Early Lineup and Season Predictions

[upitt98]

I haven’t followed the wrestling team for over 20 years, but I took my kids to the Oklahoma match last year and I’m trying to follow and financially support the team.

There are several on here engaged and knowledgeable on Pitt and college wrestling.

Any of you folks want to take a stab on the lineup next year we see by mid-season and set some reasonable expectations for team/individual achievements? I’ve see some good offseason success and I’m getting excited about some improvement next year.

Just trying to get some wrestling chatter going. Thanks in advance.

 

[gary2]

I haven’t followed the wrestling team for over 20 years, but I took my kids to the Oklahoma match last year and I’m trying to follow and financially support the team.

There are several on here engaged and knowledgeable on Pitt and college wrestling.

Any of you folks want to take a stab on the lineup next year we see by mid-season and set some reasonable expectations for team/individual achievements? I’ve see some good offseason success and I’m getting excited about some improvement next year.

Just trying to get some wrestling chatter going. Thanks in advance.

Bentley - Phillipi - Mathews - Lee

Rahmandi - Wentzel - Cranford - Bonacorsi

Harvey - Richert

 

[Pantherguy4]

Actually like your lineup prediction gary2! I think Coach Gavin has the program going in the right direction.

 

[FriendofPittWrestling]

Wentzel, Harvey, then Bonocorsi is more likely

 

[gary2]

Wentzel, Harvey, then Bonocorsi is more likely

I don't want Stout wrestling

 

[upitt98]

It seems like Matthews and Bonacorsi will hit the ground running. What does the board think they’ll be able to accomplish in their first year?

 

[FriendofPittWrestling]

Bonacorsi will very likely be an AA. That one is easy.

Mathews is hard to tell. He is technically very good for a high school kid. He wrestles with an attitude where he believes he should win instead of lingering doubting and hoping not to lose (which has been the source for Pitts general disappointments at past tournament time - with the few notable individual exceptions).

As best I can tell from a distance, he doesn't take a step back to anyone and will be a great attitude to found this program on.

Having said that, he has been beating up on high schoolers all right, but a whole season of going head to head against 20 and 21 YO men is another story. Not many Yannis and Lees out there.

If he transitions to university life well, considering the advantages of the Pitt wrestling room he is walking in to, he will get there. I just don't know how fast.

 

[vabeachpanther]

Bonacorsi will very likely be an AA. That one is easy.

Mathews is hard to tell. He is technically very good for a high school kid. He wrestles with an attitude where he believes he should win instead of lingering doubting and hoping not to lose (which has been the source for Pitts general disappointments at past tournament time - with the few notable individual exceptions).

As best I can tell from a distance, he doesn't take a step back to anyone and will be a great attitude to found this program on.

Having said that, he has been beating up on high schoolers all right, but a whole season of going head to head against 20 and 21 YO men is another story. Not many Yannis and Lees out there.

If he transitions to university life well, considering the advantages of the Pitt wrestling room he is walking in to, he will get there. I just don't know how fast.

Mickey Phillipi will be good and will be an AA sooner rather then later. And rumor has it he may get his year back and be with us for 4 years. Stout has talent, much better then he showed. Nino maybe the best wrestler we have. We will keep recruiting good kids who love wrestling and the results will get there. Every bit of support we get through the PWC/RTC will help. H2P

 

[bwh05]

Mickey Phillipi will be good and will be an AA sooner rather then later. And rumor has it he may get his year back and be with us for 4 years. Stout has talent, much better then he showed. Nino maybe the best wrestler we have. We will keep recruiting good kids who love wrestling and the results will get there. Every bit of support we get through the PWC/RTC will help. H2P

Micky got his 6th year waiver granted.

 

[upitt98]

Bonacorsi will very likely be an AA. That one is easy.

Mathews is hard to tell. He is technically very good for a high school kid. He wrestles with an attitude where he believes he should win instead of lingering doubting and hoping not to lose (which has been the source for Pitts general disappointments at past tournament time - with the few notable individual exceptions).

As best I can tell from a distance, he doesn't take a step back to anyone and will be a great attitude to found this program on.

Having said that, he has been beating up on high schoolers all right, but a whole season of going head to head against 20 and 21 YO men is another story. Not many Yannis and Lees out there.

