Badgers under Bono

[Healthy and happy]

Bono has done no better job than Davis.  It's been FIVE years and this team is tied for second to last place in the Big Ten at 1-7.  The numbers don't lie.  Keep drinking the Bono KOOL AID.  The guy cant land a big in state recruit and that cant be argued.  If your okay with 1-7 in the Big Ten then thats fine.....he's done nothing little to nothing for the program in the five years he's been here.

The proof for this year will be determined in the next two tournaments.  If they finish 10th or better in the NCAA tournament then I assume your take will change.  True statement currently about in state recruits but if those kids don't want to come to UW and the coaches can't even get in their house or get them on campus, then go to other states and get high level recruits that want to be at UW!!  Certainly getting some great wrestlers from Illinois

[The Legend]

Bono has done no better job than Davis.  It's been FIVE years and this team is tied for second to last place in the Big Ten at 1-7.  The numbers don't lie.  Keep drinking the Bono KOOL AID.  The guy cant land a big in state recruit and that cant be argued.  If your okay with 1-7 in the Big Ten then thats fine.....he's done nothing little to nothing for the program in the five years he's been here.

The proof for this year will be determined in the next two tournaments.  If they finish 10th or better in the NCAA tournament then I assume your take will change.  True statement currently about in state recruits but if those kids don't want to come to UW and the coaches can't even get in their house or get them on campus, then go to other states and get high level recruits that want to be at UW!!  Certainly getting some great wrestlers from Illinois

Will you change your tune if they don't?  I highly doubt it. 

[Wisconsin Wrestling Fan]

None of this would be a discussion topic if Gomez was healthy all year.

The Badgers would have won the Midlands for the 1st time ever and finished 11-5 in the duals.

[wrestle03]

Wisconsin Wrestling Fan:  Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, but no guarantees they would have finished 11-5
You are being a bit delusional.

[Wisconsin Wrestling Fan]

Wisconsin Wrestling Fan:  Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, but no guarantees they would have finished 11-5
You are being a bit delusional.

No, I'm not. Look at the matchups in the close duals and look at how he would have place at Midlands.

You don't easily replace someone like Gomez. I suppose you can argue "where's the depth" but you are not going to replace a guy ranked 1st or 2nd in the polls with a backup of similar caliber.

[BadgerOne]

Wisconsin Wrestling Fan:  Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, but no guarantees they would have finished 11-5
You are being a bit delusional.

No, I'm not. Look at the matchups in the close duals and look at how he would have place at Midlands.

You don't easily replace someone like Gomez. I suppose you can argue "where's the depth" but you are not going to replace a guy ranked 1st or 2nd in the polls with a backup of similar caliber.

Its unfortunate that Gomez was injured, but I think Wisconsin ended up getting Gomez precisely because of his prior injury history and injury risk (though it was concussion not knee), so its not entirely unexpected that Gomez might miss time.  The problem with the "what if our guys were all healthy" hypothesizing is that in fairness you need to look at the other teams' rosters and figure out who on their rosters were injured or out for the season too based on injury.  I also note that some posters raved at the "tie" with Iowa without accounting for the fact that several of their starters sat out.  Reality, is Wisconsin didn't fare well in Big Ten duals and if Gomez was there they assuredly would have done better, but perhaps some of those other teams would have fared better too if their guys were there or were healthy. 

[wrestlemania]

"Bono has done no better job than Davis.  It's been FIVE years and this team is tied for second to last place in the Big Ten at 1-7.  The numbers don't lie.  Keep drinking the Bono KOOL AID.  The guy cant land a big in state recruit and that cant be argued.  If your okay with 1-7 in the Big Ten then thats fine.....he's done nothing little to nothing for the program in the five years he's been here."

(Sigh) Ten years from now this what you will be writing:

{Coach X} has done no better job than Bono.  It's been FIVE years and this team is tied for second to last place in the Big Ten at 1-7.  The numbers don't lie.  Keep drinking the {Coach X} KOOL AID.  The guy cant land a big in state recruit and that cant be argued.  If your okay with 1-7 in the Big Ten then that's fine.....he's done nothing little to nothing for the program in the five years he's been here.

And the reason why is perfectly spelled out by Ghetto:

This thread never ceases to amaze me.

Can't land in-state recruits- True. Partially a program issue. Partially beyond Bono's control
Alumni/Community Support- Is there any? Travel to NCAAs and see what Penn State/Iowa bring and then tell me.
Transfers vs. recruits- Brought in Amos, Hamiti, Gomez, Lamont, Zargo. Seems like a mix to me.
Depth- Hurt by not landing in-state recruits. Also effected by roster limits. Directly contributed to dual losses.
There's no RTC to speak of. That's a problem.

