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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Ben Golden added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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Overall:
Man, what a tournament. Simply incredible. It hurts that the Bucks missed victory by such a slim margin, but yet it's difficult to be terribly disappointed because so many of them competed so tremendously and with great effort. This was by far the best team in Ohio State history, and it's frankly shocking that it wasn't quite enough to win.
Another shocking thing: Imagine that Iowa once scored 170 points at this tournament!!!!! Yowzas!
125: Tomasello is a warrior. I mentioned in the other thread that so much about him is inspirational to me. One of my all time favorite wrestlers. I'll probably miss watching him compete more than anyone. Incredible effort.
133: I am so thrilled with Luke Pletcher! That guy is incredibly consistent, and damn near made the finals. Glad the Bucks got him.
And how about THE PRIDE OF STEUBENVILLE, Tariq Wilson! What a breakout tournament! Reminds me of Nahshon Garrett's breakout at NCAA's his freshman year. Incredible effort.
141: McKenna simply looked incredible all weekend and was as good as anyone in the bracket. I would have loved to see him in the finals against Yianni. It's unsatisfying to see a guy lose a semifinal in that way (1-0 from an escape), but the rules are wahat they are. Incredible effort.
Sad to see Dean Heil's career end the way it did this year. Brutal sport.
149: Odd tournament for Hayes. Next year is another year.
157: Micah puts out a fantastic amount of effort and energy every single match, regardless of who he's wrestling and what history they may have. I respect the heck out of that.
165: Campbell gave it everything he had in his match against Wanzek, and you can't ask for much more than that. Hopefully he's able to develop some takedowns in the next year. Maybe he goes 74 and benefits from a more comfortable weight?
174: The circumstances of Bo's career may not be one of a kind, but they are definitely abnormal, and he had a fantastic career despite a lot of adversity.
I LOVE Zahid!!!! He's my favorite non-Buckeye for sure. The guy does not lose focus for a second, has incredible ability, obviously an incredible hunger/work ethic, and has a heck of a killer instinct. 2 years into his career, he was one loss because of a headgear grab. Yikes.
184: Man, I love Myles Martin. He looks absolutely incredible just about every match he wrestled this season--including the NCAA finals! I admire the way he went out against Nickal last night. He was attacking crisply and doing exactly what he needed to do. The way that match ended felt like a kick to the stomach, but he should hold his head high.
I wonder what the key to surpassing Nickal is for Myles. I have a theory that hitting the squat rack and developing a Burroughs double in the offseason is the answer, but that's easier said than done.
197: Moore looks like he needs a month off. Freak loss in the quarters... what's done is done. I'm confident he was the best guy at this weight this year, but consistency and energy was obviously a problem. I'm prescribing him and Snyder a month of relaxation at a beach side cabana.
285: What can you say that hasn't already been said? It's been an extraordinary privilege to watch this guy represent Ohio State with unprecedented success for the last 4 years. Going to be a continued pleasure to keep watching the ride now that he can make some more money off his success.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Brad Proudfoot added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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I would be remiss to not mention Kent State's success in the post season. Obviously, you have to start with Kyle Conel. He was absolutely incredible this weekend not to mention humble and entertaining. Kyle won't sneak up on anyone next season. A lot of people will be gunning for him.
We didn't talk a great deal about KSU this year. Let's not forget that Coach Andrassy had another top 25 finish for the program (22nd actually) and their sixth top 25 finish since 2009. They had four qualifiers in Conel, Sparkman, Tutolo, and Suglio, with the first three all returning next season. Three of the four wrestlers scored points for the Golden Flashes this weekend.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Sean Koran added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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What's crazy about Moore is that usually if the #1 seed beats the #5 seed and the #2 seed, that means he just won the national title.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Ben Golden added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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Great point Brad--I should DEFINITELY have mentioned Conel. What an incredible performance!
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Nicholas Sestito added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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Just noticed that Joe McFarland announced his retirement. That's two Big Ten schools with head coach openings. I would think Michigan is certainly in an interesting position with enough talent to help out the next head coach.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Jack Muni added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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Zahid reminded me of Bo when he was a freshman/sophomore. The relentless leg attacks and great finishes. Also thought McKenna wrestled a great tournament, one 1-point loss the entire weekend. IMO Keshawn reminds me of the struggle Myles had when he moved up a weight, just not quite adjusted yet, but next year will be his year, no more Zain, Sorenson, or Hielman.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Jeff Fortman added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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133- I will miss seeing nato, so humble even in a loss.
BO - I'm glad to see him leave with another aa. Sad to see someone that has put so much miss each year by an inch.
197 , Moore is fantastic but yet he looked exhausted all the time. Perhaps osu needs to switch the schedule up a bit leading into nationals.
184, I think I'm most impressed here. Had the funk not gotten him, he had his number. I don't think he needs to do anything beyond what he has done to this point. Next year I don't think Martin. Loses this match.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
J.P. Barner added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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Quite probable that Martin would now be a 3 time champ were it not for that Nickal .
Love McKenna - never in a bad position, but in response to someone else's post, he's not tall enough to wrestle up a weight, IMO.
