Serious Questions for Wisconsin Fans

wrestlinglife1 · March 17, 2016, 11:53:02 PM

I want to start out by saying I am a lifelong Wisconsin Fan.

I would be preaching to the choir if I said that things aren't right with University of Wisconsin Wrestling. I am a fan of the things that Mitch Hall has done with the program since arriving. I absolutely love Trevor Brandvold and Kyle Ruschell. 2 of my absolutely favorite guys just to hang with and talk to. Barry has always been a great dude ANYTIME I have ever talked to him. Very respectful. Asked me permission on multiple occasions to correct and coach my Kids.
BUT....Something is obviously off. As I watch Brad (Ryan) Taylor take a loss to a kid he just beat...bad, and as I think about I-Jordan melting down at last year's NCAA's, and of course as I watch the other kids from UW take losses in the NCAA's....I get to thinking. How can LJ Bentley beat up Jimenez so bad? In high school, that might have been a tech fall for Jimenez. Would Tyler Graff have been a National Champ at least once for any other School? Cael Sanderson seems to think so, as do others. What about Al Dehringer? Would he be a National Champ if he chose Wisconsin, or would Jesse be a National Champ had he chose OK State? Howe says Donny Pritzlaff is the reason he was a National Champ. Jared Frayer told us he Loved Wisconsin and never wanted to leave.....

If Isaac Jordan doesn't become a National Champ after Al D. is gone, what then? Do things get changed then?

sudden_victory · March 18, 2016, 01:08:45 AM

What impressed me most about Isaac's tournament last year was beating a guy in the conso quarterfinal who had pinned him 3 weeks earlier. So I don't think an All American is a meltdown. The rest of your message has been gone over infinite times.

jaguarwrestler · March 18, 2016, 07:29:41 AM

No one doubts that BD is a good/nice guy... he is and we know he loves the sport

I think his issues are motivation (getting guys to peak when it counts) and recruiting.

Remember we always have next year

wrestlinglife1 · March 18, 2016, 07:42:08 AM

Meltdown was definitely not the right word to use. I personally thought he did not Wrestle to his potential and should have been in the finals. Hopefully he can make that happen this weekend and find redemption.

Kodonnelllaw · March 18, 2016, 08:04:22 AM

Quote from: wrestlinglife1 on March 17, 2016, 11:53:02 PM
I want to start out by saying I am a lifelong Wisconsin Fan.

I would be preaching to the choir if I said that things aren't right with University of Wisconsin Wrestling. I am a fan of the things that Mitch Hall has done with the program since arriving. I absolutely love Trevor Brandvold and Kyle Ruschell. 2 of my absolutely favorite guys just to hang with and talk to. Barry has always been a great dude ANYTIME I have ever talked to him. Very respectful. Asked me permission on multiple occasions to correct and coach my Kids.
BUT....Something is obviously off. As I watch Brad (Ryan) Taylor take a loss to a kid he just beat...bad, and as I think about I-Jordan melting down at last year's NCAA's, and of course as I watch the other kids from UW take losses in the NCAA's....I get to thinking. How can LJ Bentley beat up Jimenez so bad? In high school, that might have been a tech fall for Jimenez. Would Tyler Graff have been a National Champ at least once for any other School? Cael Sanderson seems to think so, as do others. What about Al Dehringer? Would he be a National Champ if he chose Wisconsin, or would Jesse be a National Champ had he chose OK State? Howe says Donny Pritzlaff is the reason he was a National Champ. Jared Frayer told us he Loved Wisconsin and never wanted to leave.....

If Isaac Jordan doesn't become a National Champ after Al D. is gone, what then? Do things get changed then?

That's why I posted the topic within the last month. Please tell me who has become a better wrestler in the UW room as a result of the UW coaching. I just don't see it from a stats perspective. Pure stats. No Barry Davis hate or love in the numbers. If the stats show they are improving them, GREAT. If the stats show they are not, PROBLEM.

JMO

hammen · March 18, 2016, 08:07:52 AM

Quote from: wrestlinglife1 on March 18, 2016, 07:42:08 AM
Meltdown was definitely not the right word to use. I personally thought he did not Wrestle to his potential and should have been in the finals. Hopefully he can make that happen this weekend and find redemption.

Beating a very tough and funky guy like Walsh that many times without taking a loss is extremely difficult. It's just unfortunate it happened at NCAAs. You act like he lost to some random guy.

This is a very uninformed topic.

