Grading Penn State at the Big 10s

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

125: Steen - F.  Sorry to be mean to Gary but he went 0-3, was dominated his first two matches and lost his 3rd match to one of the few guys he actually beat this year.  He regressed throughout the year.  The kid tries hard but is too small to be a D1 125 pounder.

133: RBY - A-.  He won, albeit in an unimpressive fashion.  Nagao is really good -- very Daton Fixesque.  But RBY could have done more.

141: Bartlett - B-.  Seeded 2nd, finished 3rd.  Hardy is very good.  Bartlett still lacks neutral offense and can struggle on bottom against good riders.  I think he still AAs this year though (6th-8th).

149: SVN - B+.  Seeded 5th and finished 4th.  Still hasn't scored in an offensive point in 3 matches against Murin.  Dominates lower competition but can't seem to beat a top 10 guy.

157: Haines - A+.  True freshman wins Big 10s.  Did he get lucky on that no-TD call?  Absolutely.  It was a questionable or even bad call.  That said, he still got the winning takedown in OT.  Seems like pulling his shirt was the correct decision.

165: Facundo - D.  Seems to be regressing.  His limited offense is becoming even more limited.  Earlier this year I projected him as a mid-low AA type.  Now looking more like a R12 guy at best.  The weight is brutal and he just doesn't score enough.

174: Starocci - A - Labriola never stood a chance.  Pace and aggression is looking rock solid.

184: Brooks - A - Made a great wrestler in Romero look like a chump.  Could have stalled him out if he wanted.

197: Dean - C.  Looked small, slow and weak against Allred.  Lacking in neutral offense and couldn't score without getting on top.  Now looking at a tough slog to repeat over even place top 4.  Will need an incredible luck streak like last year to reach the finals again.

HWT: Kerk - B.  Better match gameplan against Parris this time, still couldn't get it done.  Parris is Kerk with a bigger gastank.  Penn State needs to figure out a way for him to score a TD against Paris.

Team overall: B+.  Seems like a harsh grade given they won Big 10s but Bartlett (slightly), Facundo (badly) and Dean underperformed while SVN and Haines overperformed.  Penn State will need to improve a lot to lock up NCAAs...definitely not a sure thing at this point.  Iowa has to be feeling very good about their chances at NCAAs given this weekend.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Jimmy Cinnabon

[Mr. PeanutButter]

5 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

125: Steen - F.  Sorry to be mean to Gary but he went 0-3, was dominated his first two matches and lost his 3rd match to one of the few guys he actually beat this year.  He regressed throughout the year.  The kid tries hard but is too small to be a D1 125 pounder.

133: RBY - A-.  He won, albeit in an unimpressive fashion.  Nagao is really good -- very Daton Fixesque.  But RBY could have done more.

141: Bartlett - B-.  Seeded 2nd, finished 3rd.  Hardy is very good.  Bartlett still lacks neutral offense and can struggle on bottom against good riders.  I think he still AAs this year though (6th-8th).

149: SVN - B+.  Seeded 5th and finished 4th.  Still hasn't scored in an offensive point in 3 matches against Murin.  Dominates lower competition but can't seem to beat a top 10 guy.

157: Haines - A+.  True freshman wins Big 10s.  Did he get lucky on that no-TD call?  Absolutely.  It was a questionable or even bad call.  That said, he still got the winning takedown in OT.  Seems like pulling his shirt was the correct decision.

165: Facundo - D.  Seems to be regressing.  His limited offense is becoming even more limited.  Earlier this year I projected him as a mid-low AA type.  Now looking more like a R12 guy at best.  The weight is brutal and he just doesn't score enough.

174: Starocci - A - Labriola never stood a chance.  Pace and aggression is looking rock solid.

184: Brooks - A - Made a great wrestler in Romero look like a chump.  Could have stalled him out if he wanted.

197: Dean - C.  Looked small, slow and weak against Allred.  Lacking in neutral offense and couldn't score without getting on top.  Now looking at a tough slog to repeat over even place top 4.  Will need an incredible luck streak like last year to reach the finals again.

