Penn State showing homegrown talent is best

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

Coming into this season it looked like Penn State's weak spots would be at 125 and 149 (once SVN got injured).  However, halfway through the season it's surprising to see that the wrestlers with the most losses are actually 2 of Penn State's primo transfers in Nagao and Truax.

Now I think both of these guys still will AA in March, but Penn State is showing that less heralded or proven homegrown talent (e.g. 14 year old Braeden Davis at 125, 141 pounder Tyler Kasak wrestling at 149, even Josh Barr are more than holding their own).

Now Mesenbrink is obviously tearing it up but it looks like 2/3 transfers are not really living up to the hype so far.

Michgan has 5 super high profile transfers in their lineup (Deaugstino, Cannon, Gomez, Griffith and Davison) and their team is looking like it won't contend at Big 10s or NCCAs.

Perhaps teams need to focus more on homegrown talent rather than bringing in warworn mercenaries.

[PSULou64]

I think you have to look at styles and realize that no one was going to change Truax this late in the game.  He also wasn't a super dominant guy to begin with.  When you're accustom to guys like Taylor, Ruth, Retherford, Nolf, Nickal .... It is easy to be rough on the grinders who are very good wrestlers and win a lot of matches but who aren't superior to their competition.

 

In Nagao's case, I love his aggressiveness and style but sometimes, against guys like Ragusin, it bites you.  He'll learn from it, the coaches will tweak and next time he just wins the match.  If they were calling stalling from the top position they the NCAA said they were going to, it wouldn't have been an issue anyway.

I'm more concerned with Bartlett at the moment.  If anyone looks lackluster at the moment it's him.

[Wrestleknownothing]

7 minutes ago, PSULou64 said:

I think you have to look at styles and realize that no one was going to change Truax this late in the game.  He also wasn't a super dominant guy to begin with.  When you're accustom to guys like Taylor, Ruth, Retherford, Nolf, Nickal .... It is easy to be rough on the grinders who are very good wrestlers and win a lot of matches but who aren't superior to their competition.

 

In Nagao's case, I love his aggressiveness and style but sometimes, against guys like Ragusin, it bites you.  He'll learn from it, the coaches will tweak and next time he just wins the match.  If they were calling stalling from the top position they the NCAA said they were going to, it wouldn't have been an issue anyway.

I'm more concerned with Bartlett at the moment.  If anyone looks lackluster at the moment it's him.

Bartlett always has been a head scratcher for me. His TD in that match was lightning fast. He should be rinsing and repeating, but he just does not for some reason.

[PSULou64]

You know who does that for me in the Michigan team, Lewan.  He has great shots and is really fast but refuses to take shots.  You can hear his coaches begging him to open up and do something, anything, but he refuses.  It's painful to watch.

[Le duke]

Bartlett always has been a head scratcher for me. His TD in that match was lightning fast. He should be rinsing and repeating, but he just does not for some reason.

He looked like a kid getting over the flu.

His normally amazing gas tank was running on fumes at the end of that one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GoGopher]

Everyone expected this huge increase in development from Nagao and Truax after arriving at the Mecca. At best, they look the same as they did at their previous stops.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

13 minutes ago, GoGopher said:

Everyone expected this huge increase in development from Nagao and Truax after arriving at the Mecca. At best, they look the same as they did at their previous stops.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is a fair assessment.  Nagao still struggles finishing in neutral and relies too much on scrambling to finish.  Truax still only has 1 shot.

[1032004]

Jimmy forgetting that Kerk is a transfer

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

1 minute ago, 1032004 said:

Jimmy forgetting that Kerk is a transfer

Technically yes, but how many matches did he actually wrestle in another college's singlet?  Answer: 0

[1032004]

8 hours ago, PSULou64 said:

In Nagao's case, I love his aggressiveness and style but sometimes, against guys like Ragusin, it bites you.  He'll learn from it, the coaches will tweak and next time he just wins the match. 

All part of God’s plan.

1 hour ago, GoGopher said:

Everyone expected this huge increase in development from Nagao and Truax after arriving at the Mecca. At best, they look the same as they did at their previous stops.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

But in all seriousness, as Lou was alluding to, IMO Cael’s best talent is turning regular season losses into postseason wins.  I don’t know if I’d say it so definitively but I guess with Cael you kinda have to expect it.