IT IS TIME! – Badgers Ready for Big Ten Championships by Kirk Nelson

[onwisconsin]

Congrats Austin.  So fun to watch.  Multiple attack options on his feet.   

[Ghetto]

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.

[ankle pick]

Hamiti with the overtime win 4-2, for 3rd! Very nice!!

[wrestlemania]

Hamiti with the overtime win in the third place match at 165!

[onwisconsin]

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.

[onwisconsin]

DJ is so fun to watch now.  Just wait til he gets stronger. 

[Harris]

It's a great day to be a Badger!  Awesome job today.

[PAUL]

I think that there are Badgers with an outside but legitimate chance to make the finals in Detroit.

[1Iota]

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. 

[vsmf2010]

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.

[Harris]

DJ Hamiti Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Austin Gomez Co-Outstanding Wrestler for the Big Ten Tournament

[Chinpin]

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.

[tex]

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.

[tigerking]

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.

[Vir Fortis]

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...