No pressure or anything, Real

[dragit]

I think Woods's results this week are very important for the Iowa program.

They haven't had multiple champions since before wrestling was invented in 2011.  They've only had one champion not named Spencer Lee since 2014,with zero other than Lee out of all the strong recruits they had in the '22 and '23 graduating groups. 

And there is a perception of not developing elite talent/underperforming at NCAAs.   

Assuming Spencer finishes his fourth, finally having somebody else with him could demonstrate some Spencer coattails which have been missing to date.  Every year he's won he looks like the presidential candidate with the big win whose party doesn't gain any seats in Congress.

[Idaho]

So you are saying Stanford should be praised if he wins the NCAA title. I agree with that. 

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

I think Iowa gets multiple champs this year, even if Woods isn't one of them.

[Packard]

17 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

I think Iowa gets multiple champs this year, even if Woods isn't one of them.

Who else even has a shot of making the finals? 
Kennedy and Cass are the only two even close to talented enough to make the finals. 
Kennedy has to go through Amine, O’Toole, and Hamiti, before he gets to Carr. 
 

Cass has Schultz, Parris, and Kerk. 
 

If Woods gets knocked off then Iowa may not even finish second. 

[mspart]

27 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

I think Iowa gets multiple champs this year, even if Woods isn't one of them.

Interesting, PSU is saying the same thing!

mspart

Edited March 13, 2023 by mspart

[Elevator]

29 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

I think Iowa gets multiple champs this year, even if Woods isn't one of them.

Jimmy C at his best during March wrestle-madness!

[dragit]

7 minutes ago, Packard said:

Who else even has a shot of making the finals? 
Kennedy and Cass are the only two even close to talented enough to make the finals. 
Kennedy has to go through Amine, O’Toole, and Hamiti, before he gets to Carr. 
 

Cass has Schultz, Parris, and Kerk. 
 

If Woods gets knocked off then Iowa may not even finish second. 

I think you have to say that Warner even has a shot, since he did last year.  Granted that would be the one and only data point that would support the theory.

[dragit]

53 minutes ago, Idaho said:

So you are saying Stanford should be praised if he wins the NCAA title. I agree with that. 

Funny but no.  This would be a nice feather in the Iowa cap.  Woods had only one sixth place finish at Stanford in two tries at NCAAs.  For him to win would be a great advertisement for development at Iowa.

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

27 minutes ago, Packard said:

Who else even has a shot of making the finals? 
Kennedy and Cass are the only two even close to talented enough to make the finals. 
Kennedy has to go through Amine, O’Toole, and Hamiti, before he gets to Carr. 
 

Cass has Schultz, Parris, and Kerk. 
 

If Woods gets knocked off then Iowa may not even finish second. 

Murin may shock some people

[BigRedFan]

3 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

Murin may shock some people

Yeah:  those people who, for the last three years, say that *this* is the year Max reaches the podium.

[mspart]

21 minutes ago, dragit said:

I think you have to say that Warner even has a shot, since he did last year.  Granted that would be the one and only data point that would support the theory.

Warner was #6 last year and made it to the finals.   Only slightly tougher this year at #14.   I think he can do it.   Murin may surprise too.   Or maybe both won't.

mspart

[Wrestleknownothing]

4 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

Murin may shock some people

Including himself if you are implying he will win.

[Wrestleknownothing]

Just now, mspart said:

Warner was #6 last year and made it to the finals.   Only slightly tougher this year at #14.   I think he can do it.   Murin may surprise too.   Or maybe both won't.

mspart

How wild is it that the returning finalists at 197 are the #14 and #9 seeds this year?

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

2 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

Including himself if you are implying he will win.

Underestimate Mad Max at your own peril...

[mspart]

That is really pretty wild.   Has that ever happened before, that the returning finalists not seeded to AA the next year. 

mspart

[Wrestleknownothing]

Just now, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

Underestimate Mad Max at your own peril...

care to make a wager....never mind

[nhs67]

Guys, I don't think this JC is the same as the last JC.

This ***my mother would not approve*** has a sense of humor.

[Idaho]

1 hour ago, dragit said:

Funny but no.  This would be a nice feather in the Iowa cap.  Woods had only one sixth place finish at Stanford in two tries at NCAAs.  For him to win would be a great advertisement for development at Iowa.

He finished 6th last year.... the top 4 guys graduated... Logically he would be the 2nd best guy coming back in the weight. If he wins it is that great development or just expectation? He would only be gaining 1 spot from where he was ranked coming in to the season. 

[Wrestleknownothing]

30 minutes ago, Idaho said:

He finished 6th last year.... the top 4 guys graduated... Logically he would be the 2nd best guy coming back in the weight. If he wins it is that great development or just expectation? He would only be gaining 1 spot from where he was ranked coming in to the season. 

I always found that sixth place to be odd. He lost to Nick Lee by 1 when Lee was destroying everyone else. He lost to Sebastian Rivera by the same 3-2 score. I thought he was third best last year, but then he went and lost to Cole Matthews in the fifth place match. Hard to explain.

[Idaho]

12 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

I always found that sixth place to be odd. He lost to Nick Lee by 1 when Lee was destroying everyone else. He lost to Sebastian Rivera by the same 3-2 score. I thought he was third best last year, but then he went and lost to Cole Matthews in the fifth place match. Hard to explain.

I agree - I thought he was better than 6th. 

[dragit]

23 minutes ago, Idaho said:

I agree - I thought he was better than 6th. 

This is the gist of what I was saying -- particularly given that he didn't place the year before, he's been a bit of a disappointment.  Changing that with an undefeated national championship season and progressing from DNP-6-1 would speak well for Iowa.  

[Wrestleknownothing]

7 minutes ago, dragit said:

This is the gist of what I was saying -- particularly given that he didn't place the year before, he's been a bit of a disappointment.  Changing that with an undefeated national championship season and progressing from DNP-6-1 would speak well for Iowa.  

At a minimum his offense looks much improved this year. Against Lee he was never close to scoring, if I recall correctly. But this year looks different to my untrained eye. For that reason he is my favorite in spite of losing three in a row at the end of the last tournament.

[Mr. PeanutButter]

8 minutes ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

At a minimum his offense looks much improved this year. Against Lee he was never close to scoring, if I recall correctly. But this year looks different to my untrained eye. For that reason he is my favorite in spite of losing three in a row at the end of the last tournament.

Didn't he score off of a sweet slide-by against Lee last year? Or was it a near score? 

I agree that his offense looks sharper this year, although at the same time he sometimes has looked as looking to do just enough (particularly after the 1st period)

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

14 minutes ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

Didn't he score off of a sweet slide-by against Lee last year? Or was it a near score? 

I agree that his offense looks sharper this year, although at the same time he sometimes has looked as looking to do just enough (particularly after the 1st period)

Real scored 0 offensive points versus Lee last year.  Watch the match yourself:

 

[Wrestleknownothing]

34 minutes ago, Mr. PeanutButter said:

Didn't he score off of a sweet slide-by against Lee last year? Or was it a near score? 

I agree that his offense looks sharper this year, although at the same time he sometimes has looked as looking to do just enough (particularly after the 1st period)

It was 3-2 with Lee getting the only TD of the match. Woods' slide by attempt 15 seconds in was probably the closest he came to scoring.

Edited March 13, 2023 by Wrestleknownothing