Worst tactical mistakes of NCAAs?

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

Some nominees of mine:

1. Spencer locking his hands when Ramos went for the head pinch

2. Labriola rolling into a pin in the finals vs Starocci

3. Cole Matthews not running away from Bartlett in the last 2 seconds of the match

4. Monday choosing down vs Carr

 

[Holtfan]

After getting ridden like a Dude Ranch Horse for most of the 2nd period, Hendrickson choosing down v. Kerk and getting ridden out the entire period. 

[forkemaz]

Definitely Labriola. I was just watching that over and over laughing 

[forkemaz]

10 minutes ago, Holtfan said:

After getting ridden like a Dude Ranch Horse for most of the 2nd period, Hendrickson choosing down v. Kerk and getting ridden out the entire period. 

Quincy did this vs Carr also

[XiXiTiger]

Rocky Elam got a locked hands call (took a 5+ min review to see) and then picked down against Sloan in the semis. Only position Sloan had a chance to beat him.

Hurts more because Elam dominated Bonacorsi 6-1 at NCAAs last year. 

[Jamie_Taco]

Real not bailing and just giving up the escape to Alirez.

[jross]

Everybody picking down; not knowing the situation, self, and opponent.

RBY picking down on Nagao was a mistake regardless of his reversal.  

[jackwebster]

Not a bad mistake or even a "mistake" really, but one situation reminded me of just how narrow the margins for error are.

In the final sequence of their 125 quarter, Cardinale tried to ride out Ramos for the win instead of giving up the escape and head to OT. He had a seatbelt and Ramos had a whizzer, and Cardinale tried to jump over Ramos's hips. Ramos's hips were too high, and Cardinale fell off.

It was a crazy scramble, so I doubt it was a conscious decision. I don't even know if he could have released the seatbelt. 

[CHROMEBIRD]

1 hour ago, jross said:

Everybody picking down; not knowing the situation, self, and opponent.

RBY picking down on Nagao was a mistake regardless of his reversal.  

For sure. I think RBY was being showy against Nagao and wanted to show everyone that he wasn't going to be ridden again. Hubris like that can be very costly. I also seem to remember you pointing out a bunch of other tactical mistakes throughout the tournament but I don't know how to find the posts.

[CHROMEBIRD]

This got kind of washed over by Ramos decking Lee but IMO when Spencer tilted him in the 2nd period it looked like he Dean Heiled himself and almost self-pinned. The Purdue coaches could have challenged it and got backs for Ramos (and Lee's nearfall negated) but in the end it didn't matter.

[jross]

A few mistakes from memory...

• Brands picked down on Foca to start the second after having won neutral in period 1 and holding a 1m+ riding time advantage.
• Elam picked down on Sloan when Elam is better on his feet and Sloan is good on top.  Not atrocious given the 2-2 score but neutral was the pick there.
• Hendrickson picked down on Kerk after having won neutral in the first and getting ridden in the second.  
• Monday picked down on Carr after getting ridden in the second.  
• RBY picked down on Nagao after having been ridden in a previous match.  
• In hindsight, the freshman Haines shouldn't have picked down on the brute AOC.  (the only one of these that seemed worth the chance to score first in a 0-0 tie)

On the smarter side

• Nino smartly chose neutral to start the third period.  He was down a point, had the riding time advantage on Sloan, and knows that Sloan is good on top.
• Lee picked up to start the second period while losing to Ramos

Edited March 19, 2023 by jross
remembered Lee/Ramos

[olddirty]

On 3/19/2023 at 10:39 AM, jackwebster said:

Not a bad mistake or even a "mistake" really, but one situation reminded me of just how narrow the margins for error are.

In the final sequence of their 125 quarter, Cardinale tried to ride out Ramos for the win instead of giving up the escape and head to OT. He had a seatbelt and Ramos had a whizzer, and Cardinale tried to jump over Ramos's hips. Ramos's hips were too high, and Cardinale fell off.

It was a crazy scramble, so I doubt it was a conscious decision. I don't even know if he could have released the seatbelt. 

This position was surprising to me as I saw it work out several times during the tournament.  In my day, that was a really risky move but I was surprised how guys have seemed to train it and have success with it despite me agreeing with your sentiment before I watched the tournament.

[BigRedFan]

14 minutes ago, olddirty said:

This position was surprising to me as I saw it work out several times during the tournament.  In my day, that was a really risky move but I was surprised how guys have seemed to train it and have success with it despite me agreeing with your sentiment before I watched the tournament.

Vito took down Fix doing exactly this move.

[Antitroll2828]

I think the worst tactical mistake was Kerkvilet not trying to score or even attempt to win in the ncaas finals and looking like he d rather be anywhere else on earth all weekend long 

[jackwebster]

1 hour ago, olddirty said:

This position was surprising to me as I saw it work out several times during the tournament.  In my day, that was a really risky move but I was surprised how guys have seemed to train it and have success with it despite me agreeing with your sentiment before I watched the tournament.

Now that I think about it, Kendall Cross did something similar. He would rotate his seatbelt up to an overhook position and then cartwheel straight over, catching the guy on his back. He had a tech vid on flo and he did it in the Russian dual at Gallagher Hall (Kenny Monday was one of the commentators IIRC).

I say similar because Cross did not jump laterally over the guy's high hips. He went straight over the guy's head, thereby binding up the dude's whizzer.

[BigRedFan]

1 hour ago, olddirty said:

This position was surprising to me as I saw it work out several times during the tournament.  In my day, that was a really risky move but I was surprised how guys have seemed to train it and have success with it despite me agreeing with your sentiment before I watched the tournament.

 

[Dark Energy]

Ok. So Monday’s ‘I choose down’ decision isn’t isolated.  At the time, as witnessed by my multiple posts on the topic, I was pretty incensed by that decision.  Still boggles my mind.

[ugarles]

141 Consi: Cornella was leading Swiderski 7-1 late and went for the major but ended up giving up a TD with 17 seconds left. Not a big deal, but Swiderski stood up suggesting he was releasing Cornella, Cornella didn't either belly out and let the ref call stalling or quickly scamper away, and when he slowly started standing, Swiderski dove back, head pinch, gator bacon, WBF with 12 seconds left.

[AgaveMaria]

RBY choosing Down against anyone.

He has been lousy at escapes and reversals against good wrestlers. A real hole in his arsenel in folkstyle.

[Crotalus]

On 3/19/2023 at 1:56 PM, CHROMEBIRD said:

This got kind of washed over by Ramos decking Lee but IMO when Spencer tilted him in the 2nd period it looked like he Dean Heiled himself and almost self-pinned. The Purdue coaches could have challenged it and got backs for Ramos (and Lee's nearfall negated) but in the end it didn't matter.

Bottom man can't score nearfall.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

8 minutes ago, Crotalus said:

Bottom man can't score nearfall.

Since when? 

[nhs67]

Kerk letting Parris tummy time him for over 2m30s of the 1st period.

Horrible tactic.

[Idaho]

When I didnt' get the jalapeño  popcorn when it was available.... had to settle for the cheesy popcorn. Big mistake. Won't make it again in KC. 

[flyingcement]

31 minutes ago, Idaho said:

When I didnt' get the jalapeño  popcorn when it was available.... had to settle for the cheesy popcorn. Big mistake. Won't make it again in KC. 

Jalapeño popcorn sounds pretty good

[scourge165]

LeHigh NOT throwing the challenge brick when Humphreys was CLEARLY out and earned an escape with time left on the clock in the Semi's vs Auston O'Conner in what would have tied the match up.