Staff and recruiting question

[ouchmyknee]

I know next to nothing about wrestling, but wanted to ask a serious question hoping to receive an unbiased answer.

there’s no argument that Goodale has done a helluva job building this program to one that we can all be proud of, but my question is whether at this point if we:

1. Have a B1G caliber staff in place to continue a climb up the B1G rankings

2. Are recruiting at a level to sustain growth or even stay even with where we’ve gotten

I’m afraid that outside of Ashnault and getting some transfers in, we’re not recruiting at a high enough level and we’re not able to develop the talent we have. Again, I have no idea and am asking this not as a troll but simply because I’m curious as to what people in the know would say regardless of whether they live Goodie. @Lex Knapp? Anyone? Thanks!

 

[SCNJ]

JoJo Aragona was the top recruit in his weight class and the #6 overall wrestler in the country last year.

Poz was #2 in the country in his weight class

Janzer was #2 in the country in his weight class

Kyonte Hamilton is #2 in the country in his weight class

Alvarez was #3 in the country in his weight class

Glasgow was #5 in the country in his weight class

Kanniard was #6 in the country in his weight class

This question gets brought up every week during the season and every month during the offseason. Recruiting is not a problem. I don’t even think development is a problem either. I just think the teams around us have bigger brands and way more money to spend on resources.

 

[Leonard23]

JoJo Aragona was the top recruit in his weight class and the #6 overall wrestler in the country last year.

Poz was #2 in the country in his weight class

Janzer was #2 in the country in his weight class

Kyonte Hamilton is #2 in the country in his weight class

Alvarez was #3 in the country in his weight class

Glasgow was #5 in the country in his weight class

Kanniard was #6 in the country in his weight class

This question gets brought up every week during the season and every month during the offseason. Recruiting is not a problem. I don’t even think development is a problem either. I just think the teams around us have bigger brands and way more money to spend on resources.

Recruiting needs to pickup because we're just not landing the really elite recruits like SVN and those are the recruits you need most, and we need multiples of them, if we want to take the next step. I wish I had an answer to how but I don't. We're in the toughest conference, have one of the top practice facilities and match arenas and attendance, just had 2 national champs, yet we mostly can't land those elite recruits. Look at what other schools really wanted the recruits as a good measure. We have to take risks on some highly ranked kids that other schools don't push for and they aren't working out. I'm not blaming the coaches because they're doing everything possible, but it's more than an uphill battle when you don't have the brand and you still have club and HS coaches pushing their kids elsewhere, not to mention the parents. Go hang out at an elite club or a club tourney and see what response you get when talking Rutgers, and look to see how many are wearing Rutgers gear or have Rutgers magnets on their cars vs say PSU...

 

[c_husk]

Recruiting needs to pickup because we're just not landing the really elite recruits like SVN and those are the recruits you need most, and we need multiples of them, if we want to take the next step. I wish I had an answer to how but I don't. We're in the toughest conference, have one of the top practice facilities and match arenas and attendance, just had 2 national champs, yet we mostly can't land those elite recruits. Look at what other schools really wanted the recruits as a good measure. We have to take risks on some highly ranked kids that other schools don't push for and they aren't working out. I'm not blaming the coaches because they're doing everything possible, but it's more than an uphill battle when you don't have the brand and you still have club and HS coaches pushing their kids elsewhere, not to mention the parents. Go hang out at an elite club or a club tourney and see what response you get when talking Rutgers, and look to see how many are wearing Rutgers gear or have Rutgers magnets on their cars vs say PSU...

Soldano is an elite recruit.

 

[ScarletGrapfan]

I am going to agree with Leonard's post. Are we recruiting well....yes to be a team that finishes 10-20. Are we recruiting well enough to be a top 10 team....no.
It is not easy out recruiting the top teams. You need to recruit 2, 3, or 4 Elite recruits a year to get and stay in the top 10. We are getting 1 elite recruit some years and some very solid recruits. If you recruit a wrestler who is ranked 5th in his weight class nationally as a senior, that is a solid recruit. But in a 4 year recruiting cycle there are potentially 10-15 wrestlers better than that recruit.
I think Aragona and Alvarez were elite, but so far Aragona is not panning out(still early and he can still explode on the scene but getting worried). The difference at the top schools that are bringing 3,4,5 elite recruits per class if one does not work out it really has no affect on the team.
It is not easy making that next jump. But I am enjoying the ride!

