Jake Wentzel's top game is absolutely astounding. Congrats on title #2!
ACC Championship
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Was a crazy decision Jake is such a hammer on top no reason to go under unless you really have to
I just have to say how good this ACC tourney has been. Really high level wrestling throughout
It's a small conference but beside Duke every team is good. The tournament is a super fun day
Nino is a problem for EVERYONE at 197. I cant love watching him wrestle any more than I do. Congrats!!!
Nino wins 10-4. Dominated Aiello very impressive
Hey, do you guys think Grouchy Mike noticed that Pitt had the 3rd most ACC champions after NCST and VT?
I was wrong. Pitt has second most right now. VT only has Myers. Two more chances for them though
Nino was a machine
Why are people slipping all over the mats? So weird.
Why are people slipping all over the mats? So weird.
Okay. My reply is that it doesn't sound like anyone is going to miss you, Mike. In fact, maybe everyone will thank you for not coming back.
So Micky, Matthews, Wentzel, and Nino are in. I think with his win over Battista, Harvey solidifies an at large (which is great because a week ago I didn't think that was likely). No one else deserves an at large so I am feeling pretty safe to say 5 will be heading to St. Louis. Cooley was so close to stealing a spot. Camacho/McGill had every opportunity and Burnett I really think if he was the starter the whole year he would have made it. Good end to the ACC season, as a whole wow that was an entertaining tournament
Some of his facts are wrong, but is he wrong to be concerned about the future of the team? There don't seem to be any good young wrestlers to carry the torch from Phillipi, Nino and Wentzel. We've been watching these 3, although moreso Micky and Nino, win since they entered the lineup. None of the young wrestlers have been anywhere close to their results early in their careers. Who will be the future of Pitt wrestling? I'm really asking because I watch Pitt, but am not a lifelong wrestling fan and don't know if the new recruits are the future or not. Thanks for any input from any of you who are more educated in Pitt wrestling than I am. H2P.
No I think it's OK to look at recruiting and think it should be a little better if you want but let not forget how bad this program was when Gavin took over. It was a compete dumpster fire. Also the wrestling facility isn't very nice which puts them at a huge disadvantage against team the need to compete against for the better recruits. This program is 20 times better than it was when he took over and yea did they have a down year this year yea in duals they did but let's see how nationals go because if they get multiple AA's that's a clear step in the right direction.
He didn't take over Oklahoma State and drive it into the ground. I agree we have to hit on more recruits, but I things are going in the right direction in that regard. This was a down year because we had a few holes in the lineup that are looking like they will be addressed quickly for next year. We have everyone back and have a good chance to add a couple pieces so hopefully we'll be back on track.
On top of that, you would hope we'd get a boost in recruiting as well once we break ground on the new facility in a few years. I know that has less to do with Gavin, but that would also help with that aspect.
There are going to be ups and downs. Last year was a great year. This year we are still in the top 25, which may be a testimate to how good the ACC has become overall.
Do we need to get better? Sure. There are holes that need filled. But man, Mike makes it sound like we took some national championship team and Gavin and crew ran it into the ground. Although he does that with pretty much everything.
Its ok to be concerned but its not worthy of a Grouchy Mike temper tantrum. We all should have known that this year was going to be a step back from last year. Wrestling programs take time to build, especially if one focuses on developmental wrestlers like KG seems to. But to say that there is no promise to the young guys just isnt true. Cooley, a rs fr, would be our 4th or 5th best guy if he had a spot at 197. Burnett acquitted himself quite well against 2 legit NQs for a true freshman with barely a handful of matches under his belt. Camacho, who wasnt good this weekend, is right there with every other 125 in the conference outside of the top 2. I have a theory about Matthews that Ill share in another thread.
Does the recruiting need to improve? Yes, definitely. But Pitt does have some disadvantages as lucac says. But they arent enough to keep KG from building forward. I think we will see many more Wentzels from this program than Mickys. Guys who develop for 2 to 3 years then breakout as sophs and juniors. I think there will be a time in the near future where nearly every weight will have a Cooley waiting behind a Nino.
Something tells me that Mike would not be voted most popular board poster.
I dont think he can. He is thick.
I think McGill is really a 165 right now though. Howard and Marcelli made him look small. How bad he gassed in those matches suggests he may be wrestling up
Yea I don't think he can either was just curious or maybe just wishful thinking because I'd love to see him in the lineup
I don't meet the criteria in your last sentence, but I'll chime in anyways.
We all wish that the staff's recruiting efforts had been more successful. Our RTC is much younger than other top programs, and is growing but still way behind. Just in-state, we now have to directly compete with Penn State (their RTC has what, five former national champs?) AND Jordan Burroughs at Penn starting next year. Penn has already put together a monster incoming class just from landing JB to work out there. Luke Pletcher was a big get, but I think that helps us more with Ohio kids like Mick Burnett--I know Luke is a WPIAL guy but probably better known by the recruits in Ohio. Looks like Burnett is currently the only Ohio wrestler on the roster.
