Ono to PSU confirmed

[Rassling2]

Wow, not that’s big news!

[buckshot]

The biggest loser here is Jax, he's gonna have to deal with Ono or Blaze now. 

Also, could this be the greatest recruiting class ever:
Ono, Blaze, Duke, Henckel, Cunningham, Desmond, Perry

Edited Monday at 05:40 PM by buckshot

[D3 for LU]

59 minutes ago, Donald said:

This is ridiculous. Cael is a bitch. What  is the ultimate goal here, to win every weight, or ruin college wrestling? 

The answer... is yes.

(to both.) 

D3

[CHROMEBIRD]

2 hours ago, Truzzcat said:

he spoke about needing a visa and said he will not be back in America for a long time. I want it to be known absolutely nobody is going with this kid on their feet but folkstyle rules will allow good guys to potentially limit the damage. He is incredible and I am sure he will learn fast but I think he is going to have serious issues on the mat at least in year one if he is not training here over the summer and only has the fall to work on that. He is also probably the most scouted wrestler I can think of in recent memory. If you were asking me to pick Blaze vs Ono in folk though I am taking Blaze all day right now. I think guys like Nasir or bouzakis would be able to put up a lot of points on him from the top position as well its just hard to predict a guy that talented and skilled how quickly he can bridge that gap.

I agree with this. If a strong defensive wrestler could hold a match with Ono to 1-1 or along those lines and take it into rideouts I could see him losing there. Will he redshirt? If Rin Sakamoto was any indicator, a year to adjust to the style would be helpful... though we all know Carl is fine with throwing guys out there if they tell him he's ready.

[CHROMEBIRD]

The other interesting thing to watch with Ono is whether four seasons of college folkstyle wrestling will weaken his freestyle game. I assume he's going to want to make the Japanese OT while he's at PSU. It'll probably give us a lot to talk about with the whole "is our folkstyle hurting our freestyle in the US" debate

[CHROMEBIRD]

1 hour ago, Barracuda141 said:

125- Lilledahl
133- Ono
141- Blaze
149- SVN
157- Kasak
165- Mesenbrink
174- Haines
184- Ryder
197- Barr
285- Mirasola

this is an unreal team

I don't think Ono will be ready for primetime by next year. He's already got a full plate right now with U23s, JWT, etc.

[Elevator]

4 minutes ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

I don't think Ono will be ready for primetime by next year. He's already got a full plate right now with U23s, JWT, etc.

Think he will be ok.  Not that hard to learn a standup, switch, half nelson, and tight waist.  Stance, motion, level change, back arch, back step, and fighting like demon possesed  - he already has those at the highest level and they are not evaporating with some mat wrestling.

[peanut]

I get the questions about Ono’s mat wrestling. And those are valid.

But I just want to emphasize that at 2024 worlds he beat Uguev 10-2 and teched everyone else—including Vito.

There’s never been international freestyler come in with credentials like that. (Uetake, of course, won an Olympic gold after his sophomore year.)

[CHROMEBIRD]

3 minutes ago, Elevator said:

Think he will be ok.  Not that hard to learn a standup, switch, half nelson, and tight waist.  Stance, motion, level change, back arch, back step, and fighting like demon possesed  - he already has those at the highest level and they are not evaporating with some mat wrestling.

Yeah, elite freestylers can get by on their feet alone, but that potentially puts them at a 0-1 or 0-2 disadvantage going into the match. Also Ono just said on FRL that he doesn't know anything about folkstyle. Sakamoto wrestled OSU's last dual after training in folk all year and looked completely lost out of neutral. For all we know, we could see Ono get spladled. He just isn't used to stuff like that.

[BarSeries]

2 hours ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

 

 

[CHROMEBIRD]

The best part of this commitment is that if things work out for Ono, maybe it opens the door even wider for other international talent to come here

[Elevator]

1 minute ago, CHROMEBIRD said:

The best part of this commitment is that if things work out for Ono, maybe it opens the door even wider for other international talent to come here

NCAA soccer has had a growing presence of international talent from club academies - although unlike Ono not usually the very best (who instead are competing at top leagues).

[BruceyB]

Most people here seem to be equating his athleticism to being able to quickly pick up the skills to wrestle on bottom, and learn to how win in scrambles that he's never experienced before. I've said it before, freestyle is a much simpler style to learn because there are far less positions and techniques that you'll encounter. He's going to have to learn how to defend a leg coming in, a crab ride, not giving up a wrist on bottom while trying to improve.. these are things that can be a struggle for our best high school wrestlers when they are coming into college after wrestling folk their entire lives. It will be interesting to see. I'm definitely not saying that he can't do it, but it will be a lot to learn.