 

[Leonard23]

Soldano is an elite recruit.

Yes but he's not at the SVN/Bouzakis/Suriano/Ashnault level just yet.

 

[Leonard23]

I am going to agree with Leonard's post. Are we recruiting well....yes to be a team that finishes 10-20. Are we recruiting well enough to be a top 10 team....no.
It is not easy out recruiting the top teams. You need to recruit 2, 3, or 4 Elite recruits a year to get and stay in the top 10. We are getting 1 elite recruit some years and some very solid recruits. If you recruit a wrestler who is ranked 5th in his weight class nationally as a senior, that is a solid recruit. But in a 4 year recruiting cycle there are potentially 10-15 wrestlers better than that recruit.
I think Aragona and Alvarez were elite, but so far Aragona is not panning out(still early and he can still explode on the scene but getting worried). The difference at the top schools that are bringing 3,4,5 elite recruits per class if one does not work out it really has no affect on the team.
It is not easy making that next jump. But I am enjoying the ride!

Yup. And I'm not knocking our coaches as they've been miracle workers to do what they've done with our history and generations of inadequate support and funding. Most people don't realize (and brush it off when you tell them) that Rutgers was not invested in winning and was going through the motions before Goodale took over. Wrestling only fully funded 9.9 scholarships at out-of-state tuition levels within the past 5 or 6 years, and only fully funded the full 9.9 scholarships at in-state tuition levels at some point in the last 8 or 9 years. Prior to Goodale's arrival in 2007, we almost cut wrestling and were offering 2.9 to 4.4 of the 9.9 scholarships available and only at in-state tuition levels. Goodale and staff were miracle workers being competitive and producing AAs with those financial constraints and one of the worst facilities.

 

[Racpack]

We don't have enough elite athletes compared to the other teams. Other than the year when Suriano and Ashnault were national champs we are usually ranked in the 15-25 range. I don't see that changing. Transfers have really helped us get a higher ranking- Suriano, Alvarez, and Rivera. Hopefully we get Shane Griffith. We need a recruiting coordinator that has good contacts with high school coaches in more than just the shore region. We have one All American on the coaching staff. If it is not a recruiting issue, it must be a wrestler development issue. Otherwise, what else could it be? We should probably accept and be happy with a # 15 ranking until we get a change at the top.

 

[Leonard23]

We don't have enough elite athletes compared to the other teams. Other than the year when Suriano and Ashnault were national champs we are usually ranked in the 15-25 range. I don't see that changing. Transfers have really helped us get a higher ranking- Suriano, Alvarez, and Rivera. Hopefully we get Shane Griffith. We need a recruiting coordinator that has good contacts with high school coaches in more than just the shore region. We have one All American on the coaching staff. If it is not a recruiting issue, it must be a wrestler development issue. Otherwise, what else could it be? We should probably accept and be happy with a # 15 ranking until we get a change at the top.

Here's a quick comparison:
In 11 seasons at Hofstra, Tom Ryan had 11 AAs and never had a finalist (3 of those AAs came in yr 11). In his 1st 4 years at tOSU, he had 3 national champs and 15 AAs, and since then in 14 seasons has gone on to win a team title, 7 top 3 team finishes at NCAAs, had 12 individual NCAA champs and 53 AAs. In 11 seasons here, Goodale had 8 AAs, and in his 12th season, he had 2 national champs for a total of 10 AAs. Did Ryan suddenly start recruiting better when he got to tOSU? If that doesn't tell you that brand, support, history, and overcoming those club and HS coach and parent biases, then I don't know what will.

 

[Racpack]

Here's a quick comparison:
In 11 seasons at Hofstra, Tom Ryan had 11 AAs and never had a finalist (3 of those AAs came in yr 11). In his 1st 4 years at tOSU, he had 3 national champs and 15 AAs, and since then in 14 seasons has gone on to win a team title, 7 top 3 team finishes at NCAAs, had 12 individual NCAA champs and 53 AAs. In 11 seasons here, Goodale had 8 AAs, and in his 12th season, he had 2 national champs for a total of 10 AAs. Did Ryan suddenly start recruiting better when he got to tOSU? If that doesn't tell you that brand, support, history, and overcoming those club and HS coach and parent biases, then I don't know what will.

