Gus

1000% dude so needs to get in a street fight.

To further expound on this lets look at the top 20 (21 total teams because of a tie for 20) teams from last years NCAA tournament. Only 4 coaches failed to AA as a competitor. 10 coaches were NCAA champions (9 D1 champions), 15 were NCAA finalists, 17 were AA's. I did not list international accolades but main of these coaches have made world and olympic teams and took home medals. 1. PSU: Cael Sanderson, 4x NCAA Champ 2. Iowa: Tom Brands, 3x NCAA Champ, 4x AA 3. Cornell: Mike Grey, 2x AA 4. Ohio State: Tom Ryan, 1x Finalist, 2xAA 5. Mizzou: Brian Smith 6: Michigan: Sean Bormet, 1x Finalist, 2xAA 7: ASU: Zeke Jones, 1x Finalist, 3xAA 8: Nebraska: Mark Manning, 2x D2 NCAA Champ, 3x D2 AA 9: VT: Tony Robie, 1x NCAA finalist, 2x AA 10: NCST: Pat Popolizio 11: ISU: Kevin Dresser, 1x NCAA Champ, 2xAA 12: UNC: Coleman Scott, 1x NCAA Champ, 4xAA 13: Princeton: Chris Ayres, 1xAA 14: SDSU: Damion Hahn, 2x NCAA Champ, 4x AA 15: Minnesota: Brandon Eggum, 1x Finalist, 3xAA 16: UNI: Doug Schwabb, 1x NCAA Champ, 3xAA 16: Wisconsin: Chris Bono, 1x NCAA Champ, 3xAA 18: Ok State: John Smith, 2x NCAA Champ, 3x Finalist 18: Air Force: Sam Barber 20: Lehigh: Pat Santoro, 2x NCAA Champ, 4xAA 20: Purdue: Tony Ersland

Good coaches being excellent former wrestlers is definitely the rule, not the exception. Look at the landscape of college wrestling and most of the successful D1 teams have former NCAA champs/finalists as head coaches.

I second the Trent Hidlay mention. Here are a few other current NCAA wrestlers that I think would be tough in a street fight: Zac Braunagel, Tony Cassioppi, Levi Haines

I agree that this was just a goofy, anomaly year for OSU lineup wise because of 7th year guys. Couple years ago Gfeller, Wittlake and Sheets all pulled a bunch of weight

Can confirm that my name is not on the list.

Between statistics, eye test, dominance, strength of field, etc I think I would go.. 1 - Nolf 2 - Gable 3 - Zain

So if I am following this correctly... BB beat Hendo and Ashnault in freestyle -- both of which are "better than Woods". BB may even be able to beat both of these wrestlers in folkstyle... Woods beat BB convincingly in folkstyle and won the takedown battle.. Therefore.. somehow.... Woods is the worst of this group of guys?

Butler transferred to Rutgers. Picklo is the best of the bunch so he likely slides in wherever he wants (presumably 174) and Nacho/Carlson battle for 165 or go down. Hoose and Deanthony Parker both transferred in to OU this offseason and will be at 184.

Yep, a sure sign on a deep weight class. And the success that Sloan, Elam and Cardenas have had on the world stage shows the overall talent of the weight class.

Max Dean was a returning champ that took 7th. Cardenas was a silver at U23’s and took 8th. I’d say there was depth at 197. Trumble, Beard, Braunegel, Allred, Bastida didn’t place

Gable will have Petra and Akul in his bracket. Chance will get the opportunity to cement himself as a contender with the Iranian there.

Brookings, SD population 23,000

1st Team David Carr / ISU / Education Jared Franek / NDSU / Business Administration (1st Team AA in 2021-2022) Sam Schuyler / ISU / Education Jacob Wright / Wyoming / Higher Ed Administration (2nd Team AA in 2021-2022) 2nd Team Clay Carlson / SDSU / Animal Science Pre-Veterinary Medicine Shane Griffith / Stanford / Science, Technology & Society (2nd Team AA in 2021-2022 & 2020-2021) Keegan O'Toole / Mizzou / Personal Financial Planning 3rd Team Chase Diehl / SUIE / History Matt Finesilver / Michigan / Social Work Tyrell Gordon / UNI / Criminolgy

Unless someone emerges (fingers crossed its Bennett Berge) it looks like tier 1 will be Keck, Truax and Munoz.

Brooks and Hidlay cleared out. He will open the season as the favorite in what looks to be one of the weakest weight classes next year (along with 125).

I thought I read that Davison was competing last year around 245..

Get rid of the grounded rule. Let refs subjectively call caution and 1 when wrestlers are avoiding takedowns by using the step out.

Assad at 197 would be better than Franklin

The problem for Surber is that Aaron Brooks and Trent Hidlay are moving up to 197 and Stephen Buchanon will be back. It was a deep weight class last year and get arguable deep this year. I like Olejnik and think he has a shot at AA again but is by no means a lock. You have KOT, Carr, Amine and Hamiti as likely AA's and then a group of about 10 (Olejnik, Caliendo, Ramirez, Olguin, Kennedy, Peyton Hall, Messinbrink, etc)guys fighting for the last 4 spots.

Dean would likely be 184 at Cornell

Keep up the great work with Pindox. I always appreciate the bio's/stories you run on current and past wrestlers.

Hidlay as well. However all 3 (Realbuto, Kem and Hidlay) had a lot more success at 157 before moving up than Paddy has had.

I think chance will be down to 74

Did Zach B make the team also?