Not sure about that theory. Better freestyle results are being generated in Iowa City, too.
CKJ has got to go!
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Not sure about that theory. Better freestyle results are being generated in Iowa City, too.
Another guy that will make our dual team better but isn't likely to AA. Even if he makes it into school and through the season. He's had trouble keeping his head screwed on straight since forever. Here's to him being eligible, healthy and kicking some tail.
Has anyone seen this? KJ's wife was apparently on Twitter talking smack about Jim Gibbons! That's as shameful as it is disappointing. Jim is more Cyclone than she will ever be! You can't expect the guy to blow smoke when the team is getting smoked.
Not that I am a huge fan of KJ but I don't think using the "Iowa was more aggressive" argument is something you can only use against him. We were the exact same when Cael was here too. Of course we have always had a couple of studs who went out and dominated but as a team it's not something we have done. I think it has more to do with the type of wrestlers and the type of coaching the Brands brothers get and provide. Would love to see some of that from our guys, but they are a unique set of guys that have done very well at getting their brand(not intended) of wrestling instilled over there.
KJ can develop elite level talent. He showed that at the OTC and has done it with Varner, Z, Reader and Gadsen. The problem is that the first 3 were Cael recruits and Gadsen was a legacy. No one else has developed. You could make a small case for the Moreno bros after both had horrible FR seasons, but again...they were legacy recruits.
Not a single other wrestler has gotten substantially better under KJ. Hence, he needs top recruits.
Until last year, his top recruit (outside of the legacy's) was Meeks and we all know how that has turned out.
I saw this coming a few years ago and have been on the 'get rid of him' bandwagon for a while. The ONLY thing that gives me pause is that recruiting does (somehow) seem to be picking up. Boston and Harrington were ranked recruits. And Colbray and Gomez are top recruits (what? how?). There are a few other in this class that are ranked at their weights.
If we got some actual talent in the room could that work? I don't know, but it's all I have to hope for. I don't see Pollard caring one way or the other...
Not a single other wrestler has gotten substantially better under KJ. Hence, he needs top recruits.
Until last year, his top recruit (outside of the legacy's) was Meeks and we all know how that has turned out.
I saw this coming a few years ago and have been on the 'get rid of him' bandwagon for a while. The ONLY thing that gives me pause is that recruiting does (somehow) seem to be picking up. Boston and Harrington were ranked recruits. And Colbray and Gomez are top recruits (what? how?). There are a few other in this class that are ranked at their weights.
If we got some actual talent in the room could that work? I don't know, but it's all I have to hope for. I don't see Pollard caring one way or the other...
If you watch any of ISU wrestling, I'm not taking about not being aggressive toward Iowa alone, his teams as a whole haven't been overly aggressive at all.
He's probably referring to 2007-2010 when we were in the top 5 every year including a runner up and two 3rds. We probably hammered some teams those years. Or how about 1996-2002 where we were in the top five 5 times including runner up 3 times and in the top 10 every year. Certainly there were some hammerings in there somewhere. A lot of them.
We can debate whether KJ and Co eventually get the job done but let's not pretend that wrestling success at ISU is ancient history. That's just ridiculous.
I completely agree with you I was just using that example, however I think it has been going on longer than just KJ's tenure.
133: Hall choosing down, whether it was his choice or the staff's, was...well...not a good idea. Earl has never been able to solve that puzzle, and it's usually because Clark dominates on top. No different today, so why would anyone think it was a good idea today?
157: This is probably the weight that upset me the most. Only 1 TD the whole match, it was our guy who got it, and still lost 5-2. A couple things here. Why not put Brietenbach out there anyway? 2. Letting a guy control the head like that in the clinch? You know that's going to happen against Iowa. It's what they do. And the only defense was to run away? Then...when Iowa's on top there, you ball up? To the post I'm quoting...that's the weight, I think.
165: A win, yet still frustrating. That match went from potential bonus points for the good guys, to lucky to hang on...all in a matter of 35 seconds
As for the other weights...
141: Good win for Dante, but was it really? Actually feel like he could have (should have?) done more there
149: Gabe isn't right yet. He's just not. Would it matter if he was? Not with the way we are performing down. Sorensen is a TOUGH kid, and we are just not competing from that position
174: Spoon only had one chance to win that, IMO, and he's not going to throw that kid
184: Pestano had no chance from the start. Should have just forfeited, and when it comes down to it...we did. He was DQ'd...for stalling
197: Actually give Egli some credit here. Only giving up 4 is a small miracle
285: Say what you want about Q, but he had no chance here. Too "small" for a guy like that
125: Larson did all he could do. Gilman is just flat out better. Boston may have kept it closer, but he wouldn't have won either
I do want wonder what's going on. We looked tired AND smaller out there. I mean, ****, Weatherman is wrestling down at least a weight (maybe 2 weights), and Rhoads looked just as big as he did. Pestano and Egli were wrestling monsters, from a size perspective (not to mention from an actual wrestling perspective), out there. Why is Iowa so much bigger...at every single weight class? Dante was the only one who looked to have a physical advantage. Makes no sense.
I think we got mentally destroyed. Cooper messed with Nardo's headgear the whole time after Nardo got that great takedown and frustrated Nardo.