HWT: Kerk - B.  Better match gameplan against Parris this time, still couldn't get it done.  Parris is Kerk with a bigger gastank.  Penn State needs to figure out a way for him to score a TD against Paris.

Team overall: B+.  Seems like a harsh grade given they won Big 10s but Bartlett (slightly), Facundo (badly) and Dean underperformed while SVN and Haines overperformed.  Penn State will need to improve a lot to lock up NCAAs...definitely not a sure thing at this point.  Iowa has to be feeling very good about their chances at NCAAs given this weekend.

Idk. I feel a little better but Iowa got some luck with injury defaults and MFFs, making the score closer than it otherwise would have been. 

The best ability is availability so hopefully this bodes well health wise. 

Assad looks like crap, though. Teske, Siebrecht, and Brands would do well to score 7 wins combined 

[PortaJohn]

2 minutes ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

Idk. I feel a little better but Iowa got some luck with injury defaults and MFFs, making the score closer than it otherwise would have been. 

The best ability is availability so hopefully this bodes well health wise. 

Assad looks like crap, though. Teske, Siebrecht, and Brands would do well to score 7 wins combined 

You should know better than responding to his drivel 

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

11 hours ago, PortaJohn said:

You should know better than responding to his drivel 

What grades do you actually disagree with?

[Eagle26]

What grades do you actually disagree with?

Are those an A minus for Carter and Brooks or is it a regular A and a dash? I would have given them an A+, and I wouldn’t be quite so hard on Steen since he pretty much lived up to expectations. Otherwise a fair analysis

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

1 minute ago, Eagle26 said:

Are those an A minus for Carter and Brooks or is it a regular A and a dash? I would have given them an A+, and I wouldn’t be quite so hard on Steen since he pretty much lived up to expectations. Otherwise a fair analysis

They both got As. That’s just a dash. Steen was a 2x PIAA champ. I’d expect him to beat Lujan at least since he beat him early this season. 0-3 BBQ was not his reasonable expectation. 

[Eagle26]

They both got As. That’s just a dash. Steen was a 2x PIAA champ. I’d expect him to beat Lujan at least since he beat him early this season. 0-3 BBQ was not his reasonable expectation. 

Fair enough. I guess my expectations were pretty low. I would add that his state titles were at 106 and 113 so as you mentioned he is undersized.

[SocraTease]

How about some grades for Iowa?   That team is not beating Penn State if it doesn't improve a lot.

And we all know that Penn State shows up at NCAAs while Iowa tends to fade.

[SocraTease]

Another relevant metric is how many points individual wrestlers scored for their teams:

