No. 21 Rutgers Wrestling Opens 2022-23 Dual Season with Clarion at College Ave. Gym, road Saturday to face Sacred Heart and No. 6 Arizona State
- Thread starter Tango Two
- Start date
Well that’s the thing we don’t even have wrestleoffs as a data point.. I think having multiple NQ at one weight, is kinda overrated…especially if they r on similar timelines.. usually someone just ends up transferring out ie: Mackall, Paetzell, Lipari etc..
If alternation duals is going to keep everyone happy until next year where both can potentially start then yeah maybe this is best then… I think we did the right thing for the Poz/Soldano situation.. imagine if they just alternated duals this year only to burn eligibility for one of them..
I don't think that we are a program on the rise. I guess it depends on expectations. We are a program that rose and has plateaued as a top 10 to 20 level program. NJ has the second or third best high school wrestling in the country and we are in close proximity to Penna and Ohio. My expectations are we should be a consistent top 10 program and we reached that level only once. What are your expectations?
2013 35th
2014 34th
2015 31st
2016 15th
2017 19th
2018 11th
2019 9th (Suriano & Ashnault)
2020 no tournament
2021 13th
2022 20th
We, this forum, doesn’t have that data point but it sounds as if there were indicator matches where the results weren’t announced. I’m sure the coaches know how they fare against each other.
All of the top teams have multiple potential NQs on their rosters. The Penn States and Iowas have more than 10 great wrestlers in their room. They fill their room with top competition and if someone good has to transfer out because there’s no spot, it means there’s someone better at that weight. It’s a good problem.
While the last two years are down from the prior two tournaments, the AA streak is continuing and we’re significantly on the rise compared to a decade ago. Progress and improvement isn’t linear. There’s peaks and valleys. I still think we’re trending upwards.
Going from 30th to 10th was a pretty big jump. Going from 10th to 5th is going to be even steeper of a climb. I still think overall we’re improving. This team could look so much different with an average Big 10 wrestler at 165.
Last edited:
Piling up wins during the year especially at the beginning of the season against Sister Mary's School of the Poor is not exactly a great barometer. B1G results are when it comes to duals.
2014-15 / 2-7
2015-16 / 5-4
2016-17 / 6-3
2017-18 / 3-6
2018-19 / 5-4
2019-20 / 4-5
2021-21 / 0-4
2021-22 / 3-5
We're average to below average. Which translates pretty well to a 10 to 20 team in tournaments.
It is difficult so some folks to be a fan and also be objective.
Let’s name the criteria to be consider a team on the rise. Then after the season look back and see how we did.
Based on what we have at Rutgers, I say we should be a top 10 tournament team with a winning record in the Big Ten.
I believe we have a better fan base, facilities, and environment for recruiting than Missouri, Va. Tech, NC State, and other teams that out perform us 75.% of the time. These are state universities that don’t have the benefit of the Ivies
Let’s name the criteria to be consider a team on the rise. Then after the season look back and see how we did.
Based on what we have at Rutgers, I say we should be a top 10 tournament team with a winning record in the Big Ten.
I believe we have a better fan base, facilities, and environment for recruiting than Missouri, Va. Tech, NC State, and other teams that out perform us 75.% of the time. These are state universities that don’t have the benefit of the Ivies
Because he didn't want to redshirt. Feels he is the starter. Next year I see him moving up. Sammy and White moving up one weight class
Kole, every team wrestles the Sister Mary's School of the Poor. We tried to schedule Lehigh and Okie St. this year. The our open dates didn't match up with their open dates. Guys judge the team in early February not November. Nobody is an AA in November.
Not what I'm saying. I realize Goodale always tries to get tough opponents. My response was to Bill saying, we should look at judging our program another way rather than just tournaments and look at dual meet records.
But that's really not a good gauge as we're not wrestling a lot of our peer schools. Our peer schools are in the B1G. So, a better gauge if we look at the dual meet record would be to look at our B1G record. When you look at our dual record in the B1G you get a better sense where we are in the pecking order.
Even though we are in the B1G the gap between us and PSU or Iowa is pretty much the same as us and a Clarion. You should probably throw out the outliers on the top as well to really gauge where the program is.
Whether anyone will admit it or not, the reality is we have an automatic loss on the schedule each year with PSU and the years we get matched up with Iowa it’s 0-2 before we step on the mat unfortunately. Everyone else in conference is fair game but it’s one of those two schools (mostly PSU) winning the NC 14 out of the last 15 years. Oh and it was another conference and division mate OSU who won the other one. It’s a whole different level that they are on.
Yeah, when we wrestle Penn State there’s a good likelihood that literally half their starting lineup will graduate with at least 1 national championship and probably 8 or 9 will graduate with at least 1 year of AA status.
This year alone they have 4 starters that already have a national title. That doesn’t even include Kerkvliet who is ranked #1 in some places. And in the other 5 spots, they probably have a former top 5 recruit. It’s an embarassment of riches and it’s even worse that they’re close enough to us that they’ll often poach the guys that would otherwise come here.
This year alone they have 4 starters that already have a national title. That doesn’t even include Kerkvliet who is ranked #1 in some places. And in the other 5 spots, they probably have a former top 5 recruit. It’s an embarassment of riches and it’s even worse that they’re close enough to us that they’ll often poach the guys that would otherwise come here.
Then you'd have to throw out a Maryland as they're an automatic win. Plus, everyone else in the B1G wrestles those schools as well.