Clark rode Earl hard that 3rd period and destroyed Earl confidence in the last minute.
Tanner was on the way to dominating that kid and he gets takedown and then shuts down.
It happen through the whole meet. Their confidence was destroyed and mentally beat down.
Conditioning (physicially) is there. Remember Dane just went 6-1 (I think) at Nichols Open.
We need to quit putting emphasis on this dual. We are not ready for it. There was no need to raise the mat. Wrestle it like any other dual.
Clark rode Earl hard that 3rd period and destroyed Earl confidence in the last minute.
Tanner was on the way to dominating that kid and he gets takedown and then shuts down.
It happen through the whole meet. Their confidence was destroyed and mentally beat down.
Conditioning (physicially) is there. Remember Dane just went 6-1 (I think) at Nichols Open.
We need to quit putting emphasis on this dual. We are not ready for it. There was no need to raise the mat. Wrestle it like any other dual.
You don't call for a coach's removal because you are unhappy with one dual. Look at Ferentz in Iowa; the boo-birds were all over him in 2014, calling him more than a few not nice names and demanding he be removed; he was too old and outdated; the football world had passed him buy. Today, they are singing his praises, as he takes them to the B10 championship t'ment.
Certainly, KJ does not have the history of a Ferentz, but let's see how the season unfolds before we call for his head. Now is not the time to make the change, even if a change is needed.
JP made it clear with KJ's extension that he was going to focus on fixing the football situation; it is way more important to the school. We need to be patient, but I agree, KJ should be on a short leash to deliver soon, or accept he is not the guy to bring ISU back to top 10 status consistently, and top 5 sometimes (my expectation for the program; I don't think this expectation is unreasonable).
Certainly, KJ does not have the history of a Ferentz, but let's see how the season unfolds before we call for his head. Now is not the time to make the change, even if a change is needed.
JP made it clear with KJ's extension that he was going to focus on fixing the football situation; it is way more important to the school. We need to be patient, but I agree, KJ should be on a short leash to deliver soon, or accept he is not the guy to bring ISU back to top 10 status consistently, and top 5 sometimes (my expectation for the program; I don't think this expectation is unreasonable).
Wrestling is mostly about recruiting top talent. Sure, you can develop a few guys into AA here or there, but for the most part, you have to be recruiting the top guys to win. Right now, we aren't getting those top guys although the next recruiting class looks good. You aren't going to see our guys be the aggressor when we have the less talented wrestler. So annoying to hear fans clamor for more aggressiveness when all that would result in is a quicker tech fall. D-1 wrestling is a highly skilled sport.
Being aggressive doesn't equate to winning. The more talented wrestler wins, and that's why the vaunted Hawks haven't been winning national titles recently, and that trend is likely to continue.
Being aggressive doesn't equate to winning. The more talented wrestler wins, and that's why the vaunted Hawks haven't been winning national titles recently, and that trend is likely to continue.
Just to clarify things about KJ not showing up for the press conference. I am 99.9% sure he and the staff and the team were having a long talk about the performance. Listening to the interview, it was clear KJ did not want to be there. And many of us were not enjoying the end of the dual.
If anybody went to the Social, most were gone when KJ and staff and wrestlers got there. KJ was visibly upset as were the wrestlers. Nobody wanted to talk and as soon as KJ was done speaking, it was over.
Also KJ mentions that he wanted Earl to take neutral and battle on his feet. Earl wanted to take down and get an escape and get a 3-2 win. Didn't happen.
If anybody went to the Social, most were gone when KJ and staff and wrestlers got there. KJ was visibly upset as were the wrestlers. Nobody wanted to talk and as soon as KJ was done speaking, it was over.
Also KJ mentions that he wanted Earl to take neutral and battle on his feet. Earl wanted to take down and get an escape and get a 3-2 win. Didn't happen.
This is probably right, but also a disturbing miscalculation on KJ's part. He may be remembering the tight duals of his own college days (which is also not good, as it seems Alger/Gable got inside his head then, too).
Or the fan base anymore:
"Announced" attendance around 5600 - and there weren't that many there.
For the Iowa meet.
At Hilton.
All of this exactly.
The CKJ apologists on here forget that we were the #3 program historically (1st to 1000 dual wins, 3rd in total team championships and individual champions). I don't think anyone is calling for a national championship but being in the top 10 every year is a minimum expectation for the program. There was a point only 5 years ago when you could walk into almost any wrestler's living room and they'd listen and they'd either choose to ride the pine at Iowa or come to ISU. True... Cael and Penn State messed everything up nationally (his negative affect on our program is a vastly overrated and simplistic excuse) but something is off when you're starting wrestlers who were merely two time place winners at their high school state championships. In recent history those guys were warm practice bodies, not starters and if you can't recruit over that level of talent by telling the high level recruit they are a 4 year starter, then you shouldn't be coaching at ISU.
I think most people don't realize that as a HC in most sports, you're often more of a manager and CEO type than an on the ground type. As a head wrestling coach (club at D-I college), I would like to spend more time wrestling and less time doing paperwork and managing other crises.
That said, bold above is a huge red flag for me. If this is true, it may be tough for the wrestlers to buy in to the head coach. I'm surprised this post hasn't been discussed more in the thread.
How many practices do you suppose Tom Brands missed last week?
