Loyalty ..... NONE!

[cloneswillwin]

Love the fact that people are on here supporting the program against what I believe to be panther hawk trolls.

Are we where we we want to be? NO

Should we expect to be a top 10 program competing for titles every few years? YES

Did Cael leave his Alma mater in a huge hole? YES

Has KJ improved the program every year since the hole opened? YES

Is he the right coach to get us where we want to be?

Jury is still out, we are mid-season on what appears to be another year of improvement. I also have concern that we aren't landing the blue chippers that we need to return to our former level. I admit that there is a huge difference between 12th and even 4th.

Let's support the coach we have now and the wrestlers we have now. Doesn't mean we can't expect better than what we saw this weekend but the endless fire KJ stuff has to stop or just go away.

 

[Wesley]

Let's put it this way. He is doing a better job than CPR.

 

[Exorcyzed]

My problem is with individual player development. I don't see much improvement over the course of the season, and for that matter, with limited exceptions, from one season to the next. It appears our aggressiveness often declines as the season "wears" on.

 

[isuska]

My problem is with individual player development. I don't see much improvement over the course of the season, and for that matter, with limited exceptions, from one season to the next. It appears our aggressiveness often declines as the season "wears" on.

 

[cytopia]

So anyone that isn't drinking the koolaid is a Panther/hawk troll? That's laughable. You may think i am an extremist to the point that i don't think that KJ is the guy for our team but i have come full circle on this. Nobody was singing his praises more than i was when he was hired. He used to say all the right things and i thought he was making the right moves, but now that we've got a much larger sample size of his coaching abilities i can see that they are minimal. Why delay the inevitable? He's going to be gone. Let's just get it over with and get someone else in here to try and right the ship. I just want iowa state to be competitive again. We haven't been for a long time.

 

[HGoat]

Ranked 12th in D1 wrestling with the limited number of competings schools, is like Iowa St mbb being ranked 80th

Are you serious?

No

 

[CycloneGrappler]

Ranked 12th in D1 wrestling with the limited number of competings schools, is like Iowa St mbb being ranked 80th

Jambalaya there are 128 Div Football teams in the FBS ---- There are 79 Div 1 Wrestling teams in 2014-15.


So if ISU is ranked 12th.... Here is the Breakdown.

Top 84.811 % of teams in wrestling.... Compared to 90.625 % if we are comparing football. Not quite 80th... But I still feel ISU should finish Top 10 by 2016 NCAA's to keep KJ here....

 

[buf87]

Had a bad Scuffle, but we're pretty good until then, will wait to pass judgement on this team

 

[NEICyFan]

By no means was I bragging about the rankings. All I was stating was the fact that this team isn't near as bad as Cytopia is making it sound.

Your statement was intended to be positive. I don't view it as positive.

 

[cloneswillwin]

So anyone that isn't drinking the koolaid is a Panther/hawk troll? That's laughable. You may think i am an extremist to the point that i don't think that KJ is the guy for our team but i have come full circle on this. Nobody was singing his praises more than i was when he was hired. He used to say all the right things and i thought he was making the right moves, but now that we've got a much larger sample size of his coaching abilities i can see that they are minimal. Why delay the inevitable? He's going to be gone. Let's just get it over with and get someone else in here to try and right the ship. I just want iowa state to be competitive again. We haven't been for a long time.

No i don't think that everyone calling for KJ head is a panther hawk troll, that was a bad statement by me. I believe i can go toe to toe with almost anyone on Cyclone Wrestling over the last 30 years, I too liked what KJ brought to begin with in attitude and wrestling style, I think the only reason why he hasn't gotten the results we want faster is his recruiting - not that i don't think we've gotten solid hard working kids - just not the blue chippers that Cael and Bobby used to get.

I would however completely disagree with your assessment of coaching and development. My brother and I used to joke about how Douglass or Cael got the great recruits but they never improved over their careers, now with KJ i will admit the kids are starting ranked much lower but seeing them improve over the year and careers. KJ has also exceeded expectations at nationals - again expectations weren't as high but I remember vividly all the great classes Cael and Bobby had that went to nationals and as a team we laid a big ole egg.

 

[cloneswereall]

No i don't think that everyone calling for KJ head is a panther hawk troll, that was a bad statement by me. I believe i can go toe to toe with almost anyone on Cyclone Wrestling over the last 30 years, I too liked what KJ brought to begin with in attitude and wrestling style, I think the only reason why he hasn't gotten the results we want faster is his recruiting - not that i don't think we've gotten solid hard working kids - just not the blue chippers that Cael and Bobby used to get.

