are we arguing about here, the difference between fifth and eighth place? Yeah, well it just goes to show UW is still a middle of the pack program, different coaches notwithstanding. But what gives me hope is that a program like Michigan, which was also in the middle pack a few years ago, rose to the top for the first time in 50 years. Ohio State was no great shakes for many seasons until Tom Ryan got there and cranked things up. We know Coach Bono is a very good recruiter and he what he needs to do is continue to get that talent into the room and hope they stay eligible, healthy and motivated to continue to get better and not burned out after 4-5 years. I wondered about that, especially after 2019 given the talent they had on paper and then finishing ninth in the B1G meet. But given the young talent they have now and how they've wrestled the past month and just the exciting things they're doing as a program, hopefully a Top 15 finish nationally and a few All-Americans at nationals is in store and it will be a great way to cap the season.
Barnett, Gomez, and Hamiti are all studs who have several more years here. Huge pieces to build around. Zargo and Amos habe shown good promise and hopefilly they will surprise at NCAAs. For ehatever reason. Amos has lost every close match against top guys in folkstyle. Hopefully he can figure that out. Surprisingly, since he is so good at greco and freestyle, he has really struggled to get a taketown in folkstyle against top 15 guys. I think he will figure it out eventually, just a matter of when.
174-hwt have not gone as planned, but they still have a chance to finish strong.
Quote from: wrestlemania on March 08, 2022, 12:51:51 PM
A little context and perspective on the Badgers' 2021-22 season
No one should celebrate eighth place in the B1G meet but one should consider it a big improvement on 12th place from a year ago. One should also consider that UW finished in eighth in the conference meet three straight seasons in a row from 2015-2017 in the twilight of the Davis regime. This time around UW not only had a conference champion (the first since Isaac Jordan won back-to-backs in 2015-16) but also the meet's Most Outstanding Wrestler in Austin Gomez and the Freshman of the Year as well in D.J. Hamiti. The team was also 12-2 in dual meets and beat some tough competition in doing so while the dual meet records from 2016-18 were so-so.
Obviously the difference is the context between a coaching staff trying to build a program in its fourth season and coach who had been in charge since 1994. While that coach, Barry Davis, is the winningest all-time in UW history, coached his fair share of All-Americans and B1G champions a deserves a inappropriate term3 of a lot more respect around here than he gets, it shows the big difference between being old and being new.
Wisconsin has never won an NCAA or B1G title as a team in wrestling and even with a new coach it should plainly obvious its darn difficult to do especially when your outside the top four group right now of Michigan, Penn State, Iowa and Ohio State. Northwestern had a inappropriate term3 of a tournament, as good as they could probably do given their limited resources but UW beat Northwestern in dual. They also beat Minnesota and lost to Nebraska. They finished fourth in the league's dual meet standings at 6-2 ahead of Northwestern, Ohio State, Minnesota and Nebraska. That means its basically a wash. Wrestling can be a funny sport given the difference between dual meet success and team success but it is what it is and for Wisconsin, this season at least, they were set-up more for duals success.
Of course, that doesn't excuse the fact the program is still vulnerable to having bad outings as a team during meets like the B1G or NCAA's. I remember in Coach Bono's first season they had a horrible Sunday at the B1G meet that year and basically cost them a potential fourth place finish. Instead they finished seventh. Better showings by our upper weight wrestlers in 2022 could have meant fifth place but once a again a bad round kills that. The good programs, maybe one wrestler has a bad day or a bad session, okay but not the whole fricken team! That's what UW still has to fix. Bottom line is, when you have more wrestlers competing for ninth place than first through seventh place, you're not going to score many points. To get 68 was probably a miracle.