As far as the recruits that KG *has* landed, these guys are doing fine. There's no pressure right now for them to step up and take the torch from our big three because including the upcoming NCAAs Jake, Micky and Nino each have at least two years left to chase a podium (Micky and Nino each have three tournaments left if they choose).
Pitt does not normally get the kind of dudes who can step in and be NCAA qualifiers or AA contenders as true freshmen, usually not even as redshirt freshmen. If you're not a blue-chip recruit, you're probably redshirting as a freshman in a typical year. It's an upperclassman's game. Also, I think the general consensus on our freshmen starters would be different in a full season where they got to wrestle open tournaments, and duals where they'd dunk on guys from Edinboro, WVU, Davidson, Drexel, Maryland, etc. Instead, we only get to see them wrestling against top 20 teams (and Duke).
Yesterday was really promising for McGill, Cooley and Burnett. Burnett wrestled 3-2 and 4-2 losses to two ranked guys. Definitely better than he has looked all year. McGill wrestled Howard from VT in back-to-back matches (last dual, then yesterday) and went from getting tech falled a couple weeks ago to being AHEAD by three with thirty seconds left. Obviously he hit a wall and couldn't finish but you can't overstate what a huge turnaround that is. Cooley wrestled ranked heavyweights (he is not a heavyweight, doesn't even look particularly close), gave them both all they could handle and gave up no bonus points.
Lots of guys have really strong defense but haven't shown the offense they need to be consistent winners. That goes for both freshmen (Camacho, Cooley, McGill) and some veterans, although Cole and Gregg both had very good showings yesterday. Hopefully for the freshmen, it's just normal development. Ideally, all those guys would probably be in the starting lineup for the first time next year. And they'll all be freshmen again, eligibility-wise.
Also re: state of the program, we haven't seen Whitehill (highly touted hwt recruit) yet and two incoming guys next year are interesting in McMillen and Augustine. McMillen is chasing his third AA state title at 138 and Augustine just won WPIAL AAA at 172.
I'm not the wrestling fan like some of you guys are, but even I knew that was wrong. We finished in last at the ACC tournament in both 2016 and 2018. We also actually scored fewer team points in 2019 when we finished in 4th overall.
I guess its more fun to say this is our worst team ever.
I just looked at the results of the ACC wrestling going back to 2014 when we started wresting in the conference. Pitt finished:
2014 - 2nd with 67 pts (VT won)
2015 - 2nd with 71 pts (UVA won)
2016 - 6th with 35 pts (NC State won)
2017 - 3rd with 54 pts (VT won)
2018 - 6th with 33.5 pts (VT won)
2019 - 4th with 41 pts (NC State won)
2020 - 2nd with 77 pts (NC State won)
2021 - 5th with 45 pts (NC State won)
Don't know where the "worst ever" tourney appearance in the ACC came from. It is the 3rd worst finish place wise and 4th worst points wise. We had our best point finish ever last year.
And the whole "NC St and VT have come out of nowhere to dominate" or whatever, they've won 7 of the last 8 ACC wrestling championships.
I mean the dude has shown progress his first 3 years and had a dip this year, yet is still ranked in the top 25 (shows how strong the ACC was this year). Yet somehow he's the worst and should be fired?
I don't know how he'll turn out long term, but man, mike needs some medication.
2014 - 2nd with 67 pts (VT won)
2015 - 2nd with 71 pts (UVA won)
2016 - 6th with 35 pts (NC State won)
2017 - 3rd with 54 pts (VT won)
2018 - 6th with 33.5 pts (VT won)
2019 - 4th with 41 pts (NC State won)
2020 - 2nd with 77 pts (NC State won)
2021 - 5th with 45 pts (NC State won)
Don't know where the "worst ever" tourney appearance in the ACC came from. It is the 3rd worst finish place wise and 4th worst points wise. We had our best point finish ever last year.
And the whole "NC St and VT have come out of nowhere to dominate" or whatever, they've won 7 of the last 8 ACC wrestling championships.
I mean the dude has shown progress his first 3 years and had a dip this year, yet is still ranked in the top 25 (shows how strong the ACC was this year). Yet somehow he's the worst and should be fired?
I don't know how he'll turn out long term, but man, mike needs some medication.
So should Narduzze, Capel, and Lyke according some.
Regarding Gavin, it's interesting that, in spite of the disappointment of not getting Santoro as coach, Pitt destroyed Lehigh 24-9 earlier this year, and that was in a down year.
Not to mention that last year Pitt won the ACC championships if not for the blown call in the Matthews-Wilson match.
