Badgers Excited to Battle at Big Tens | Kirk Nelson

[wrastle63]

Agree with everyone on the disappointment of not pulling out a few of those close matches. But even on a good day with Barnett, Model, and Krattiger placing we would be around 10th. As fans we always want improvement from the year prior, but the next two years will show if Bono and Co. are on the right track. Those will be year 4 and 5 and he should have had ample opportunity to recruit, train, and develop his guys. Not going to do the next year thing continually like what happened in the Barry era. There are horses in the stable as others mentioned with Wick and Amos. Hamiti is an elite recruit, but won't say he is an AA type guy right away. The key with Wick and Amos is they fill spots where we have got very minimal production this year. You go from being seeded 14 at Big Tens to top 2 with Wick and top 5-6 for sure with Amos.

Even with a bad day: AQ- Burwick, Weiler, and Hillger. At Large- Barnett should get one as he is the 2nd highest ranked guy to not get an AQ. Sharenbrock is on the outside I think. Model should get in if he can win this morning. Krattiger has to beat Soehnlen who he beat 3-2 in the dual. Im predicting 6 qualifiers with Barnett, Model, and Krattiger making it.

[Wisconsin Wrestling Fan]

Just re-watched the Burwick / Dryden match

In Burwick's relentless pursuit of the victory,

Kyle was in on Dryden's legs 13 times
Kyle forced 3 stalling calls and earned 2 points
Kyle finally scored on his last shot with 5 seconds remaining for the 4-3 win!
This is not counting the times he shot in and did not get in on the legs...

While many can paint a gray, gloomy vision of the present and future, this match personified what Bono preaches..

hustle, effort , attitude ... desire, grit...determination...

Overall, I believe the cup is half full, not half empty...

[neutral]

If I'm not mistaken ... Howe left under Barry (and should have been his replacement) - so how's it any different if Wick leaves under Bono ... (but I sure hope he doesn't).

I realize we want to see more right out of the gate from underclassmen - but they can develop ... and an infusion of talent in the room (at any weight(s)) will help.  The vast majority of the starters have at least 2 years of eligibility left ... plus next year's recruits ... 

I say give it, at least, another year before continuing with this level of harshness.

Any ideas of assistant coach changes that would be helpful?

[wrastle63]

If I'm not mistaken ... Howe left under Barry (and should have been his replacement) - so how's it any different if Wick leaves under Bono ... (but I sure hope he doesn't).

I realize we want to see more right out of the gate from underclassmen - but they can develop ... and an infusion of talent in the room (at any weight(s)) will help.  The vast majority of the starters have at least 2 years of eligibility left ... plus next year's recruits ... 

I say give it, at least, another year before continuing with this level of harshness.

Any ideas of assistant coach changes that would be helpful?

Who are you going to get that are better than Reader and Gross? They both have a ton to bring to the table. The only thing I wish they had was the volunteer assistant spot to add another high level coach to the group preferably someone from outside the group that would bring different ideas.

[The Legend]

Being a really good wrestler has nothing to do with being a really good coach.  You ask who can they bring in?   A coach who teaches wrestling technique and they don't dump him after 2 years to bring in "their guy"

[wrestlemania]

Thanks npope, appreciate the kind words.

"While many can paint a gray, gloomy vision of the present and future, this match personified what Bono preaches...hustle, effort , attitude ... desire, grit...determination..."!

That's great! Now when this seeps down to the other members of the team we might have something here.

I want you to name me the coach who preaches apathy, laziness, selfishness, narcisissm, deviousness and defeatism. Because I tell you what, I'm going to give him a gold medal for honesty. You think Olympic medalist and Big Ten champion Barry Davis never preached "hustle, effort , attitude ... desire, grit...determination..." as a coach? Come on! Who doesn't?

Platitudes are fine but that's not what feeds the bulldog, not when everyone is saying the same thing. What builds a championship program is obviously talent, but talent that is able to get better (not plateau or regress) in four/five years, able to learn new things and performs consistently at a high level in spite of the fact as human beings we never always do.