Leonard - I don't know the answer. Can you compare the Ohio State staff, recruiting coordinator, and work out partners to Rutgers. Is it a recruiting issue or a development issue? Are you saying that we will remain a good but not great team - base on the conditions at Rutgers compared to the top school? If yes, I can be happy with a top 10 to 15 team. Have there been coaches at teams similar to Rutgers that had their team in the top 10. Is NC State an example of such a team?

 

[PessimisticallyHopefulPragmatist]

ouchmyknee
Those are excellent questions and I've alluded to them before if not asked more explicitly. Questions like these should be asked and are a healthy part of any competitive process. However, to a large extent, the posters here are avid fans that act much like parents when confronted with issues about their children. I've raised real concerns and already been called a troll (whatever that means) by one of the pep squad.

I only closely follow Rutgers and do consider myself a fan. However, I can still see differences in the programs and the development of their athletes. Goodale has built this program and Donnie is a great talent; I don't question that. I do question whether the program can improve any further without taking a close and honest look at itself. This is not an attack on any of the people or the team as a whole; it is an important part of any program to self-evaluate in as objective a manner as possible.

I have coaching experience in multiple sports but only with youth programs. I do not pretend to know enough at any sport to be able to bring a team to a high level. I did develop kids to a point and recognized when I could not take them further. My subject matter knowledge was limited but I had/have enough process experience to know limitations and where a program is lacking. That experience and knowledge were acquired over several decades of business management.

What I saw last evening was pretty much what I remember seeing the last several years (at least three). The fans here are very optimistic going into the season, overly so, and then after the first match or three, they become disappointed. At some point, it needs to be recognized as a systemic problem. Coaches don't necessarily need to be changed but the development process should be examined. I've asked several times but no one has been able or willing to describe the process. I'm not sure they could even define the meaning of "process". So, once again, here is the challenge: what is the process for developing a wrestler? If no one knows, what does that say?

When pointing to our national champions, it is not honest to consider them products of the program. I thought Ashnault had the potential to be a national champ within his first couple of years. It took six. Nick was capable his first year at Penn State if not for his injury. He has decided to train elsewhere, not that I support his attitude but there may be a message there. I'm real big on Poz and hope he doesn't plateau - he has real potential.

I will continue to watch and root for Rutgers wrestlers. Anyone who can take an honest and objective look at the program over the past several years will see commonalities and the appearance of a possible systemic problem. That will require non-defensiveness and dropping the name-calling from the pep squad.

 

[SCNJ]

NC State doesn’t have to compete locally with multiple Ivy League schools and the Penn States of the world. Obviously those schools can still poach their talent but schools like NC State can fence their region much better than we can.

It’s going to take time, and maybe some high school coaching changes, but Rutgers has to shake the stigma that they’re not a respectable program in the eyes of the BC’s and Blairs of the world. Need guys like Sammy, Poz, and eventually Soldano to make runs in the national tournament. Show them that Ashnault wasn’t a once in a life time recruit.

 

[Harleyr1]

In regards to this line of questioning ..are we overrating Jersey wrestlers and their country rankings ...seems all our top recruits are Jersey kids ...is it possible the NJ wrestlers don’t have the pedigree of other states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Iowa as a for instance ..seems like top NJ recruits don’t have the same results as other state ..AA and NS and Miles Martin not withstanding ....what other Jersey kid went somewhere else and succeeded like his rankings suggested he should ...just wondering ..not an opinion at all ..just a thought

 

[PessimisticallyHopefulPragmatist]

...they’re not a respectable program in the eyes of the BC’s and Blairs of the world...

Has anyone asked them why?

 

[Jersey Boys]

In regards to this line of questioning ..are we overrating Jersey wrestlers and their country rankings ...seems all our top recruits are Jersey kids ...is it possible the NJ wrestlers don’t have the pedigree of other states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Iowa as a for instance ..seems like top NJ recruits don’t have the same results as other state ..AA and NS and Miles Martin not withstanding ....what other Jersey kid went somewhere else and succeeded like his rankings suggested he should ...just wondering ..not an opinion at all ..just a thought

Good question, so would need to research, but I will say that I’m very curious to see how Van Ness performs. Also curious to see what Poz ultimately does over next 2-3 years.