And yet, what are we arguing about here, the difference between fifth and eighth place? Yeah, well it just goes to show UW is still a middle of the pack program, different coaches notwithstanding. But what gives me hope is that a program like Michigan, which was also in the middle pack a few years ago, rose to the top for the first time in 50 years. Ohio State was no great shakes for many seasons until Tom Ryan got there and cranked things up. We know Coach Bono is a very good recruiter and he what he needs to do is continue to get that talent into the room and hope they stay eligible, healthy and motivated to continue to get better and not burned out after 4-5 years. I wondered about that, especially after 2019 given the talent they had on paper and then finishing ninth in the B1G meet. But given the young talent they have and how they've wrestled the past month and just the exciting things they're doing as a program, hopefully a Top 15 finish and a few All-Americans at nationals is in store and it will be a great way to cap the season.
I'm excited about the Badgers for two reasons. They've got the type of guys on this team who will still be around for a few years who have the right type of mentality, who are attacking, looking to score. That often rubs off on other guys. Hamiti obviously, but also Gomez and EB who can grind out the tough matches.
Zarago has a lot of upside as far as I can tell, Amos certainly does. We've got a couple of blue chippers coming in this year in Rivera and Rowley(that Coy could be a big dark horse). Certainly a couple other very good recruits and Clark is in the '23 class, so already that's a big win.
But the Badgers potential to elevate this program to the level Michigan was able to reach, it's going to need them to create a wall around the state and...it doesn't have to be waterproof, but you can't let guys like Sinclair, Hopke, Milard, those Mirasola brothers(I could see them being really dangerous 84/97 combo assuming they want to Wrestle in college). The Arrowhead kids Duchateau, Mulvaney, who...despite a pretty convincing defeat at the hands of Sinclair, he looked Dang impressive to me. And looks like he's going to grind and those two are So and Jr respectively.
I'm missing a lot of kids, I know that, I didn't even want to go down the list because there are probably a dozen kids out here or parents who'd complain and they'd be justified. The kid at 132, Aure...what I saw from him, he looked like he ran out of gas a little, but when you're down and you've gotta go all out the final 30 and take shot after shot and then you manage to pull it out with incredible feel and quickness...I get he lost it in OT, but that's a kid who looks like there's a LOT to work with. Empey. He lost to a little guy. So what. Vitto had an incredible game plan, but Empey has better feet than most HWTs, I can only imagine this loss is going to just light a fire and he's already a solid 260-270 and doesn't look like there's much fat on there. He's well put together.
But...don't wanna get off topic too much. I like what Bono is doing...I would assume he'd be active in the transfer portal again. But what we're pumping out in state should make the Transfer Portal utilized for specific needs after you build that lineup with your 4-5 year guys who are going to grow, develop, and should have at least one crossover year with the three studs we have at the moment who look like they're headed to high AA finishes. I'm drooling of a EB/Rivera/Clark/Duchateau/Milard/Hamiti/Sinclair/Rowley/Kopkey/Amos/Empey...core.
I know it won't work out like that, those kids weights are going to change and they'll get bigger in most cases, but there's a LOT of talent right there.
So, bottom line, I gave Barry Davis a lot of passes as we just didn't turn out a lot of D1 talent. That is no longer the case as we're cranking out studs pretty regularly. So for all the good Bono is doing, and again, there's a lot. The difference between middle of the B1G and trophies...will be building a NON-LITERAL wall around this state.
It was 2016 or 2017 and my family and I decided to go watch the Purdue/Wisconsin dual. We had never attended a collegiate dual and my expectations were that it would be raucous and energetic.
It was almost silent and sadly--boring. There may have been 100 people there. As a wrestling fan, my disappointment was high. Who would want to wrestle in this environment?
Fast forward to Bono's first year. He had the fieldhouse booming (I believe there were 4,000 plus there) for the last dual of the year against Iowa. Before the dual there was an awesome tribute on the career of Eli Stickley. Unfortunately, the team got creamed. Hilger scored our only team points with a ride out of the Iowa HWT to win 1-0 and a final team score of something like 31-3.
And then the question came to me again, "Who would want wrestle in this environment?". The reflection and hope on this question was starkly different from the first time I asked myself it after the Purdue dual.