And what makes a championship team in college wrestling is not having 10 gold medalists, but having 10 All-Americans. That what Iowa and Oklahoma State do, that what all the good teams do and some of those wrestlers are not all going to be your junior level studs but those who prove it in the highest crucible of competition in the B1G and the NCAAs. The great UW teams of the late 1970s and early 80s at least were structured to produce 10 All Americans even if they didn't do so. It wasn't just Kemp but all those that were in that wrestling room and got better over four years and eventually became All-Americans even if they didn't do this and that before they got to college.

I looked over those past NCAA and Big Ten results too npope and it confirmed to me just how snakebit UW's program is. Iowa was really, really good (and still is) but not just because they had champions. Some years they didn't. But they Dang made sure to have place winners and that's what matters. You get 10 of those and probably going to finish in top four, probably even win it. UW just couldn't keep up and it didn't help when they had seeded wrestlers get upset in the first round of the national tournament. Still, and I think you and I both agree its the way a college program should be run and can still be so even with a limit on numbers. As I said, 35 wrestlers would be ideal in this day and age and having a tournament like the Northern Open once again, why not? 

[wrestlemania]

Being a really good wrestler has nothing to do with being a really good coach.  You ask who can they bring in?   A coach who teaches wrestling technique and they don't dump him after 2 years to bring in "their guy"

Boy I tell you what, this thing with McDonough is going to prove to be as much millstone around the Bono regime's neck as Donny Pritzlaff was around Barry Davis'.  Obviously a head coach has the right to have who he wants on his staff but there are good and bad ways of doing so and when you go the bad route then you have to accept the consequences for your actions and how people outside the program perceive them.

[neutral]

Being a really good wrestler has nothing to do with being a really good coach.  You ask who can they bring in?   A coach who teaches wrestling technique and they don't dump him after 2 years to bring in "their guy"

understood - but being a good wrestler has a lot to do with having a good/well-rounded coaching staff ... as many as possible.

[Wisconsin Wrestling Fan]

Session 3 Badger Matchups

Consolation Semis

133 - Burwick vs Cannon (NW)

184 - Weiler vs Brands (IA) (Weiler's shoulder was wrapped during semis - wondering if he will wrestle today)

7th Place Match

285 - Hillger vs Luffman (ILL)  Lost to Luffman in the dual. Winner qualifies for NCAA's. Let's go Thor!

9th Place Bracket

125 - Barnett vs Cardini (ILL) lost to Cardini in the dual. Time for redemption!

157 - Model vs Baughman (IND)

174 - Krattiger vs Soehnlen (PUR) (or Spadafora (MD)?) Beat Soehnlen in the dual. Unclear why the cross bracket on Trackwrestling, unless they re-seed when there is an upset in the 9th place bracket.

If Barnett, Model and Krattiger win, they will wrestle again for 9th place.

[DocWrestling]

This team should be quite a bit better next year but still don't see them being a top 5 team in Big ten any time to soon

[Wisconsin Wrestling Fan]

Thanks npope, appreciate the kind words.

"While many can paint a gray, gloomy vision of the present and future, this match personified what Bono preaches...hustle, effort , attitude ... desire, grit...determination..."!

That's great! Now when this seeps down to the other members of the team we might have something here.

I want you to name me the coach who preaches apathy, laziness, selfishness, narcisissm, deviousness and defeatism. Because I tell you what, I'm going to give him a gold medal for honesty. You think Olympic medalist and Big Ten champion Barry Davis never preached "hustle, effort , attitude ... desire, grit...determination..." as a coach? Come on! Who doesn't?

Platitudes are fine but that's not what feeds the bulldog, not when everyone is saying the same thing. What builds a championship program is obviously talent, but talent that is able to get better (not plateau or regress) in four/five years, able to learn new things and performs consistently at a high level in spite of the fact as human beings we never always do.

And what makes a championship team in college wrestling is not having 10 gold medalists, but having 10 All-Americans. That what Iowa and Oklahoma State do, that what all the good teams do and some of those wrestlers are not all going to be your junior level studs but those who prove it in the highest crucible of competition in the B1G and the NCAAs. The great UW teams of the late 1970s and early 80s at least were structured to produce 10 All Americans even if they didn't do so. It wasn't just Kemp but all those that were in that wrestling room and got better over four years and eventually became All-Americans even if they didn't do this and that before they got to college.

