transfers...
- Thread starter Chaos
- Start date
The wrestling team. Austin bell and KJ fenstermacher. Both were good prospects. Austin had all American potential IMO but had a very rough year. KJ red shirted but I liked his potential
Forgive my ignorance. Living 10 hours away from Pittsburgh, I have some trouble following the wrestling team. So when you posted this information under a thread titled "transfers," I thought you were talking about potential transfers to Pitt from another team.
There is a new sheriff in town.
One might be able to just show up and be good in high school but the leaders of this program want people with the intensity/dedicated to being champions. Anyone not traveling on that same path is naturally going to feel like the odd man out.
Pitt fans are going to have to focus on individual growth and individual achievements next year. Pitt wrestling is going to take a couple of years to build the depth for team success, but the expectations and plan is in place.
One might be able to just show up and be good in high school but the leaders of this program want people with the intensity/dedicated to being champions. Anyone not traveling on that same path is naturally going to feel like the odd man out.
Pitt fans are going to have to focus on individual growth and individual achievements next year. Pitt wrestling is going to take a couple of years to build the depth for team success, but the expectations and plan is in place.
Sounds like BS to me.
Last year should have been better - Next year better be better - Enough with the platitudes and excuses - We need to see results - A quick turn around (did we even need a turn around) should be possible
You realize the date Gavin was hired right?
Remember the Clarion and Bucknel matches?
There WAS steady improvement during the year. It all comes down to recruiting and recruiting is based upon relationships. Relationships take time.
Even transfers- the actual title of this thread - would not be eligible to benefit the program for another year (in most cases).
Next year is actually year one.
Gary, if you have specific suggestions pertaining to wrestling technique/philosophy, off season workouts, program organization, recruiting emphasis, facilities management, or fund raising, please don't hold back. We would all appreciate your suggestions.
As for me, I am just going to try to be patient and watch and see if Gavin and Co know what they are doing.
Remember the Clarion and Bucknel matches?
There WAS steady improvement during the year. It all comes down to recruiting and recruiting is based upon relationships. Relationships take time.
Even transfers- the actual title of this thread - would not be eligible to benefit the program for another year (in most cases).
Next year is actually year one.
Gary, if you have specific suggestions pertaining to wrestling technique/philosophy, off season workouts, program organization, recruiting emphasis, facilities management, or fund raising, please don't hold back. We would all appreciate your suggestions.
As for me, I am just going to try to be patient and watch and see if Gavin and Co know what they are doing.
I know nothing about wrestling.
I know some of the wrestlers we had on the team when Gavin was hired were thought of as promising. Many of them are now gone. Wiercioch, Dietrich, Bell, Cronin. Fenstermacher. Was Campbell officially gone as Gavin took over? I believe we had a recruit from Florida at 125 that failed to materialize when Gavin took over (Thomas?). We sure could have used him with Bentley's injury.
I know he brought in Stout and Stout was a stiff. Maybe we would have been better off with Harvey or Bruce in that slot and Bonacorsi at 184.
I know we are in an area where good recruits abound. I know freshman have success in this sport.
What I don't know is why we did not do better this season and why we already need excuses for next season
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I thought that most transfers in wrestling were eligible year 1 without having to sit out a year? Sorry, I'm pretty new to following college wrestling. Thanks.
They usually are unless there is an interconference rule and that can even be waived if the school they leave does not protest and grants the release.
Wiercioch - quite before 2016/7 season even started; he just flat out quit wrestling - had nothing to do with Gavin
Dietrich and Cronin - my understanding was that they left for specific reasons at the end of the first year - Dietrich is at Buffalo (closer to where he is from) and Cronin at Kutztown (again, closer to home) - not saying that's why they left, but who knows. I dont think it has anything to do with Coach Gavin.
Campbell - got his release in the middle of last season, but they didn't say anything until the season was over, but was clearly gone before they hired Gavin.
KJ - don't know why he left, but maybe he saw too much talent coming in around his weight? Maybe his grades weren't great? Could be anything.
Bell - I'd think it was because he was getting hammered on this year and maybe he thought he'd do better at DII or something? It will be interesting to see where he ends up
I think the reason we didn't do well this year is because we had two classes basically not pan out at all in that we had a ton of "casualties" and on top of that the recruiting classes kinda stunk. This is rearing its ugly head now, thus the comments that it may take a year or 2 to be where we think they should be.
2014 key recruit "casualties" (these guys were true freshman in 2014 and our top recruits for that class):
* Racciato - booted from team
* Morelli - quit and went to PSU
* Wiercioch - never got his head right and ended up quitting (and I believe quit school as well)
* Solomon - not a "casualty"
2015 key recruit "casualties":
* Forys - not a "casualty"
* McKillop - transferred to UPJ and was very good there
* Thats about it for 2015 freshman class - wasnt a great recruiting class
2016 Class (key recruits):
* Bentley
* Robert Lee
* Rahmani
* Campbell - left for OSU and basically had an identical season to the ones he had while at Pitt
* Cam Jacobson
2017 Class (key recruits):
* Wentzel
* Bell - left
*Dietrich - left
* Harvey
2018 Class (key recruits)
* KJ - left
* Nino - I believe he is gonna be a great wrestler for us
So, again, I think it is a culmination of things that provide legit reasons for why we didn't perform - we simply didn't have any REAL talent up and down the roster, nor did we have much depth. So, to say there shouldnt be "excuses" already for next season is being naive and/or ignorant of the facts. Was I personally happy with how they wrestled for most of the year? Heck no. But I also recognize that we had a number of guys in there that shouldnt have had to wrestle varsity, and we continue to have to throw true freshman out there when it is apparent that they need a year of growth/learning under their belt.