Yep, besides Max Dean, their whole starting lineup is just a bunch of former top 10 p4p recruits.. Howard, RBY, Bartlett, SVN, Haines, Facundo, Cstar, Brooks, Kerk…and they already loaded up for the future… they got it good… I find myself rooting for Iowa to dethrone them
How serious is Kanniard's injury? Is he likely to be available later in the season? Otherwise, I would think that they've got to give Gayer some of his 5 free matches once January comes around to see how he fares. I suppose this would depend on the opponent.
Gayer, had one of his 5 at the Princeton open. He went 2-2, lost to HS senior 10-3. If he was better than O'Neill he would be starting.
I get it we are in trouble at 165, but the best kid in the room is starting
Realistically we’re competing annually against Michigan St, Purdue, Northwestern, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois. The next stepping stone is consistently being towards the top of that group.
As a frequent reader and seldom poster, I learn more from the unbiased posters compared to shills who try to entice us that everything is rosy. It is hard to accept statements from pollyanna "insiders" who want to pretend that all is sweetness and light.
Our wrestling team seems to have reach its peaked in the top 10 to 20 range. Only once has the team done better than 11th.
Yes, we shouldn't expect to beat Iowa and Penn State. But, we should be competitive with the rest of the Big Ten and teams like Missouri, NC State, Va. Tech. and ASU.
While top 10 to 20 is not bad, it is not unrealistic to aspire to be a top ten program. It will take self examination: continuing to do what is being done well and making adjustments and changes in areas where the team is lacking.
Our wrestling team seems to have reach its peaked in the top 10 to 20 range. Only once has the team done better than 11th.
Yes, we shouldn't expect to beat Iowa and Penn State. But, we should be competitive with the rest of the Big Ten and teams like Missouri, NC State, Va. Tech. and ASU.
While top 10 to 20 is not bad, it is not unrealistic to aspire to be a top ten program. It will take self examination: continuing to do what is being done well and making adjustments and changes in areas where the team is lacking.
Maryland won't be an automatic win anymore.. they have a good team this year.
Truth, still does not mean that Gayer is ready to be the starter at 165. If Gayer was ready he would be the guy.
I agree with this since Kannaird is hurt. If he gets healthy at some point this season I’m already at the point where he should be getting some mat time
I’m not saying we won’t win, but rather they are far from the pushover they used to be. They had a stellar recruiting class 2 years ago and were able to RS a lot of people last year so it’s a completely different team with some actual talent this year.
I agree. I think some posters are not realistic what RU is and should be. I have said over the last 5 or so years that we are a top 10-20 team that every couple years should challenge for a top 4-7 team. It is very hard to break into the top echelon----tradition, funding, etc etc we WERE way behind. We have done a great job getting to where we are currently. We have closed the gap on where we were, but need to keep climbing. We have the funding, facilities, fan base and for the last 5-10 years getting the tradition. Yes, we need to keep climbing. Look it is not easy to crack the top 5 or 10. Look at Ok State the last few years. I still have confidence in the current staff. But the next two to three years should and must produce for us to keep pace with the other Big 10 programs.
Top 20 in any sport is pretty darn good …
The year we peaked at nationals we had 2 national champions..they may have scored all the points.. to realistically be a top 10 team ,scoring wise, at nationals I think 4+ AA is needed..
Mike has thrown some legit names out there as possible recruits. Go get those m-****ers. Stop being in the running, but falling short. This program has a ton to offer, but struggles to close the deal with P4P elite kids. The Ashnault era is over, so where do we go from here? RU starter is 1M X > PSU backup, opportunity wise. The RAC is a house of fire. A national contender will shake the rafters. There are gaps in the lineup, we know, but there is also a serious infusion of young blood waiting to do some damage. 125-149, all legit, and two AA types with sky as the limit potential at 184. I’m critical of this program because I have lived and breathed the sport in this state and as a consequence, I have high standards. I’m not going to rehash the failures because this post is about the possibilities. It’s all there. Just takes one or two of these elite kids to get the message. Can you see it?
I personally think that we spread our money too thin with some of these mid level recruits. That's why we have a log jam. We have too many of those type of wrestlers on the team. Instead of having 7 or 8 recruits with 1 or 2 of them being very good...so why not get 3 recruits that are top flight blue chips, instead? As others mentioned, if they had great workout partners ala resident athletes, there would be no need to have so many recruits as the substitutes. I get it that Rivera and Ashnault were there, but our athletes have already had a feel for them. It answers the question, why some wrestlers on a team could keep it close between each other, but not beat wrestlers of the same quality. Sometimes less is more.
And people say he is not consistent!
Not going to rag on anyone wrestling D1, but this will be our weak spot this year.
Doesn't do any good complaining (unless that makes you feel better), not going to change.
Injuries happen if you put everything into your starters then you've 15-18 walk ons as backups. It's the big 10 not the MAC. Also we don't know how much $ anyone is on . $ isn't why Rutgers isn't getting guys. Everyone looks at recruiting like it's about $. The reason kids choose places would amaze you. Most parents will say we will make it work if this is where he wants to be
I was making a point that Gayer deserves a shot. The person I responded to said that he shouldn't wrestle b/c he lost to a senior.
That is not what I said, here is what I said-
"Gayer, had one of his 5 at the Princeton open. He went 2-2, lost to HS senior 10-3. If he was better than O'Neill he would be starting.
I get it we are in trouble at 165, but the best kid in the room is starting"
He will wrestle at the Open in California next weekend, lets see how he does. My point is if anyone were better than O'Neill they would be starting.
Agreed. If it was all about money, then Penn State wouldn’t have 20 potential all Americans on their roster while only using 9.9 scholarships to fill the room.
Thanks for the clarification. I must have misinterpreted your point.
