The seeds are all jacked up this year. In other years I can better understand your point but like the previous poster said wrestle who is in front of you. All these guys are tremendous and we should be very proud and excited that we have two finalists. You really think Woodley is the 26th best guy in the nation? If you think jakes opponent Griffith is the 8th best you have no idea
NCAA Tournament Thread
- Thread starter HOF Coach
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Did you know that the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates' fans should never have celebrated their success because if Yankees' shortstop Tony Kubek didn't have to leave Game 7 after taking a bad hop to the throat, the Yankees would have remained the dominant Major League Baseball team. Afterall, the Pirates hadn't won a World Series Championship since 1925 and the Yankees had won 17 World Championships since 1925.
Did I do that right?
Did I do that right?
I don’t know if most people can truly appreciate how difficult it is to win an NCAA title. You have to beat some damn good wrestlers along the way.
I do know that both of our opponents have only one loss each.
I am not saying we did not beat good wrestlers. I am saying we got a bit lucky.
I am also saying about Wentzel. He just wins. You don’t look at his work and say wow.
I am also saying don’t let two finalists disguise the fact that our team as a whole needs a lot of work and improvement.
Two finalists does not negate what I would consider an otherwise disappointing season. IMO
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I definitely agree luck was on our side. A saying I always use “the harder you work, the luckier you get” applies to Nino and Jake for sure this weekend
That and whenever you are a high seed it is difficult to go against a lot of higher seeds. And everyone in the tourney is pretty damn good.
You really should have just stopped after your first paragraph because there are numerous examples in sports in which your pathetic, self loathing rationale could apply.
This is a huge accomplishment for these 2 young men. CONGRATULATIONS! The End!
All of these are fair points except the last one, imo. I hope everyone realizes how many young wrestlers from western PA watched the national semifinals last night, and how many more will be watching the finals tonight. A top 12 (potentially much higher if we win, we're in tenth currently) finish at NCAAs, plus a clear upward trajectory with incoming recruits and exposure? I don't know how that should be considered disappointing.
Also, lots of folks thought Keegan O'Toole would win the natty. Since losing to Jake he has teched the 2 seed and majored (17-4) the 5 seed. At the end of O'Toole's college career you will be able to count his losses on one hand. There's an argument to made that Jake had the toughest path just by having to go through this kid.
Understand your point, but Yiu can only wrestle who’s on the other side
Of the circle. Not beating a higher seed is not Jake and Nino’s shortcoming, but the failures of the higher seeds.
Exactly, Gary’s take makes no sense. The higher seed got beat and then Jake beat that guy. So he beat the best guy. And Jake was the third seed in the tournament. If we went by Gary’s logic then we wouldn’t have to wrestle the tournament, you would just place what you are seeded.
This is a hell of a weekend for Pitt wrestling. That’s a fact. They literally made history. H2P!!!
Can't you just enjoy something really good that is happening this weekend and leave it at that? This makes you sound like Mike412.
You are right. Maybe I should not have shed any rain on the parade.
But...Was anything I said inaccurate?
You were happy with Philippi and Mathews, even Harvey this year? You were happy with 157 and heavyweight?
How many of Pitt’s wrestlers do you consider active or busy?
If today translates into recruiting success, I would certainly reconsider my verdict on the season.
Maybe tow great performances can change things, there is just no certainty that they will.
Just stop, dude. Nobody want this crap in here right now. Pitt has 2 guys in the finals and all you can do is complain about the rest of the team? Come on.
It completely misses the point that they've both outperformed their seeding by making the finals, Nino significantly so, which in any other fanbase would be a point of universal praise. It completely misses the point that we'll have two returning finalists returning to our room next season in addition to adding two PA State champs.
Jake 'just wins'. He doesn't erase entire periods with his ride. He doesn't dominate so much his opponents are altering their entire approach in forgoing their chance at escape points & wrestling the match on his terms. Dominating #1 Mekhi Lewis in his own building during the regular season? Lucky. Having the #2 overall nationally ranked incoming freshman in a cradle? Again, dumb luck. Outclassing a Big 10 wrestler in the semis? Get your powerball numbers from him, immediately.
Honestly interested to hear which part of Nino's situation is lucky. The part where his lips are shredded in about 20 different places, the one where he ended up drawing multiple opponents who have the book on him (Aiello & Woodley) and beat them anyways, or the one where he beat the better seeded guy in Free & Folk.
Wentzel just took the leap to superstardom yesterday and we actually have people in here acting as if he COVID defaulted his way to the finals.
Read the room, bud. Of course, the lineup needs improvement. If you don't mind, we're gonna continue enjoying our boys outperforming their seed with a real chance to bring some hardware back to Oakland.
Gary is right that they had slightly favorable draws. I don't see a reason to dwell on that, though.
When I was in HS I took part in a summer camp with Wade Schalles and Don Rohn fresh off NCAA championships. This move by Jake reminds me what Schalles emphasized to think outside the box. Not necessarily a “regular” wrestling move but something “funky” as the situation warranted. I only saw Schalles on tv or film but I understand he was a very innovative wrestler.
My dad had a grainy Schalles VCR tape that he coached us off of. My brother and I ran his wing series and destroyed kids with it growing up. His concepts are still as good as it gets. What a legend
I saw him in person at the 1972 NCAA Championship where he absolutely destroyed a guy from Michigan in the final.
If you are watching tonight, I should be on the screen because I am sitting with Spencer Lee’s parents. I will be the one who is wearing Pitt gear.
I'll be looking for you, Thom. Maybe you can convince Spencer's parents that he should transfer to Pitt.
Classic video. Watched this many times. Chatman was handling him to an extent. Elevated him and that’s all she wrote. Chapman came to Pitt and formed a nice duo with Kevin Love at 150 at the time and Chapman at 158. Chapman good footballer too. Kevin Love, if he could have made grades I think he’d have wins NC. My father was principal at Carnegie when he won a couple state titles at 145 I think.
Ive rooted for PSU in 2 straight matches now. Im not comfortable with this
Wow, Sasso/OConner is what wrestling is all about. Both guys wanted it so bad. Great match!
