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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Mike Taylor added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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Glad to see you get my point, Roe. Yes, I'd kill to have a down year like Iowa. Winning the national title with no individual champs. However, it is my opinion that a coach owes it to his wrestlers to help them achieve their best when it matters most. If the performance last year was the best each wrestler could do, then he got the most out of them. However, sitting back watching the NCAA tourney unfold and people like Tsirtis (sp?) are not on the awards podium, Metcalf is not at the top (an 18-1 early season tech fall was changed to a crushing loss), Keddy falls to 4th, and other such items makes it hard to believe those kids were at their best during those 3 days.
I, too, believe Tom is one of the best coaches in the country. I've had the pleasure of meeting him and can say he is truly a nice guy (off the mat). However, every coach reaches a point at least once in their career when they must change how they do things. Even if things are going well, a slight adjustment could make them better.
As for why I think Dennis is slipping, it goes more to personal observations. I watched him dismantle a number of talented guys during the season. It's as if when the Iowa team returned from Utah a little bit before they wrestled Ohio State, Dennis stayed behind. He narrowly escaped w/ a victory over the university out there (can't remember the name) and then narrowly escaped Paddock in the confines of Carver Hawkeye. His beatdown in the finals of the Big Ten tourney also raises concern. So, I can't help but ask what is going on here.
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Rex Holman added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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Mike-
Interesting conclusion, I think you have valid point when it comes to peaking your wrestlers at the right time. I have always thought that coaching is an art form as you have to deal with so many personalities and individual needs of wrestlers. If you try one blanket approach, some guys are invariably going to fall through the cracks. It is an art to figure out the balance for each wrestler.
Brands is winning NCAA tourneys and no one really questions you when you are winning as you are doing a number of things right. But as always there is room for improvement and that is a conclusion that everyone arrives at unless you are delusional.
I believe the difference between now and then (team championships and multiple NCAA champions and team championships) comes down to individual attention to athletes and meeting their needs in order to get them at the highest level. I think Metcalf peaks early and tries to carry it through a whole year. That is hard to do because physically your body does break down when you push it to extremes.
The mental toll it takes on athletes is enough to make them implode in the off season, i.e. Slaton.
You can only maintain a super high level of intensity for part of a year.
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Rex Holman added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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I look at Brands, both Tom and Terry as assistant coaches or personal coaches putting their energies into fewer athletes with more emphasis resulting in more individual champions.
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Ben Golden added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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Quote from Rex Holman's post:
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"I look at Brands, both Tom and Terry as assistant coaches or personal coaches putting their energies into fewer athletes with more emphasis resulting in more individual champions."
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I think Terry has been great evidence of this. Look at Henry Cejudo. Also, I understand that he is Matt McDonough's workout partner, and McD is off to a great start.
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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"That was my point w/ the re-evaluating his philosophy comment, Bob. Iowa style will always be the Iowa style, but how he keeps his kids fresh will have to change if they have another down NCAA tourney (even if they walk away w/ the title)."
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Mike,
i guess the best way to evaluate your point is to measure each Iowa wrestler, do they perform at NCAA tourn above or below their seed??? since seed reflects season performance. You might have a good point, i don't know, but it can be measured at NCAA tourn. Anyone want to go back and measure Iowa and Ohio st last year ??
this goes for every top team, throw out the injury defaults if there are any and measure overall did they perform above or below their seeds ?? There can be some circumstances that taint the outcome, but overall it should be good measuring stick. s/BobP
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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Will that show good/bad performance or good/bad seed selectors?
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Ben Golden added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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Quote from Bob Preusse's post:
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" Anyone want to go back and measure Iowa and Ohio st last year ??
"
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IOWA: Seed: Place:
Falck 5 DNP
Denis 4 7
Tsirtsis 4 DNP
Metcalf 1 3
Ballweg DNQ N/A
Morningstar 3 3
Borschel 4 DNP
Keddy 2 4
Beatty None (1-2)
Erekson 7 4
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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Quote from Mark Niemann's post:
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"Will that show good/bad performance or good/bad seed selectors?"
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Now that is a great question. No matter how hard they try to make seeds objective in many areas of sports, there is and will always be some subjectivity and human judgement to them.
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Rex Holman added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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Having a great season sucks if you do poorly at the Nationals and having a poor season and doing well at Nationals is a redemption of sorts, but it still leaves a lot of questions and a lot to be desired.
It all comes down to the individual and getting the most out of that individual during the season and post season.
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on March 17, 2010
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by and large seeds are pretty accurate, not exact of course, but overall taken in the aggregate a teams 10 wts pretty accurate measure of season performance. Compare them to the dean of college rankers Ron Good's rankings, seeds are very close and often the same, for the top guys esp.
Ben's gone back one year and given us some data, that would seem to indicate a year ago Iowa overall performed below their seeds which could validate Mike's point if it happens again this year. s/BobP
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Discussion Topic: 2010 NCAA Brackets
Rex Holman added to this discussion on March 19, 2010
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It looks like Iowa is ready to make some big waves and their wrestlers are going to meet or exceed their seeds without any shortfalls.
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