No. 12 Rutgers wrestling wrapped up Big Ten Conference action with Michigan State on Friday
- Thread starter Tango Two
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He has looked like that for weeks. Unless he has a great Big10 tourn, he is looking at about a 25 seed and could go 0-2 or 1-2 at best at Nationals.
Yeah it’s a shame. Four years of a big 10 grind can really wear you out. He was a pretty high rated recruit, panned out, was an AA, and still looks shot. Same with Turley.
When you see things like this, it’s hard to blame guys like Mekhi Lewis who wanted to go to a top program but avoid the exhaustion of a big 10 schedule.
Man, I really hope the plan isn't O'Donnell next year at heavyweight. He can't even get to his knees with someone on his back and this kid is a light heavyweight.
Odonnell will probably be moving on after this year. We will be active in the portal.
Zero chance. He won’t even score a point against a B1G opponent. He is best friends with Goodales son so he’ll get his time in matches like this but I’d be shocked if he is on the roster next year.
197 and Hwt are huge Portal targets. Neither backups are helping the team next year and the Portal is a must
What did he show in HS? Solid High School wrestler, but no where near a top recruit or Big Ten starter wrestler
Can we really blame the b10 grind? Ash had the same b10 grind and had his best year ,his last year, he was locked in…
No, Lewis was an all time great....He would have done great in any conference. College wrestling is brutal, some can handle 5 years of grinding and some bodies and minds cannot.
Smith can have breakfast lunch and dinner on match day and still not cut weight. The kid he wrestled problems goes in 140’s and cuts down
He looked disinterested and not focused. Gave up another two head scratching takedowns without a fight. He hasn't been right for a while.
Ashnault also needed a medical redshirt prior to that year. The big 10 beats your body up.
Yeah I’m not knocking Lewis. He would have been fine anywhere. Just saying that it’s hard to fault him for wanting a less taxing path.
How do u know one of the reasons for Lewis choosing VT was to avoid the b10 grind?
I was originally under the impression that wrestlers wanted to wrestle in the b10 to face the best competition… At least this is what the narrative was when we first moved into the b10 conference….
I heard the same from a friend whose son was on the same Bound Brook team as Mekhi.
If this is the case, where we are losing recruits for being in the b10 and using the excuse that the b10 grind is the reason our wrestlers regressed then idk why we were even originally celebrating the move from EIWA to b10…
Yara and Bulsak went from diff conference to b10 and they seemed to do fine..
IMO the turning point was the moment he hit that high crotch against AB and couldn't get the takedown at PSU a few years ago. Leading up to that point Poz was coming off of an AA and was undefeated. Things went downhill right after. Whether it was a back injury or the flame within him went out, that to me was the moment things noticably changed. After that match he wasn't the same. Tonight's match was ugly. Maybe he's a bit undersized or people have figured him out. What he's accomplished with one eye is pretty impressive. I always pull for the guy, but he doesn't seem as into it. Something is clearly off at the very least.
Relax. Not every wrestler shares the same mindset. I’d argue more guys (A) want the challenge, and (B) want the legacy of being able to say they were a big 10 wrestler.
Not to mention once the revenue sharing stuff works out, Rutgers as a school will be making more money as a big 10 member then wherever else they would be. They got a raw deal with the deferment and then the loan stuff but once all that clears, it’ll prove to be the smart conference choice.
He isn’t the norm and was focused during his RS. He put on muscle. He was strong prior but after his RS no one could out muscle him. I’m sure he targeted his weaknesses but AA was special.
Yes, he is talented and a tuff kid. Just hoping he can get big enough to really compete. He will be behind Dean another year, so hopefully next year can pack on a few more pounds.
I don't think every kid has this mindset, it's just what I was told went into his decision, that all B1G teams were out. They felt the rigors of the B1G would be too much for Mehki's body and as we can see the injuries started to mount even in a lesser conference. My friend would have no reason to lie or makeup stories to me.
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I believe it. Look at how many of the premier wrestlers aren’t wrestling every dual. It’s not always about ducking the competition. It’s about being ready for the title run. Who cares if you go 20-0 in the dual season but have no legs when it comes to tourney time.
I agree with this.. Cael introduced the load management era and the gameplay truly is to wrestle as few matches as possible while still giving you best chance at nationals+ being healthy… look at how few matches are wrestled in today’s era compared to when Cael wrestled..
No. 12 Wrestling Dominates in 28-7 Win over Michigan State
No. 12 Wrestling Dominates in 28-7 Win over Michigan State - Rutgers University Athletics
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – No. 12 Rutgers wrestling (13-5, 5-3) defeated Michigan State (4-8, 0-7), 28-7, on Friday night in front of 3,523 fans at Jersey Mike's Arena.
scarletknights.com
He showed more in high school then your current ranked 184 starter , more then a guy like a Theobold as well ….Torzano is still raw and has room to grow and is a hard worker if he stays healthy he has a chance to be solid
Those guys are exceptions to the rule. If you recruited every wrestler who had similar credentials to Theobold and SCW, you’d have a room full of 1000 kids.
Toranzo has a similar HS resume to Odonnell who is a well liked guy in the room but has absolutely no business being a big 10 starter.
Looks like Smith, Gibson, Hermes, Fongaro, Villani, Nini, DiStefano, Gayer, Blanchette, D Weaver, and Casale are all registered for todays Mat Town Open
Looks like Packer and none of last 4. Wouldn’t shock me if Casale being held out if Poz cannot go as he looked injured and defeated. Who knows on other 3.
In a strange way I kinda hope Poz is inj/has a flu or something(not serious ofc) as to explain his lack of energy, enthusiasm, and grit.
It’s a far cry from when he was a freshman doing the splits,to fight off shots, and wrestling w power n confidence..
After his match vs A Brooks Poz has never looked quite the same.. maybe it’s just a confidence thing but he lost the aura since then..
We need to invest in the same Sports psychologist that PSU and all the top programs have.. as so much of this sport is in the mental game..
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