I looked over those past NCAA and Big Ten results too npope and it confirmed to me just how snakebit UW's program is. Iowa was really, really good (and still is) but not just because they had champions. Some years they didn't. But they Dang made sure to have place winners and that's what matters. You get 10 of those and probably going to finish in top four, probably even win it. UW just couldn't keep up and it didn't help when they had seeded wrestlers get upset in the first round of the national tournament. Still, and I think you and I both agree its the way a college program should be run and can still be so even with a limit on numbers. As I said, 35 wrestlers would be ideal in this day and age and having a tournament like the Northern Open once again, why not?

I stand by everything I said and see a bright future for the Badgers. Chris Bono, Jon Reader and Seth Gross are great communicators. I believe that will ultimately pay dividends down the road in the Badgers success.

[Harris]

Bono can recruit (It's a good a thing because he doesn't teach technique!)
Guys on this team have gone backwards and yes Evan Wick has too.  You saw his decent last year.  Being out of the room a lot this year he has started to progress again. 

You have a Cross Country minded coach as a head coach of your wrestling team! That is tremendous early in the season when you can steal a few wins here and there and maybe a couple dual meets to build fan base and create that excitement.

If it were not for the 1 or 2 year transfers from other programs where would this team be?   
Teaching wrestling would be a great start!

Out of all the posts over the past few days, this one has really stuck in my head.  As a former football coach it really struck home.  When a coach depends on getting a few star athletes each year they run the risk of feast or famine.  If that top athlete leaves or gets hurt, it basically ruins the season and potentially ruins a few years.  If the star athlete has a negative attitude, so goes the attitude of the team.  Personally, I think consistency is best.  Learn how to coach up and develop every athlete so the rising tide lifts all ships.  If the coaching staff is not good at "teaching wrestling," I think that is a problem.  Even at this level athletes need a coach who can develop them physically, mentally, and with technique.  If numerous guys are going backwards every year, it's 100% on the coaching staff.  I don't remember the coaching staff pointing the finger at themselves yet in any of the social media posts.  If I was Bono, I would take all the blame for the setbacks and give all the praise for the success to the athletes.  It is great to always try to portray a "half full" attitude but that doesn't work when the wheels are falling off.  At some point, you have to address the elephant in the room.

I don't mind the "cross country" coach who tries to get the athletes in top shape but I do agree that some form of tapering before the end of the season is usually what most coaches strive for to prevent burn out and injuries.  I am not in the room so I don't know if that happens or not.  In addition, I find it hard to believe that 3 NCAA champion coaches can't "teach" wrestling but I have seen it before.  Just because you are good at recruiting and were a great athlete does not mean you will be a great coach.  I think the best coaches I have been around are the ones that have mastered the mental part of coaching versus the physical.  Can you develop an athletes mind?  I hate to jump on the Askren bandwagon but he seems to have this gift which is one of the things that sets him apart and the athletes seem to really connect with him which is another important success factor.  On the flip side, I think he is an entrepreneur by nature and think he would have a hard time fitting in to the university bureaucracy.   

I look at guys like Olympic and World champion and Wisconsin native John Peterson whom I have the ultimate respect for.  When talking with John it struck me that he never qualified for the state tournament and wrestled for UW Stout and took 5th at NAIA nationals.  What changed for him?  He said training with Dan Gable was a huge part of it.  The same guy who coached the Hawkeyes to all those championships for all those years.  What made Gable so great as a coach?  I believe he not only mastered how to teach wrestling (the technical and physical) but he was even better at teaching the mental aspect of sports.  I have heard him talk many times as an athlete and also a parent and really feel this is what set him apart.

If I was Bono, I would be trying to develop this part of my coaching toolbox.  If I naturally was good at recruiting and conditioning, I would find someone to get on my staff that was good at the mental and technical part of coaching to compliment me.  As a coach, you always want to get "your guys" on your staff but sometimes you need to look outside your circle to grow.  I also wonder if Reader is really the good recruiter.

[FinalWord]

I think they did great! They wrestled great! They really worked hard. Today they'll finish great! Can't wait until next year because they'll be great again!

[Harris]

I think they did great! They wrestled great! They really worked hard. Today they'll finish great! Can't wait until next year because they'll be great again!

Working hard is good but at some point you have to execute.  That is the difference between good and great.  If the Badgers get to that level, look out.

[Wisconsin Wrestling Fan]

Wrestling starts at 11AM