Will miss our Bo - he was the ice breaker of sorts, committing to OSU when his family historically went to Wisky. Was hoping to get more kids out of Graham (like Marinelli)thanks to him but that remains to be seen. Tons of respect for him.
Snyder, nothing more needs said. But when my PSU nephew started extolling the virtues of their studs, I told him I'd like to see them wrestle someone that was 6 inches taller and out weighed them by 50 pounds and then they could be compared to Kyle. :)
We got some serious holes to fill for next year. Looking forward to it.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Drew Taylor added to this discussion on March 18, 2018
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Quote from J.P. Barner's post:
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"Quite probable that Martin would now be a 3 time champ were it not for that Nickal . "
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You had Martin beating Gabe Dean last year?
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Bruce Andrews added to this discussion on March 19, 2018
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1. I loved wrestling in high school and college, despite all the injuries that occurred.
2. I really enjoy watching wrestling now as an old guy.
3. Being from Ohio, I am thankful that Ohio State has such an excellent team of scholar athletes which makes following them a pleasure.
4. I am worn out from the NCAA tournament, having spent most of my time tensed in a leaning over position, with my legs tightly wrapped around the chair legs.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Jim Kessen added to this discussion on March 19, 2018
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I just a tweet that said Joey McKenna did not surrender a single TD or NF point the entire postseason. That is pretty impressive
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Jack Muni added to this discussion on March 19, 2018
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I know a lot of us were complaining in the beginning of the season that Joey didn't score a lot of points, and he admitted he needed to open up more. After the Xmas break he started to turn/tilt more guys and started opening up, along with putting in some great rides in the top position. I could see the influence Logan Stieber has had on him as a training partner. I remember seeing a little arm bar/half nelson turns a few times during the season. And his claw ride looked awful familiar. Props to the coaching staff for getting him from Stanford.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Freddy Carr added to this discussion on March 19, 2018
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Even as a spectator, that tournament took a lot out of me. The emotions were heavy, and they swung back and forth like an anvil. At the end, me and my buds were dazed from the drama and excitement.
I'm 40, and have been an OSU wrestling fan since I was a little guy. Randleman, Holman, Coleman. Those guys were my heroes. I used to dream about being so good I could tech a guy in the first period of the NCAA finals like Mitch Clark. I drove alone from Fairfield to CBUS and back in a snow storm to attend the 2002 Nat'l Duals. I sat in the front row and ended up on the mat celebrating with the masses after TRow pinned Crump.
There has never been an OSU squad like this one. Wrestling is such a personal sport, and as a fan you get more "emotionally invested" in the competitors than you do in other sports. This made it bittersweet to see those seniors compete for the last time.
As NATO, and Bo, and Snyder walked off, I got a bit teary-eyed each time. I've come to admire each of those guys for their character just as much as their mat talent.
Of course, I was hoping for a team title. It was bitter to see that hope evaporate, but ultimately that bitterness is insignificant to the joy I felt watching these guys compete.
NATO: 1-3-3-3. I mean, that is incredible. Wanted it for him so bad this year, in Cleveland, but it wasn't to be. Spencer Lee is incredible (though, he will never be a 4X B1G champ like NATO...;-)...). What a joy NATO was to watch on his feet. Such good position, solid attacks with that high-C. Of course, his character stood out most.
Joey: Again, wanted that Meredith match for him. So close. Heck of a season. Seems like a very classy guy. Solid.
Luke: Are you not entertained? This guys WINS, and no matter who he is wrestling you can count on a few heart-stopping moments. haha. Great season.
KHayes: The way the bracket fell was very unfortunate IMO. He was one of the 8 best. His grit in RD1 was something else. He never quit. Expecting big things for him.
Micah: Did a nice job in a bigger class. Like his big bro, easy to root for.
TCampbell: Scored points at NCAA's. That was a help and I wonder if he wasn't fighting an injury.
BoJo: What a freaking guy. I think his commit to OSU felt like a game-changing moment for the program. I love me some Bo Jordan.
Myles: I love this guy as well. Loved the way he was attacking BNickal. I hope he has his chin up and chest out, because he is a BEAST and the sky is the limit.
Moore: Tough ending to what seemed like an rough season for him. I hope he corrects his mistakes and comes back strong. I mean, as mentioned, 3rd then 4th is pretty damn good!
Snyder: Just...I mean...how lucky are we to have had the chance to watch this guy? Even after so many years, it hasn't sunk in. Probably won't for a long, long time.
What a team. What a tournament.
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Discussion Topic: Post-NCAA Thoughts
Jack Muni added to this discussion on March 20, 2018
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I have been following the Bucs since 1993, and remember some of the lean years when we were just glad to get someone into the semi finals. We've been spoiled watching guys like Rowlands, Stieber and Snyder. When they stepped on the mat we knew we were going to win that match. And it was fun to watch. I think Romero will do fine at 174, we just need to find a solid 125 & 285 (hopefully Singletary will have improved from his RS season. I'm just glad the timing allowed for a RS year)
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