I would however completely disagree with your assessment of coaching and development. My brother and I used to joke about how Douglass or Cael got the great recruits but they never improved over their careers, now with KJ i will admit the kids are starting ranked much lower but seeing them improve over the year and careers. KJ has also exceeded expectations at nationals - again expectations weren't as high but I remember vividly all the great classes Cael and Bobby had that went to nationals and as a team we laid a big ole egg.

This is something that I forgot about. Was it 2008 and 2009 that we had all 10 wrestlers qualify for nationals and still couldn't snag the team title? That tournament was extremely frustrating to watch unfold.

 

[RossIAwrestle]

This is something that I forgot about. Was it 2008 and 2009 that we had all 10 wrestlers qualify for nationals and still couldn't snag the team title? That tournament was extremely frustrating to watch unfold.

2009 Cyclones finished 3rd behind Iowa, and Ohio State

 

[cloneswereall]

2009 Cyclones finished 3rd behind Iowa, and Ohio State

Yea. I remember. I remember how ****** I was that out of 10 qualifiers ISU only had 4 All-Americans that tournament and ****** away a golden opportunity to win the team title because the team could never peak in March.

 

[isuska]

This is something that I forgot about. Was it 2008 and 2009 that we had all 10 wrestlers qualify for nationals and still couldn't snag the team title? That tournament was extremely frustrating to watch unfold.

I believe the years you mean are 07, 08, 09 & 10. We had 10 qualifiers each year.

07: 2nd, 88.5 pts, 4 AAs placing 1,2,2,5 + 2 R12s

08: 5th, 72 pts, 7 AAs placing 2,5,6,7,7,7,8

09: 3rd, 84.5 pts, 4 AAs placing 1,3,4,5 + 2 R12s (2 failed to repeat as AAs, Fanthorpe and Sanderson)

10: 3rd, 75 pts, 3 AAs placing 1,1,2 + 2 R12s

 

[theshadow]

I believe the years you mean are 07, 08, 09 & 10. We had 10 qualifiers each year.

07: 2nd, 88.5 pts, 4 AAs placing 1,2,2,5 + 2 R12s

08: 5th, 72 pts, 7 AAs placing 2,5,6,7,7,7,8

09: 3rd, 84.5 pts, 4 AAs placing 1,3,4,5 + 2 R12s (2 failed to repeat as AAs, Fanthorpe and Sanderson)

10: 3rd, 75 pts, 3 AAs placing 1,1,2 + 2 R12s

2007: 1 more win from each R12 guy, and Backes beating Glenn = (1) ISU, (2) MINN
2008: win the placing matches = (1) IOWA, (2) ISU
2009: 1 more win from each R12 guy, and Reader beating Morningstar = (1) IA, (2) ISU, (3) OHST

 

[theshadow]

If we really want to talk about stepping on one's **** at NCAAs, 2000 beats the 2007-09 trifecta:

Iowa beat ISU by 6.5 points.
Cody Sanderson lost to UI's Eric Juergens in the final (in OT). That's an 8-point swing.
Joe Heskett lost to UW's Donny Pritzlaff in the final (in OT). That's 4 points left on the table.
Zach Thompson lost to NEB's Brad Vering in the final (in OT). That's 4 points left on the table.

9 qualifiers. 1, 2, 2, 2, 3, DNP, DNP, DNP, DNP.

 

[cloneswillwin]

I know the expectations have changed but if you're a long time cyclone wresting fan I do not remember a year under Bobby or Cael that we wrestled on average to or above our seeds. I think KJ has met them or exceeded them every year. If you've followed Cael at PSU I think the same without checking, seems like wrestlers never exceeding expectations. I think Cael and Bobby were great recruiters and because of that we also gave them credit for development.

 

[NEICyFan]

I know the expectations have changed but if you're a long time cyclone wresting fan I do not remember a year under Bobby or Cael that we wrestled on average to or above our seeds. I think KJ has met them or exceeded them every year. If you've followed Cael at PSU I think the same without checking, seems like wrestlers never exceeding expectations. I think Cael and Bobby were great recruiters and because of that we also gave them credit for development.

It is easy to wrestle to your seed when you're not seeded or didn't qualify.

If we go back to when he was hired and said after our seniors graduate we will not make the top ten for the next 5 years I don't think anyone would approve of that performance. That is a huge underachievement when you consider this programs place in college wrestling in terms of support and tradition. So, let's see how we can finish the year strong and get a couple guys over the hump, perhaps.