 

[Racpack]

NC State doesn’t have to compete locally with multiple Ivy League schools and the Penn States of the world. Obviously those schools can still poach their talent but schools like NC State can fence their region much better than we can.

NC State recruits nationally and less than 15% of their rooster is from NC. Some of their best wrestlers are from Pa and they got them over PSU. It seems to me that we will be a good - but not great team until our recruiting breaks through. If it is not development issues, we need a great recruiting coordinator who is tight with high school coaches and better work out partners that appeal to recruits. Or is it development issues. Maybe someone close to the team such as WNG can comment.

 

[PessimisticallyHopefulPragmatist]

In regards to this line of questioning ..are we overrating Jersey wrestlers and their country rankings ...seems all our top recruits are Jersey kids ...is it possible the NJ wrestlers don’t have the pedigree of other states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Iowa as a for instance ..seems like top NJ recruits don’t have the same results as other state ..AA and NS and Miles Martin not withstanding ....what other Jersey kid went somewhere else and succeeded like his rankings suggested he should ...just wondering ..not an opinion at all ..just a thought

Wow. I can recall looking at the NCAA finals some years with amazement at how many finalists were from NJ, and also how many champions. NJ is top-four in individual champions.

 

[Clearscreen25]

In regards to this line of questioning ..are we overrating Jersey wrestlers and their country rankings ...seems all our top recruits are Jersey kids ...is it possible the NJ wrestlers don’t have the pedigree of other states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Iowa as a for instance ..seems like top NJ recruits don’t have the same results as other state ..AA and NS and Miles Martin not withstanding ....what other Jersey kid went somewhere else and succeeded like his rankings suggested he should ...just wondering ..not an opinion at all ..just a thought

Off the top of my head, Mekhi Lewis, Pat Glory, Shane Griffith did and are doing well. Cornell plucked a few NJ guys recently who look like big contributors. Going back a little further, Cassar(overperformed), Molinaro, Caldwell.

 

[SCNJ]

In regards to this line of questioning ..are we overrating Jersey wrestlers and their country rankings ...seems all our top recruits are Jersey kids ...is it possible the NJ wrestlers don’t have the pedigree of other states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Iowa as a for instance ..seems like top NJ recruits don’t have the same results as other state ..AA and NS and Miles Martin not withstanding ....what other Jersey kid went somewhere else and succeeded like his rankings suggested he should ...just wondering ..not an opinion at all ..just a thought

The last time there was a national championship, 4 of the 10 champions were from NJ. Suriano, Ashnault, Mekhi, and Cassar. McKenna was also a finalist.

So no, I don’t think the state of NJ has a mysterious condition where wrestlers peak in high school.

 

[Jersey Boys]

Off the top of my head, Mekhi Lewis, Pat Glory, Shane Griffith did and are doing well. Cornell plucked a few NJ guys recently who look like big contributors. Going back a little further, Cassar(overperformed), Molinaro, Caldwell.

caldwell is also another NJ stud that went to NC State. I just don’t remember what his national ranking was at the time.

 

[FoxRU]

NC State recruits nationally and less than 15% of their rooster is from NC. Some of their best wrestlers are from Pa and they got them over PSU. It seems to me that we will be a good - but not great team until our recruiting breaks through. If it is not development issues, we need a great recruiting coordinator who is tight with high school coaches and better work out partners that appeal to recruits. Or is it development issues. Maybe someone close to the team such as WNG can comment.

NC State has a phenomenal coach but also a very specific program that will appeal to a certain athlete. Kids have to sign a contract with several conditions ie. no drinking, etc...That level of discipline is not for everyone.

 

[Jersey Boys]

I’m not going to give a long detailed post about RU recruiting and development, but Leonard and I have been saying for years that our wrestlers tend to perform to their ranking. I was bullish on Jo Jo and still look forward to him finally breaking out, but he’s not to the level of say Van Ness or some of the no brainer blue chips. Not red shirting was a mistake as we now know. He’s not Dake. Everyone knew Glasgow was a step below Mikah Lewis.