Brett Favre - R.I.P. · March 18, 2016, 08:20:34 AM

Didn't take Hammen long to come to Barry's defense.
Taylor showed no sense of urgency in round 2 last night. Wasn't surprised by any of the other results. Dissappointed, yes, but not surprised.
Yes Trevor and Kyle are great guys and good coaches but they are on a bus that is headed nowhere, fast. The driver of the bus needs to resign next Monday and give the program a chance to survive. If things get much worse I can see UW getting rid of wrestling. Barry and Barry are both to blame.

Just as a side note, I see Pritzlaff's last two teams are well ahead of the Badgers.

sudden_victory · March 18, 2016, 08:31:09 AM

The repeated disappointment over "next year" is from overrated recruits, including a fan favorite who isn't returning next year. Ironically, next year should really be that idyllic season with two national champions and at least one more AA. Barry Davis isn't going to retire until after that.

Mike Moreno was the #2 seed last year and "should" have made the finals. He didn't even finish in the top 8.

I hate auto correct.

hammen · March 18, 2016, 08:35:03 AM

Looks like Rutgers is also averaging 1 point per wrestler after Day 1.

billymurphy · March 18, 2016, 08:47:41 AM

Based on last year, it certainly looked
like the Badgers had three total studs coming back (Taylor, Jordan, Medbery)
and a very talented Robertson.

Medbery qualified for an Olympic redshirt(impressive) and
Robertson cuts down to 174 and is now very easy to beat.
I wanted to see improvement, not a huge step back in the development of Robertson.
And Taylor losing that match yesterday makes me strongly wonder if that was a case of Penn State being better coached.
But for sure, next years team should be the in the top 2 teams Barry Davis has ever coached at Wisconsin.
What happens the year after Taylor, Jordan and Medbery graduate is what concerns me.

jaguarwrestler · March 18, 2016, 08:47:51 AM

Quote from: Brett Favre on March 18, 2016, 08:20:34 AM
Didn't take Hammen long to come to Barry's defense.
Taylor showed no sense of urgency in round 2 last night. Wasn't surprised by any of the other results. Dissappointed, yes, but not surprised.
Yes Trevor and Kyle are great guys and good coaches but they are on a bus that is headed nowhere, fast. The driver of the bus needs to resign next Monday and give the program a chance to survive. If things get much worse I can see UW getting rid of wrestling. Barry and Barry are both to blame.

Just as a side note, I see Pritzlaff's last two teams are well ahead of the Badgers.

Are the assistants good coaches? I mean good enough to make the team better... not trying to be rude but it is an honest question considering they are also responsible for recruiting and team success. Both been there 4 years I believe and we have gone down if you compare it to the last 4 years of St. Don. Counting this year our average finish the last 4 years at the NCAA is about 21st... outside of Hammen, who is OK with that? If Barry ever steps down I'm not sure TB should just get the spot, we need to bring in the best available coach.

jaguarwrestler · March 18, 2016, 08:57:09 AM

Quote from: hammen on March 18, 2016, 08:35:03 AM
Looks like Rutgers is also averaging 1 point per wrestler after Day 1.

I'm glad we are now basing our success on how Rutgers does... a team that shouldn't even be in our league based on their last decade of wrestling. Dieringer has more points than our entire team.

leg turk · March 18, 2016, 08:58:46 AM

Eaves just got fired!!!!!!!! Look at what Alvarez said.

"I like Mike and I respect Mike," Alvarez said. "All those things play into it. That's what makes it very hard.

"These are never easy decisions, but I've got a responsibility to the university, to our fans and to everyone else. It's just not acceptable at Wisconsin to have a hockey program in this state where we are right now."

http://www.uwbadgers.com/news/2016/3/18/alvarez-change-of-direction-needed-for-mens-hockey.aspx

hammen · March 18, 2016, 09:07:42 AM

Calm down jag. That fact was for old man Brett.

DocWrestling · March 18, 2016, 09:17:57 AM

There is never a good time to fire a coach who is obviously a good mentor and likely knows his wrestling as much as anyone. Not going to be any easier when people say Alavarez and Davis are close.

BUT... this is is a top 20 program and can be top 10 and a change is going to have to happen at some point either with firing, resignation, or retirement.

If I was Alvarez...
1) If Alvarez has so much respect for Davis as a friend and coach and does not want to cross that then Alvarez can simply say Davis stays at least as long as Alvarez does which is likely only a year or two at the most before he retires. Let the new AD deal with his friend?
2) If you were ever going to fire Davis, next week would be the best time in my mind. You hire a new coach and no matter who that coach is the team is going to be more successful next year than it has in the past few years. That will be solely because of the talent coming back next year. That success combined with a new coach could be a real springboard for the program. Otherwise you keep Davis for next year and they will be better and after next year it will be much tougher to fire him based on results.

In conclusion, If Davis is the coach next year (and I expect he will be) then he will be until a new AD is hired and does something or Davis retires.