Crotalus

My assessment was that he went in ready to control the hand fight, but his opponent was super quick on the shot and finish and was able to get an early lead. This seemed to surprise Lee, and he wasn't able to make any adjustments to his game plan and mentally crumbled. Lee is pretty one-dimensional, as he relies on a plodding, methodical control of his opponent. But the one dimension allows him to dominate 99% of his opponents. It clearly didn't work here.

I think Lee is one of the best wrestlers we've had at 57kg/125lbs in a long time, but unfortunately I don't think he has "that dawg" in him, as the cool kids would say. He doesn't seem to handle adversity well, due in part because he always expects to be the better guy, and he struggles mentally when challenged. We've seen the intense self-criticism during interviews, but I think that we even see that creep in mid-match and turn into self-doubt when things are not going his way.

There are a lot of calls for him to change training locations, but I'm not sure anyone can really fix this for him (not to mention the other top locations have domestic challengers). If things go his was, he can tech his way through the best in the world. If not, well, we saw what happened.

I did say in the last 20 years, but Steveson was a glaring omission. But the main point was disputing the claim that "not many win gold after 25." The opposite is true. The majority of USA's gold's have been won by wrestlers 25 or older and winning a world title before the age of 25 is actually the outlier.

Starocci scored a similar 2+2 against Marsteller.

It's not wrong, technically. But I always thought it was strange that if you expose them right after the takedown (but they have not yet gotten to a defensive position) you get 2+2. But if you expose them first and then secured the "takedown", for example a chest wrap where the opponent then bellies out and you spin around on top, you only get 2 for exposure and no takedown points are awarded.

he's underrated as an athlete, like really underrated. probably because he looks like a future rabbi.

The Bassett loss is somewhat surprising.   He's got another year of high school, but one has to wonder how he will be at the college level.  He overwhelms high school guys the way, say, Marsteller did, but Marsteller didn't have that same ability at the college level.  

Is Barr staying at 197? If so, are the Mirasolas really going to stick around?

Why didn't they just start it earlier? Trump attending was good because it brought more eyeballs on the sport. 

And the crowd goes mild..

If you watched the Heinselman and Hoffman match, Kerk could barely move. He got the takedown he needed then just rode them so he wouldn’t have to stand. He was a shell of himself vs Hendrickson. 
 
I am assuming you’re upset about people discussing Lee when he mff’d out. In 2023, Lee had a fall, tech fall then major decision before Ramos pinned him. The differences between the two performances, and Lee’s “excuses are for wusses”  are why i don’t see many people questioning Kerk’s moral fortitude.

Yeah, not so fast. AJ, after placing third, stated in his Flo interview that he is going to win three more national championships, maybe four more if they award him a fifth year. I also suspect he is not good at math. Hell, maybe that's too generous. He's not even good at counting.

Ferrari giving out free colonoscopies.

No dog in that fight, it was a classic don't do anything try and win in SV tactic and it worked. 
The ol Kellen Russell.
 

his match at the trials vs David Taylor will forever leave a bad taste in my mouth with j'den

He may not top the list, but J'den at least needs to be mentioned (other than in WKN's list). Not quite as dominant or dynamic as some of the others, but he won his first as a true freshman and did not take a RS at any point. And he is one of the few to win an Olympic medal while still in college. Only five career losses, one of which was a questionable DQ (in my opinion).

If this were 15 years ago, I’d agree.  But at this point, all of these rules are pointless and arbitrary.  
The NCAA is simply a hollow leach of a media rights brokerage.  The shine is off the moral superiority of amateur athletics, I see no reason for the NCAA to exist for any reason other than convention and “we need something to call ourselves”.  These rules just exist so donks in suits can continue to have their hooks in young people trying to pursue a passion.  That’s disgusting.
I would be very happy if the NCAA acronym disappeared, and men’s wrestling fell under the same acronym as women’s wrestling.

Really? Put yourself in this kid’s shoes and the answer becomes self-evident in half a second.
The 2020 seniors definitely got screwed the hardest though, no question.