There are levels to elite recruits and we have only landed at best a handful of those true no brainer blue chippers. What I’m basically saying is while some may argue we don’t always develop wrestlers I also feel we at times over rate our wrestlers.

Outside of Aguilar (speechless on that one) what was a real surprise yesterday? Seriously, what was? Did we really expect Donner to win here? We had a depth guy at 133 and MVB was seconds from pulling off the upset twice. NOBODY expected Colucci to prevent bonus points vs Parris. If Sammy wrestles in that spot, Aguilar doesn’t shit the bed and if MVB took 2 seconds to pause and finish properly we would all be boasting how close we were.

To be honest, outside of Aguilar, the only wrestler I expected to see more from was Kanniard and he at least got tougher in the 3rd.

EDIT: The only thing I would add from last night is that I would like to see more nastiness and aggression from our guys. That’s was Rivera brings. Sammy has it and so does Janzer. That F you I’m going to break you down attitude. Grello lacks it and I don’t quite see it from Kanniard yet. Don’t give up 2 points on the edge... don’t give up the TD or reversal with a few seconds etc. Did you see Poz fight Walker and then immediately reshoot? That’s what we are missing and that is what SeaBass wants us to show.

 

[Leonard23]

Leonard - I don't know the answer. Can you compare the Ohio State staff, recruiting coordinator, and work out partners to Rutgers. Is it a recruiting issue or a development issue? Are you saying that we will remain a good but not great team - base on the conditions at Rutgers compared to the top school? If yes, I can be happy with a top 10 to 15 team. Have there been coaches at teams similar to Rutgers that had their team in the top 10. Is NC State an example of such a team?

Jaggers is their lead assistant and a 2x national champ, just like Pritzlaff. Recruiting coordinator isn't landing these very elite kids so that's not it. Pollard is a better technician and runs a better practice than many HCs at other programs (college, RTC, club or HS), yet you never hear about him and he's one of the most underrated coaches. Go hang out at Blair, Sem, Buxton, Young Guns, among many other elite clubs and schools, or talk to those parents, coaches and kids. They're not really interested in Rutgers and I don't know how to change that, but it's systemic and no different than football and basketball not landing the very elite recruits due to all the things I previously posted. Get those very elite and we're on our way. Those very elite recruits would be AAs and champs here, just like when they go to those blue bloods. I love Ashnault, but Cael chose Retherford over him. Anyone that thought he underperformed here because he wasn't a multiple times national champ or finalist is nuts.

ouchmyknee
Those are excellent questions and I've alluded to them before if not asked more explicitly. Questions like these should be asked and are a healthy part of any competitive process. However, to a large extent, the posters here are avid fans that act much like parents when confronted with issues about their children. I've raised real concerns and already been called a troll (whatever that means) by one of the pep squad.

I only closely follow Rutgers and do consider myself a fan. However, I can still see differences in the programs and the development of their athletes. Goodale has built this program and Donnie is a great talent; I don't question that. I do question whether the program can improve any further without taking a close and honest look at itself. This is not an attack on any of the people or the team as a whole; it is an important part of any program to self-evaluate in as objective a manner as possible.

I have coaching experience in multiple sports but only with youth programs. I do not pretend to know enough at any sport to be able to bring a team to a high level. I did develop kids to a point and recognized when I could not take them further. My subject matter knowledge was limited but I had/have enough process experience to know limitations and where a program is lacking. That experience and knowledge were acquired over several decades of business management.

What I saw last evening was pretty much what I remember seeing the last several years (at least three). The fans here are very optimistic going into the season, overly so, and then after the first match or three, they become disappointed. At some point, it needs to be recognized as a systemic problem. Coaches don't necessarily need to be changed but the development process should be examined. I've asked several times but no one has been able or willing to describe the process. I'm not sure they could even define the meaning of "process". So, once again, here is the challenge: what is the process for developing a wrestler? If no one knows, what does that say?

When pointing to our national champions, it is not honest to consider them products of the program. I thought Ashnault had the potential to be a national champ within his first couple of years. It took six. Nick was capable his first year at Penn State if not for his injury. He has decided to train elsewhere, not that I support his attitude but there may be a message there. I'm real big on Poz and hope he doesn't plateau - he has real potential.