NIL can't always be funded by the school. We don't have any big donors, or even small donors. If Penn State goes to a kid and offers them NIL money that is bigger than a scholarship, they take it. Where does that money come from at Wisconsin?

We ask for the world, but we don't give anything in return in this state.

Which is just typical of a lot of wrestling fans in Wisconsin.

[asdf]

Wisconsin Wrestling Fan:  Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda, but no guarantees they would have finished 11-5
You are being a bit delusional.

No, I'm not. Look at the matchups in the close duals and look at how he would have place at Midlands.

You don't easily replace someone like Gomez. I suppose you can argue "where's the depth" but you are not going to replace a guy ranked 1st or 2nd in the polls with a backup of similar caliber.

Besides Iowa holding out starters as someone else posted, didn't Minnesota also hold out 3 starters?  Think it was at 157 (lee), 165 (Sparks), and now for sure 184 (Salazar...with WI kid Skillings beating Dow)?

You can play the "maybe" game both ways.  Loss is a Loss.

Same could be said about Midlands--with the first year of the IA Soldier Salute Tourney.

[littleguy301]

Wait until next year was a cry for years now it isnthe what if, and buts and ors for the battle cry?

Bono has hit the portal well for sure. Has landed some big recruits also. The depth is the key for sure and that is the only place Bono has feel a tick short!

Barry A has his distractions starting out and Barry gave his big f...u to those distractions and until Bono can say that to his distractions he is going to struggle in Wisconsin landing recruits and room guys.......don't believe me not one big name junior has signed on the line and a senior either. Hopke is still out there, though

[littleguy301]

Hey I am a supporter on the Bono hire for sure. Until some pointed out he has done the same as Barry Davis last 5 years inwas kind of shocked. I agree it seems different in Madison the past 5 years after Davis last 5 years.

Can we say Bono has gotten the Badgers to the pre 2012 standings in both results and attendance? I think that is fair with Gomez, DJ legit NC contenders?

[littleguy301]

I hear through the grapevine, Bono and team had in a bunch of northwest wrestlers to watch wrestling and meet and greet! That is totally awesome. Let's shut the borders off and make the kids at least take a look at wisconsin before leaving the state!

This makes me very happy to see!

[vsmf2010]

I hear through the grapevine, Bono and team had in a bunch of northwest wrestlers to watch wrestling and meet and greet! That is totally awesome. Let's shut the borders off and make the kids at least take a look at wisconsin before leaving the state!

This makes me very happy to see!

That is good news. Thanks for sharing

[leg turk]

I hear through the grapevine, Bono and team had in a bunch of northwest wrestlers to watch wrestling and meet and greet! That is totally awesome. Let's shut the borders off and make the kids at least take a look at wisconsin before leaving the state!

This makes me very happy to see!

Build a wall😁

[Vir Fortis]

I hear through the grapevine, Bono and team had in a bunch of northwest wrestlers to watch wrestling and meet and greet! That is totally awesome. Let's shut the borders off and make the kids at least take a look at wisconsin before leaving the state!

This makes me very happy to see!

Build a wall😁

LOL...that ain't gonna work. Someone's gonna cut a hole in it and push certain kids out.

But he doesn't need a wall. He's shown he can go and get big time recruits from out of State(particularly Cali). And if he just gets a couple top in-state Wrestlers(Hopke is the Hope Jewel) and then keep pulling in a couple of studs from out of State, I think it could lessen some influence and build on itself.


The "if you're happy with 1-7...." nonsense is just that. First of all, that's never made sense to me. As though the final comes down to what the person who WON'T accept 1-7 in the B1G says or thinks?

Second, we know it's a bogus number. The B1G is too competitive to take out a kid like Gomez. It's a 6-12 point swing when there are razor thin margins.

I'd take Iowa out of it and say they probably should have been 6-2, won the Midlands(this wasn't the first year of the Soldier Salute either).

They beat Cornell. That's an elite team. So it's not just a totally random guess that they'd have won the 1 point matches with the #2 149 in the Country.



Littleguy seems to have the most reasonable, unbiased takes. Seems to want the Badgers to succeed, but can point out where they're coming up short without taking some joy in it.


Bottom line, unless the Badgers HC is handpicked by someone in the State and bends the knee, kisses the ring, he's gonna miss out on most of his in-state talent. Is there another B1G school dealing with the same issues? Despite that,  I'd still say the program is better under Bono, but this is a abnormally difficult job.

[1Iota]

Here is my question, and I am not trying to create controversy.  This is a real question that I don't have the answer to.  Other than O'tool, who are the D-1 studs that AWA has produced that UW is missing out on?  I know Mocco has had a very good run at Missouri as well, but I can't think of anyone else.