2023 Big Ten Championships

Points Per Individual
Aaron Brooks (Penn State)	22.5
Spencer Lee (Iowa)	22
Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin)	21
Real Woods (Iowa)	21
Carter Starocci (Penn State)	20
Mason Parris (Michigan)	20
Roman Bravo-Young (Penn State)	20
Sammy Sasso (Ohio State)	20
Levi Haines (Penn State)	19
Matt Ramos (Purdue)	19
Silas Allred (Nebraska)	19
Matt Finesilver (Michigan)	17.5
Lenny Pinto (Nebraska)	17
Michael Blockhus (Minnesota)	17
Patrick Kennedy (Iowa)	17
Max Murin (Iowa)	16.5
Shayne Van Ness (Penn State)	16.5
Tony Cassioppi (Iowa)	16.5
Aaron Nagao (Minnesota)	16
Brock Hardy (Nebraska)	16
Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)	16
Greg Kerkvliet (Penn State)	16
Peyton Robb (Nebraska)	16
Kaleb Romero (Ohio State)	15
Liam Cronin (Nebraska)	15
Max Dean (Penn State)	15
Mikey Labriola (Nebraska)	15
Lucas Byrd (Illinois)	14.5
Zac Braunagel (Illinois)	14.5
Ethan Smith (Ohio State)	13.5
Tate Orndoff (Ohio State)	13.5
Isaiah Salazar (Minnesota)	13
Lucas Davison (Northwestern)	13
Bailee Oreilly (Minnesota)	12.5
Beau Bartlett (Penn State)	12.5
Jaxon Smith (Maryland)	12.5
Michael DeAugustino (Northwestern)	12.5
Will Lewan (Michigan)	12.5
Dylan Demilio (Ohio State)	12
Cameron Amine (Michigan)	11.5
Chris Cannon (Northwestern)	11.5
Trevor Chumbley (Northwestern)	11.5
Dylan Ragusin (Michigan)	11
Eric Barnett (Wisconsin)	11
Graham Rooks (Indiana)	11
Jacob Warner (Iowa)	11
Patrick McKee (Minnesota)	11
Brian Soldano (Rutgers)	10
Trent Hillger (Wisconsin)	10
Yahya Thomas (Northwestern)	10
Chase Saldate (Michigan State)	9
Kendall Coleman (Purdue)	9
Maxx Mayfield (Northwestern)	9
Nelson Brands (Iowa)	9
Parker Filius (Purdue)	9
Cobe Siebrecht (Iowa)	8.5
Joseph Zargo (Wisconsin)	8.5
Cameron Caffey (Michigan State)	8
Edmond Ruth (Illinois)	8
Frankie Tal Shahar (Northwestern)	8
Jesse Mendez (Ohio State)	8
Abe Assad (Iowa)	7.5
Bubba Wilson (Nebraska)	7.5
Derek Gilcher (Indiana)	7.5
Hayden Copass (Purdue)	7
Jackson Turley (Rutgers)	7
Layne Malczewski (Michigan State)	6.5
Danny Braunagel (Illinois)	6
Ethen Miller (Maryland)	6
Alex Facundo (Penn State)	5.5
Brody Teske (Iowa)	5.5
DJ Washington (Indiana)	5.5
Jack Medley (Michigan)	5.5
Braxton Amos (Wisconsin)	5
Dean Peterson (Rutgers)	5
Boone McDermott (Rutgers)	4.5
Chance Lamer (Michigan)	4.5
Jakob Bergeland (Minnesota)	4.5
Joe Heilmann (Rutgers)	4.5
Michial Foy (Minnesota)	4.5
Caleb Fish (Michigan State)	3
Henry Porter (Indiana)	2.5
Jake Harrier (Illinois)	2.5
Michael North (Maryland)	2.5
Braxton Brown (Maryland)	2
Andrew Davison (Northwestern)	1.5
Ben Vanadia (Purdue)	1.5
Jacob Moran (Indiana)	1.5
Andrew Sparks (Minnesota)	1
Cole Mattin (Michigan)	1
Gavin Hoffman (Ohio State)	1
Jacob Bullock (Indiana)	1
Troy Fisher (Northwestern)	1
Andrew Clark (Rutgers)	0.5
Billy Janzer (Rutgers)	0.5
Cayden Rooks (Indiana)	0.5
Ceasar Garza (Michigan State)	0.5
Dominic Solid (Maryland)	0.5
Dustin Norris (Purdue)	0.5
Evan Bates (Northwestern)	0.5
Garrett Joles (Minnesota)	0.5
Jaden Reynolds (Purdue)	0.5
Kal Miller (Maryland)	0.5
Nick South (Indiana)	0.5
Ryan Vasbinder (Michigan State)	0.5
Stony Buell (Purdue)	0.5

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, SocraTease said:

How about some grades for Iowa?   That team is not beating Penn State if it doesn't improve a lot.

And we all know that Penn State shows up at NCAAs while Iowa tends to fade.

Sure, although as a PSU fan I'm not nearly as knowledgeable about Iowa.

125 Spencer A.  Only not a A+ due to no bonus in finals

133 Teske B+

141 Woods A+  My favorite to win NCAAs at 141

149 Murin A-.  Placed 3rd when seeded 4th.  Now 3 wins a row over SVN.

157 Siebrecht C.  I think he placed 2 slots lower than seeded.  Not sure how he'll do at NCAAs.  Could make AA or flame out early.