If he transitions to university life well, considering the advantages of the Pitt wrestling room he is walking in to, he will get there. I just don't know how fast.

Thanks. Yeah, it seems like Bonacorsi is a big time talent. I followed Matthews in the PIAAs and Classic and he’s definitely got the right mindset. Those two should be a real shot in the arm.

 

[FriendofPittWrestling]

Stoudt is his own worst enemy. He has the talent. I hear he works hard. He just seems to have too much going on between his ears. I thought is was the fact he doesn't want to wrestle anymore but a commenter on this site (who seems to know Kellan) stated this is not the case.

He seems to be an example of what I mean about lingering doubt and hoping not to lose - but with an exponent!! Anything and everything that doesn't go perfectly, feeds the self doubt. Plus its draining energy physically and emotionally.

Keith Gavin has the perfect statement about this. " When you love what you do and are grateful for the opportunities you have, it becomes much harder to let a fear of losing effect your performance, when you only value winning that fear will cripple you. All good things take time."

If Kellan quits worrying about winning and learns to starts enjoying the process, I wouldn't be surprised if he makes a 180 and becomes pretty good.

 

[lucac]

Bonacorsi has a chance to AA and should easily be the best wrestler we have next year. Phillipi should be very solid as well. Mathews is a stud and has AA potential down the road but hard to tell what guys can do as true freshman. Rahmani should take another step in the right direction as well his style is always going to make it hard for guys to wrestle him. Not so bullish on the rest of the roster but I think Gavin has the program going in the right direction.

 

[gary2]

Bonacorsi has a ch/"ance to AA and should easily be the best wrestler we have next year. Phillipi should be very solid as well. Mathews is a stud and has AA potential down the road but hard to tell what guys can do as true freshman. Rahmani should take another step in the right direction as well his style is always going to make it hard for guys to wrestle him. Not so bullish on the rest of the roster but I think Gavin has the program going in the right direction.

Is it possible that Bentley and Lee are replaced by younger wrestlers?

 

[lucac]

Not that I can think of off the top of my head

 

[gary2]

Not that I can think of off the top of my head

Davis/Newell/Fenton - Bulsak/Kernerer/Winters - ?

 

[lucac]

Not that I can think of off the top of my head

Davis/Newell/Fenton - Bulsak/kernerer/Winters - ?

Newell and Kemerer both should be solid wrestlers for Pitt but probably wouldn't hurt for them to redshirt if possible

 

[gary2]

Newell and Kemerer both should be solid wrestlers for Pitt but probably wouldn't hurt for them to redshirt if possible

I get that - I know Bentley was hurt but, he and Lee were pretty disappointing.

I know you risk losing a young wrestler if all they are doing is getting beat, but maybe its time to give some of these young guys a chance. The ones that are tough enough will be extremely experienced when they leave. The ones that aren't mentally tough enough, should probably be recruited over anyway.

If any of these guys are close to as good as Bentley and Lee , I think they should get the slot.

 

[omega]

When Pitt first came over to the ACC, I predicted that wrestling would be our first conference championship. Sadly, I was wrong. We sit in such a talent rich area that filling a roster with potential AA's is very doable With the young guys looking to be the strength of this roster it look like Coach Gavin has Pitt on the right trajectory.

 

[bwh05]

When Pitt first came over to the ACC, I predicted that wrestling would be our first conference championship. Sadly, I was wrong. We sit in such a talent rich area that filling a roster with potential AA's is very doable With the young guys looking to be the strength of this roster it look like Coach Gavin has Pitt on the right trajectory.

It was our first conference championship.

 

[persp]

I get that - I know Bentley was hurt but, he and Lee were pretty disappointing.

I know you risk losing a young wrestler if all they are doing is getting beat, but maybe its time to give some of these young guys a chance. The ones that are tough enough will be extremely experienced when they leave. The ones that aren't mentally tough enough, should probably be recruited over anyway.

If any of these guys are close to as good as Bentley and Lee , I think they should get the slot.

Disagree. Bentley and Lee really improved over the course of the season, Bentley in particular. I can see Lee taking another step forward if he starts to believe in himself more. He has good physical tools but hasn't put it all together yet. He could be this year's Nick Zanetta, and that is a good thing for the lineup.