 He was enrolled in college during covid, jtfc isn’t that enough to say he’s had enough taken from him already?

My first thought was that the NCAA should have caught this way sooner. If they had, LR would have sent a different wrestler to conferences and had a chance to qualify and send a 174 to NCAAs. But the other side is that it was incumbent on LR to clear it with the NCAA, so it's their fault as well. Regardless, it's a crappy situation

- Keckeisen had higher quality of wins (Plott x3, Berge x2 vs. Allred, McEnelly) . Everything else was equal.

Ramos v Lilledahl likely comes down to whoever has the higher coaches' rank (worth 15) as Lilledahl already has 35 points in the bank with the h2h win (25) and the higher conference placement (10).
Ramos has win % (10) and common opponents (10) locked up and a huge quality win advantage (either 20 or 15).

With all the NIL money floating around you know they aren’t gonna test for peds even if he were caught. There’s too much $ invested in these kids. U can thank nil for corrupting the sport 

At my house, we throw out the milk when it's spoiled, not pour it in with the new milk.  Smith has a decent group of recruits coming in, but that is no guarantee of a positive turn in this program unless something improves in the coaching/development of the athletes, and the pshyce in the room.  I really think this program needs a new direction, coach and staff. 
I can't see MU shelling out money to get a big hire like the blue blood/wrestling rich culture states.  MU is a SEC school in major sports with a wrestling "step child!"  Brian Smith has the longest tenure of any of the current MU coaches.  They would never fire him, but no guarantee, or promises about he future.  I've worried about this from the day MU joined the SEC.  I live in an "arm pit" state that might as well be north Arkansas.  Missouri is more southern cultured than Midwest these days.  The B10 was my ultimate selfish hope, but damn, those intelligent, cultured states didn't want us.  Oh well.
I can't see an Askren moving back to Columbia, Mo.  No doubt, Ben or Max would be great candidates for replacing Brian, but why would they want to?  They are financially set with their wrestling academies, own bosses, and seam happy with their current state of life.  The only reason they might do it would be for the challenge, but I don't see it.  They could take that challenge closer to home at Wisconsin.  In the back of my head I wondered if Clemson would return, but after working his ass off trying to make Maryland relevant again, I can't see it.  Personally, I don't think people know how much positive influence he had on MU wrestling.  That and the Mike Eireman connection to several of the former Tigers.  That's a whole different discussion for another day.
Sorry if I seem so negative, but I earned all my white hair and consider myself to be a pragmatist.

About the only positive to what has been a total "train wreck" outcome for Mizzou at B12s.  My how fast this program has sunk to new lows.  Anyone that has read my rants about the current state of the Tigers, are aware that I feel Brian Smith and staff have lost "their juice" and wrestlers just seems to regress under this current tutelage.  Yes, they have had injuries, but there is more to it then that.  I have my own thoughts that I will share in a future post.  The collapse and shortcomings at Nats last year, and then this embarrassing showing at B12s is a sad indication that the "ship has sunk" and it's time for a new captain.  How's that decision to start Hawks over Whiting last year working out?  Josh Edmonds lack of adjustment and progress over his college career is an indictment on this coaching staff.  Both Edmonds and Hawks were blood round last year.
Thank you Brian Smith for resurrecting the Tiger program to a lofty enough position to be mentioned in the same breath as wrestling royalty programs.  Those legacy programs have moved on, made adjustments to coaches, facilities, etc..., if you really care about your legacy and the future of this program, step aside and open the door for a new "spark plug", like you were 28 yrs ago.  Any of us that have been "old coaches" know that day comes when it's time to hang the whistle on the nail.  Hang too long and your legacy just becomes tarnished, and the topic of "good ole days" conversation when old wrestlers and coaches get together for beers.  Been there done that!

Hwy semis much more predictable than the rest of the tournament. Rod Farva utterly dominates, and Schultz is boring as *I poop my pants, don't laugh at me*.

Happy to see Steed get the win. Mizzou is having an awful tournament.