I will continue to watch and root for Rutgers wrestlers. Anyone who can take an honest and objective look at the program over the past several years will see commonalities and the appearance of a possible systemic problem. That will require non-defensiveness and dropping the name-calling from the pep squad.

Who has underperformed, and have we had more underperformers than any other program? Don't act like we've had really elite talent underperform.

I’m not going to give a long detailed post about RU recruiting and development, but Leonard and I have been saying for years that our wrestlers tend to perform to their ranking. I was bullish on Jo Jo and still look forward to him finally breaking out, but he’s not to the level of say Van Ness or some of the no brainer blue chips. Not red shirting was a mistake as we now know. He’s not Dake. Everyone knew Glasgow was a step below Mikah Lewis.

There are levels to elite recruits and we have only landed at best a handful of those true no brainer blue chippers. What I’m basically saying is while some may argue we don’t always develop wrestlers I also feel we at times over rate our wrestlers.

Outside of Aguilar (speechless on that one) what was a real surprise yesterday? Seriously, what was? Did we really expect Donner to win here? We had a depth guy at 133 and MVB was seconds from pulling off the upset twice. NOBODY expected Colucci to prevent bonus points vs Parris. If Sammy wrestles in that spot, Aguilar doesn’t shit the bed and if MVB took 2 seconds to pause and finish properly we would all be boasting how close we were.

To be honest, outside of Aguilar, the only wrestler I expected to see more from was Kanniard and he at least got tougher in the 3rd.

Exactly.

 

[LETSGORU91]

EDIT: The only thing I would add from last night is that I would like to see more nastiness and aggression from our guys. That’s was Rivera brings. Sammy has it and so does Janzer. That F you I’m going to break you down attitude. Grello lacks it and I don’t quite see it from Kanniard yet. Don’t give up 2 points on the edge... don’t give up the TD or reversal with a few seconds etc. Did you see Poz fight Walker and then immediately reshoot? That’s what we are missing and that is what SeaBass wants us to show.

Kanniard was wrestling his first match with the big boys and he went against a top 10 wrestler. Yes, some head scratching in the match. But my takeaway was aggression and the willingness to try and create which is lacking for others on the team. So top 10 opponent and lost by 6 points? I'm ok with that. He will learn how to wrestle in the B1G, he has skills and he is willing to use those skills based on what I saw last night. Unless you watched him wrestle last year, I'm not sure how you can say you don't quite see if from Kanniard yet.

 

[ouchmyknee]

Thank you for the answers. I obviously root for RU, but not knowing much about wrestling, was wondering how we take the next step. Do any other B1G teams have a high school coach as head coach? Wondering if the norm is to be coached by former national champ/multiple AAs? Do staffs usually have former top international wrestlers? Could RU even lure in someone better than Goodale?

 

[SCNJ]

Thank you for the answers. I obviously root for RU, but not knowing much about wrestling, was wondering how we take the next step. Do any other B1G teams have a high school coach as head coach? Wondering if the norm is to be coached by former national champ/multiple AAs? Do staffs usually have former top international wrestlers? Could RU even lure in someone better than Goodale?

Pritzlaff is the assistant who is more of the technician. He’s a 2x national champ.

Most of us believe he or Ashnault will be the next head coach, depending on when Goodale is ready to go and where Ashnault is with this freestyle career

 

[13duke st.]

The key is continuing to develop the RTCs an possibly adding larger “name” coaches to the staff. Also recruiting nationally needs to be a priority. A lot of kids want to get away for colllrge. This has worked against Rutgers but could be an advantage by recruiting from the Midwest. Hey kid you wanna get out of the cornfields and be close to two large cities and the jersey shore?

 

[Leonard23]

NC State has a phenomenal coach but also a very specific program that will appeal to a certain athlete. Kids have to sign a contract with several conditions ie. no drinking, etc...That level of discipline is not for everyone.

He also has strong connections with some top clubs and people don't look down at NCST like they do Rutgers. His brother founded and runs Journeymen. NCST wrestling has a much richer history and tradition and has always been committed to supporting a winning program. They had a good practice facility in the 90s. Bob Guzzo was HC for 30 years, 1975-2004, and had 4 national champs and 24 AAs while we were barely funding 2 schollies and looking to cut the program. No comparison and goes back to my earlier comments.