Anybody that has been to the Feildhouse now should believe that a recruit is going to look at WI as an opportunity to wrestle in an exciting and growing program. Success breeds success. And IMHO, this last year was a success.
Excellent post kabrvi! And that's the difference right now. More people are excited and enthused about UW wrestling right now than and that's a credit to Bono and his salesmanship abilities. In time, hopefully talent translate into more success and thus more excitement and the train will keep on rolling!
context of '22
21 vs 22 Big Ten:
25 10th to 2nd
33 5th to 11th
57 10th to 7th
84 7th to 9th
H 5th to 12th
one great job, not so good on three
Different wrestlers at
41 14th to 9th
49 12th to 1st
65 14th to 3rd
74 12th to 10th
97 14th to 10th
Headed in the right direction with all five here
As a team went from 12th to 8th, from 30.5 points to 68 points, big improvement as a team.
So the bottom line is? The guys added helped elevate but the development does not look to be there. Something is still missing but the three freshmen looked good.
Lets see what the measurements look like after this weekend.
How can you say that there isn't improvement.
Returning guys Barnett and Model didn't improve?
New guys:
Zargo was a grey shirt last year: he was no where close to this last year.
Hamiti was a SR in HS, now an AA.
There are a lot of guys wrestling this year that did not last year, all of the IVY plus individuals like Wick.
Big Oil did I say there was no improvement? I looked at it as big improvement as a team but opportunity to improve. Sounds like most the coaches I had.
I think we can measure now, three AA is an improvement. Not qualifiers is an improvement. The upper weights and 33 are the ones I would like to see improve next year and I think we will. Wonder how many of the seniors will return for their extra year?
[[/b]quote author=dad 2 5 link=topic=58615.msg670167#msg670167 date=1647549135]
So the bottom line is? The guys added helped elevate but the development does not look to be there. Something is still missing but the three freshmen looked good.
Lets see what the measurements look like after this weekend.
[/quote]
I don't think I misconstrued your words, you said the development does not look to be there.
Quote from: bigoil on March 19, 2022, 10:32:52 PM
[[/b]quote author=dad 2 5 link=topic=58615.msg670167#msg670167 date=1647549135]
So the bottom line is? The guys added helped elevate but the development does not look to be there. Something is still missing but the three freshmen looked good.
Lets see what the measurements look like after this weekend.
I don't think I misconstrued your words, you said the development does not look to be there.
[/quote]
Seems to me you guys are stuck on "improvement," vs the "development," of the Wrestlers. I see what he was saying...but also it's a little unfair when you look at someone like Hillger, and he's the guy who "regressed" the most when the HWT division this year was just insane.
But this team clearly improved. Are they developing the Wrestlers in the room as well as they could/should be? I have no idea and I think this is a bad year to judge that.
But the improvement this year came primarily from guys who weren't' here last year in Gomez and Hamiti...and to a lesser degree Amos.
Quote from: Vir Fortis on March 20, 2022, 08:33:41 AM
Quote from: bigoil on March 19, 2022, 10:32:52 PM
[[/b]quote author=dad 2 5 link=topic=58615.msg670167#msg670167 date=1647549135]
So the bottom line is? The guys added helped elevate but the development does not look to be there. Something is still missing but the three freshmen looked good.
Lets see what the measurements look like after this weekend.
I don't think I misconstrued your words, you said the development does not look to be there.
Seems to me you guys are stuck on "improvement," vs the "development," of the Wrestlers. I see what he was saying...but also it's a little unfair when you look at someone like Hillger, and he's the guy who "regressed" the most when the HWT division this year was just insane.
But this team clearly improved. Are they developing the Wrestlers in the room as well as they could/should be? I have no idea and I think this is a bad year to judge that.
But the improvement this year came primarily from guys who weren't' here last year in Gomez and Hamiti...and to a lesser degree Amos.
[/quote]
I would add Zargo to that list. I think he may have improved more than anyone. I also think Barnett is a much better wrestler this year than he was last year.