165 Kennedy A-  Made the finals but dominated by Hamiti

174 Brands B+ I think he placed a bit higher than seed?

184 Assad C I think he stunk up the joint.  Probably weakest Iowa link

197 Warner C I think he also didn't do great

HWT Cass B+ Took 3rd, seeded 3rd lots of bonus.  Still can't crack the Kerk code.

 

[de4856]

Well looking forward to the Natty’s, I think Spencer should win it, Woods should get in the finals, and Cass should AA pretty high. I’m not sure if the guy who won the Big 12’s is as good as they say so we’ll see. As for the rest of the team, I like Murin, I think he gets it done this year. Kennedy obviously had a great tournament at the Big 10’s but 165 is so stacked with studs it’s going to be a hard road for him. Maybe a low AA unless something phenomenal happens for him. Jacob Warner just hasn’t been wrestling that well this year so idk, maybe he gets 7th or 8th, but I think that the grind of all these years in the Iowa mat room has gotten to him. As for Teske, Siebrecht, Brands, and Assad, I think will win a couple of matches, but unless they come out and have a great tourney, I just don’t see much more than a couple of wins for each of them. 

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

21 minutes ago, de4856 said:

Well looking forward to the Natty’s, I think Spencer should win it, Woods should get in the finals, and Cass should AA pretty high. I’m not sure if the guy who won the Big 12’s is as good as they say so we’ll see. As for the rest of the team, I like Murin, I think he gets it done this year. Kennedy obviously had a great tournament at the Big 10’s but 165 is so stacked with studs it’s going to be a hard road for him. Maybe a low AA unless something phenomenal happens for him. Jacob Warner just hasn’t been wrestling that well this year so idk, maybe he gets 7th or 8th, but I think that the grind of all these years in the Iowa mat room has gotten to him. As for Teske, Siebrecht, Brands, and Assad, I think will win a couple of matches, but unless they come out and have a great tourney, I just don’t see much more than a couple of wins for each of them. 

Seems like a reasonable take.  Penn State is similar:

RBY, Starocci and Brooks should win it.  Although none of the 3 is a lock like Spencer.

Kerk I have making the finals.

Haines should place top 5.

Dean will be a 7 or 8 seed, I see him as a mid-low AA.  The weight is brutal this year and he's just too damn small/short for 197.

Bartlett I have as a low AA.  SVN could be a low AA or R12 guy.

Facundo might win a few matches. Or could go 0-2 BBQ.

[fishbane]

On 3/5/2023 at 8:42 PM, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

 

174: Starocci - A - Labriola never stood a chance.  Pace and aggression is looking rock solid.

184: Brooks - A - Made a great wrestler in Romero look like a chump.  Could have stalled him out if he wanted.

Is that an A for Starocci and Brooks or A minus?  It seems like it is A minus, but you may have just changed format for these two individuals.  Previously and subsequently you had a period after the grade and all minus grades did not have a space after the letter.  These guys don't have a period and there is a space between the grade and the - so I'm not sure if this is a minus or a dash.  

[CHROMEBIRD]

What is this, HR? I thought you PSU fans don't believe in grades. They're no fun.

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

47 minutes ago, fishbane said:

Is that an A for Starocci and Brooks or A minus?  It seems like it is A minus, but you may have just changed format for these two individuals.  Previously and subsequently you had a period after the grade and all minus grades did not have a space after the letter.  These guys don't have a period and there is a space between the grade and the - so I'm not sure if this is a minus or a dash.  

They both got As

[mspart]

I would like to see PSU go down this year, but I don't think that will happen.  Give someone else a shot says I.

mspart

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, mspart said:

I would like to see PSU go down this year, but I don't think that will happen.  Give someone else a shot says I.

mspart

It could happen but it's not going to be a fresh face.  If PSU falters Iowa will win it.