EDIT: The only thing I would add from last night is that I would like to see more nastiness and aggression from our guys. That’s was Rivera brings. Sammy has it and so does Janzer. That F you I’m going to break you down attitude. Grello lacks it and I don’t quite see it from Kanniard yet. Don’t give up 2 points on the edge... don’t give up the TD or reversal with a few seconds etc. Did you see Poz fight Walker and then immediately reshoot? That’s what we are missing and that is what SeaBass wants us to show.

I see it at all levels, youth, MS, HS, and college and I've mentioned before on here that you can't really teach that aggressiveness and attacking style. You either have that mentality or don't. You know we preach relentless pursuit and coach to be aggressive, attacking and nasty, but many don't have that mentality so it's not going to change much, unfortunately.

 

[Racpack]

Pritzlaff is the assistant who is more of the technician. He’s a 2x national champ.

Most of us believe he or Ashnault will be the next head coach, depending on when Goodale is ready to go and where Ashnault is with this freestyle career

Before we anoint Ashnault, let's see him coach, develop kids, and demonstrate he can recruit. Imagine that Pritzlaff has had head coaching opportunities. Does he want to be a head coach? If not, we should look at Mike Grey (before Cornell promotes him) who is a great recruiter or Bryan Synder who has been recruiting the east really well for Nebraska and was JB's coach. Synder may want to return to his Pa. roots.

 

[Bobbynieds]

Pritzlaff turned down the Maryland job.
If Goodale retires and takes another role, Pritzlaff would be an amazing Head Coach.

Mike Grey has established himself at Cornell and I don't see him going anywhere (I would rather have Donnie over Mike G.)

 

[c_husk]

In regards to this line of questioning ..are we overrating Jersey wrestlers and their country rankings ...seems all our top recruits are Jersey kids ...is it possible the NJ wrestlers don’t have the pedigree of other states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania or Iowa as a for instance ..seems like top NJ recruits don’t have the same results as other state ..AA and NS and Miles Martin not withstanding ....what other Jersey kid went somewhere else and succeeded like his rankings suggested he should ...just wondering ..not an opinion at all ..just a thought

2019 40% of National Champs were from NJ. Suriano, Ashnault, Lewis , Cessar

 

[SCNJ]

Pritzlaff turned down the Maryland job.
If Goodale retires and takes another role, Pritzlaff would be an amazing Head Coach.

Mike Grey has established himself at Cornell and I don't see him going anywhere (I would rather have Donnie over Mike G.)

Wisconsin job, I believe. He would be a great coach but he either doesn’t want to leave NJ or doesn’t truly want to be a head coach. Wisconsin was the perfect opportunity to go back to his own school but having a family established here, he likely didn’t want to uproot everything.

 

[MS-RU]

Here is a good example:

I don't think anyone was surprised with Donners performance last night, because he was exactly who we know him to be..but it is very surprising/curious that he is still the best (and literally the only option) at the weight. Against B1G only competition, there is a very real chance he might not win a match the entire year. That's a complete failure by any measure.

 

[koleszar]

EDIT: The only thing I would add from last night is that I would like to see more nastiness and aggression from our guys. That’s was Rivera brings. Sammy has it and so does Janzer. That F you I’m going to break you down attitude. Grello lacks it and I don’t quite see it from Kanniard yet. Don’t give up 2 points on the edge... don’t give up the TD or reversal with a few seconds etc. Did you see Poz fight Walker and then immediately reshoot? That’s what we are missing and that is what SeaBass wants us to show.

Van Brill is starting to show it. I know I'm going to get killed, but I don't know if I can watch any more Grello matches in my lifetime. Great kid I'm sure but just so passive on the mat, nothing but defense.

 

[koleszar]

Kanniard was wrestling his first match with the big boys and he went against a top 10 wrestler. Yes, some head scratching in the match. But my takeaway was aggression and the willingness to try and create which is lacking for others on the team. So top 10 opponent and lost by 6 points? I'm ok with that. He will learn how to wrestle in the B1G, he has skills and he is willing to use those skills based on what I saw last night. Unless you watched him wrestle last year, I'm not sure how you can say you don't quite see if from Kanniard yet.