 

[lucac]

I get that - I know Bentley was hurt but, he and Lee were pretty disappointing.

I know you risk losing a young wrestler if all they are doing is getting beat, but maybe its time to give some of these young guys a chance. The ones that are tough enough will be extremely experienced when they leave. The ones that aren't mentally tough enough, should probably be recruited over anyway.

If any of these guys are close to as good as Bentley and Lee , I think they should get the slot.

Disagree. Bentley and Lee really improved over the course of the season, Bentley in particular. I can see Lee taking another step forward if he starts to believe in himself more. He has good physical tools but hasn't put it all together yet. He could be this year's Nick Zanetta, and that is a good thing for the lineup.

Not sure about Lee although he like most of the team did get better as the year went on. Bentley I agree with not sure how much better he will be this year I'm sure being healthy will help but I doubt any of the young guys will be good enough to beat him out this year.

 

[Harleyst99]

Anyone know what the story with Jack Davis is? Has he signed NLI yet?

 

[lucac]

Anyone know what the story with Jack Davis is? Has he signed NLI yet?

Pretty sure he decomitted

 

[bwh05]

Pretty sure he decomitted

He won’t be coming to Pitt.

 

[FriendofPittWrestling]

I think he is still working to get his grades over the hump. Pitt is not the easiest place to gain admission.

 

[thom67]

I think Bently had a good year considering he had lost a lot of wrestling with a fairly major shoulder injury. Shoulders are pretty important in wrestling. He could have a good year if shoulder is no problem this season.

 

[gary2]

I think Bently had a good year considering he had lost a lot of wrestling with a fairly major shoulder injury. Shoulders are pretty important in wrestling. He could have a good year if shoulder is no problem this season.

I think we should have kept/used Gromacki instead of recruiting Seipel and Bentley

 

[FriendofPittWrestling]

Bentley is somewhat like Kellan Stoudt in that what goes on between his ears is what is keeping him from taking the next step. I don't know if either will be an AA, but they can both be much better than what they have showed.

Fortunately, Gavin and Co. understand this. They are not the old rock head kind of guys that teach a few moves and just tell you to work harder. I really do expect a big jump in performance next year based on attitude/psychology alone. We could see the start of it last year. Look how much better they performed at the end of the year compared to WVU/Clarion/Becknell matches.
I still think patients is in order however. Pitt still needs more talent/depth in the room. They should really start becoming competitive nationally until 2020.

 

[Harleyst99]

Any word on who they are working on for class of 2019?

 

[FriendofPittWrestling]

Gavin and Co. are not allowed to comment on prospects. If any information is going to come out, it is going to have to be through family, friends, or team mates.

Or...since its 2018...imstagram

 

[Dallas Burgher]

I don't want Stout wrestling

OUCH

 

[Italianpittbull]

Is it possible that Bentley and Lee are replaced by younger wrestlers?

Bentley will not be at 125 heard not making the Weight

 

[Italianpittbull]

Anyone know what the story with Jack Davis is? Has he signed NLI yet?

Unfortunately he cannot be eligible academically tough loss there

 

[Warriordan]

very hard to find any information in the offseason about pitt wrestling

 

[jrosenal]

very hard to find any information in the offseason about pitt wrestling

Colton camacho from Franklin regional is a name to watch for a commiment.

 

[jrosenal]

Colton camacho from Franklin regional is a name to watch for a commiment.

Lost to the no 1 kid Malik Johnson at national duels. He went 9 wins 1 loss. Lost to Johnson by 3 to 1

 

[persp]

Lost to the no 1 kid Malik Johnson at national duels. He went 9 wins 1 loss. Lost to Johnson by 3 to 1

Go get 'im, Gavin! Great, great name too!

 

[omega]

Is there somewhere we can send Davis to prep so he can get his grades up? They do it for basketball and football all the time.

 

[mike412]

To me, Davis isn’t a huge loss. He would compete with Philippi and Matthews, and I don’t think he could beat out either. His biggest value would have been in the wrestling room.

Besides, we all can enjoy the fact that he was denied admission to Pitt, but was admitted to PSU.

 

[lucac]

Is there somewhere we can send Davis to prep so he can get his grades up? They do it for basketball and football all the time.

Davis is going to Penn State now