My memory is short so I’m going to keep this to the last 4 seasons, starting with your list. So far, comparing best NCAA tournament finishes for starters at old vs new school:
PSU-
Dean better
Hildebrandt worse
Nagao worse (still time to improve)
Truax worse
Iowa-
Lugo better
Desanto better
Eierman better
Woods better
Teske same
Franek worse
Caliendo better
Michigan-
Davison better
Gomez better
DeAugustino worse
Finesilver better
Griffith worse
Suriano same
Brucki worse
Storr same
Based on this data, you could make an argument that Iowa has done the best with improving transfers. I’m not sure I’d go that far, but I think it should at least dispel the narrative out there that Iowa’s transfers end up getting burned out or whatever. But really throughout almost the whole list most guys placement only changed by a couple places, hence my statement that most of the big name transfers “were pretty much the same guy they were before.”
IMO, the 2 biggest improvements were Davison and Gomez, who went from never making an NCAA semi, to making the finals.
What don’t you agree with? You can’t count those guys because they have no postseason performance to compare to (same with Micic, Spratley and any other guy that transfers before having wrestled an NCAA tournament - they’re still transfers, they just can’t really be part of the “did they improve after they transferred” argument).
Brakan Mead. I’m sure it did help him in particular especially if he got any scholarship money. Looks like he won a state title as a senior at 113, then wrestled 2 years at Ohio State getting a few starts, with his best win being over Jack Medley.
It probably helps the guys the most that are on the borderline of being D1 or not. Not sure it makes much difference for the elite guys though.
He wasn’t. Here he is on x defending it:
Honestly the most dumb thing he said in the video was probably that he thinks the 30 scholarship thing will actually lead to more total scholarships being available
I’m not sure I follow. He appears to be “joking” in the sense that he probably doesn’t really think every single kid in the room should get held back, but he certainly seems to be saying that it will benefit your wrestling career
1) Claiming that Starocci is getting $1.2-$1.3 million this year. Weird how the kid jumps in to correct the coach
2) Club coach telling all his wrestlers they should get held back (and the club was the one that posted this to social media)
Technically he did score the same amount of team points in 2024 than 2022 (but less than 2023 and 2021). Although not sure if would have been less without 3 point takedown