Like @SCNJ said last night "deer in the head lights". I for one was very surprised at his performance as I streamed several of the tournaments he was in last year. Had a keen interest as he's from my area and the Wall boys have been hyping him up. What I saw was a kid very slick on his feet and constantly attacking always pushing the action, bottom a problem and top was nonexistent.

Match comes up not one shot in 1st two periods and some wild ass attempts at throws. Didn't see him try a throw once last year. Now bottom obviously got better, top who cares as long as you're superior on your feet but "deer in the head lights" was a perfect description. I saw crap from him I never saw last year.

 

[SCNJ]

Just to follow up, I have no concerns about Kanniards development moving forward. I think he was a little nervous and let it get the best of him. He turned it on late. He’s still going to be a good one.

 

[LETSGORU91]

Van Brill is starting to show it. I know I'm going to get killed, but I don't know if I can watch any more Grello matches in my lifetime. Great kid I'm sure but just so passive on the mat, nothing but defense.

I am with you on your post. As far as defense goes, he kept the score relatively close but gave up some easy takedowns without a struggle. I will give Joe a semi-pass based on his opponent, but this story seems to have been repeated year in and year out.

Like @SCNJ said last night "deer in the head lights". I for one was very surprised at his performance as I streamed several of the tournaments he was in last year. Had a keen interest as he's from my area and the Wall boys have been hyping him up. What I saw was a kid very slick on his feet and constantly attacking always pushing the action, bottom a problem and top was nonexistent.

Match comes up not one shot in 1st two periods and some wild ass attempts at throws. Didn't see him try a throw once last year. Now bottom obviously got better, top who cares as long as you're superior on your feet but "deer in the head lights" was a perfect description. I saw crap from him I never saw last year.

I will defer to your assessment from last year as you have watched some of his matches. I will also need to go back and watch his match from last night. Perhaps you and SCNJ are right. My judgement could have been clouded by his aggressiveness in the third period. Was it effective? No, but I was happy for someone to do something at that point and attempt to score an offensive point. That has been a problem the past several years outside of our top half of the lineup. Will see how the season progresses, but first match on the big stage against a quality opponent, I'm won't be too critical of Robbie.

 

[koleszar]

Just to follow up, I have no concerns about Kanniards development moving forward. I think he was a little nervous and let it get the best of him. He turned it on late. He’s still going to be a good one.

I didn't mean to imply you meant he won't develop. I think he'll develop as well and thought this was just a case of 1st time jitters. As this was nothing like I saw from him last year, as he was the aggressor had nice setups and quick finishes. He started to calm down in the 3rd but too late. I will say I'm very encouraged that he's able to get out from bottom that was my major concern last year.

 

[LETSGORU91]

@koleszar and @SCNJ . You guys hit the nail on the head. I just watched and the third period must have totally clouded my opinion of the match overall. He came out way too timid but also seemed to try and get out of situations by trying to muscle his way through them and/or not respecting the talent level of Lewan. That cost him two sets of back points and takedowns. He semi-woke up with about one minute left in the second. But really woke up in the third period. He took several shots in the third (and I thought he should have been given a takedown on one of them) and tried some throws which would have worked easily in high school. His defense was much better as well in the third. Much of what happened in the first 5 minutes are fixable. If he wrestles the entire match like he did in the third period, he has potential to keep many of his matches close and possibly make some noise.

 

[Leonard23]

@koleszar and @SCNJ . You guys hit the nail on the head. I just watched and the third period must have totally clouded my opinion of the match overall. He came out way too timid but also seemed to try and get out of situations by trying to muscle his way through them and/or not respecting the talent level of Lewan. That cost him two sets of back points and takedowns. He semi-woke up with about one minute left in the second. But really woke up in the third period. He took several shots in the third (and I thought he should have been given a takedown on one of them) and tried some throws which would have worked easily in high school. His defense was much better as well in the third. Much of what happened in the first 5 minutes are fixable. If he wrestles the entire match like he did in the third period, he has potential to keep many of his matches close and possibly make some noise.

I'd put a big TBD or ? for him. Maybe he'll grab an AA as a senior like Delvecchio and Theobold, but he has a lot of work to get there. Good thing is he has 4 years left after this so hopefully he does.