I'm more curious about why a 21 year old that is a World Champion would want to use these years learning a completely different style? I wonder if he is kind of bored of just training the same things every day for freestyle and wants to develop by learning a new style while wrestling in America. I've wondered what guys like Burroughs, Dake, and Taylor would do in practice after spending 10+ years training specifically in freestyle. Training gut/gut defense and leg lace defense has to get out pretty quickly you'd think.

[BAC]

1 hour ago, Truzzcat said:

he spoke about needing a visa and said he will not be back in America for a long time. I want it to be known absolutely nobody is going with this kid on their feet but folkstyle rules will allow good guys to potentially limit the damage. He is incredible and I am sure he will learn fast but I think he is going to have serious issues on the mat at least in year one if he is not training here over the summer and only has the fall to work on that. He is also probably the most scouted wrestler I can think of in recent memory. If you were asking me to pick Blaze vs Ono in folk though I am taking Blaze all day right now. I think guys like Nasir or bouzakis would be able to put up a lot of points on him from the top position as well its just hard to predict a guy that talented and skilled how quickly he can bridge that gap.

Echoing this, I think this is a bigger development for the NWLC than the PSU college team, but either way it's super cool.

In freestyle, you have two legit world team prospects in Lilledahl and Blaze at 57kg and 61kg, but they're a bit thin on practice partners.  McHenry graduates, Nagao has been hurt, and Davis doesn't seem to do much freestyle. Nick Lee is probably their best bet, but he's a bit big for them. Adding Ono to that round-robin will improve them immensely. 

In folk, as good as Ono is, I'm not convinced he can beat out Nagao, Davis or Blaze, at least near term.  Maybe, but I'm not sure he's much of an upgrade, given his weakness on top/bottom.  Maybe he can give Davis/Blaze a chance to redshirt, but I doubt the result is much better.

One thing that helps Ono, though, is the 3 point takedown.  With that, a single takedown is enough to win a match if he can avoid getting turned, even if he gives up the escape and a riding time point.  Some of these other freestyle-only guys, like Gelogaev and Abdurakhmonov, struggled against the top folkstylers, but they were more likely to need 2 TDs to assure themselves a win.

 

[VakAttack]

For whatever reason, this strikes me as lame.  I'm glad others are excited. 

[Wrestleknownothing]

2 hours ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

All part of God's plan

Don't need God's plan. Pyle has a plan.

[Winners Circle]

 Braeden Davis...YOU are in the transfer portal!!

[Wrestleknownothing]

1 hour ago, Donald said:

This is ridiculous. Cael is a bitch. What  is the ultimate goal here, to win every weight, or ruin college wrestling? 

Said the most bitch sounding guy on the board.

[JBluegill133]

10 minutes ago, BruceyB said:

Most people here seem to be equating his athleticism to being able to quickly pick up the skills to wrestle on bottom, and learn to how win in scrambles that he's never experienced before. I've said it before, freestyle is a much simpler style to learn because there are far less positions and techniques that you'll encounter. He's going to have to learn how to defend a leg coming in, a crab ride, not giving up a wrist on bottom while trying to improve.. these are things that can be a struggle for our best high school wrestlers when they are coming into college after wrestling folk their entire lives. It will be interesting to see. I'm definitely not saying that he can't do it, but it will be a lot to learn.

I'm more curious about why a 21 year old that is a World Champion would want to use these years learning a completely different style? I wonder if he is kind of bored of just training the same things every day for freestyle and wants to develop by learning a new style while wrestling in America. I've wondered what guys like Burroughs, Dake, and Taylor would do in practice after spending 10+ years training specifically in freestyle. Training gut/gut defense and leg lace defense has to get out pretty quickly you'd think.

I feel like with how advanced scrambling and leg passes have become in neutral, this might take a while for a freestyle specific athlete to understand and be successful either implementing or defending.

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

3 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

For whatever reason, this strikes me as lame.  I'm glad others are excited. 

Would you have the same feeling if Ono was joining the Hawkeyes instead?

[VakAttack]

1 minute ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

Would you have the same feeling if Ono was joining the Hawkeyes instead?

Yes. 

[OMW]

He's been doing a little folkstyle rolling while in the Lorenzo center. He hasn't had live matches against outsiders, but he's been getting a feel for it. It's not like he'll be learning the referees position on Day 1 of official practice in the fall of 2025.

Also, there is spec that he will have 4 years of eligibility as he has not been enrolled in an American University. 

 

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

4 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

Yes. 

Why?

[Cowboy08]

3 hours ago, okokzach said:

He is undecided on pretty much everything except that he will become NCAA champ. He isn't sure how long he'll wrestle there and he isn't sure what weight. He said Cael told him he can choose any weight he wants.

I get he is a world level talent, but how would that make you feel if you were Luke, Braeden or Blaze?

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

3 minutes ago, Cowboy08 said:

I get he is a world level talent, but how would that make you feel if you were Luke, Braeden or Blaze?

You would say, "Awesome, I get to train with one of the best in the world and learn from him!"