Wilps and Bright
- Thread starter Nish67
- Start date
Not sure, but I admit I'm as curious as you are.
On one hand, Wilps still had the hand wrapped & appeared to favor it while Bright was never shown practicing against anyone in the most recent Flo video. On the other hand, that video was from two weeks ago and they both are listed in the previews by UT-Chatanooga/Intermat. Why put forth the effort of listing them if they aren't going, right?
The weird thing is Bright is listed & seeded... but at 149 by the host school. Thought it was a typo, but he's actually seeded ahead of Mikey (Bright #7, Racciato #11). Mikey wasn't actually missing, so, again - who knows? If Bright goes, I hope he goes 141 - a trip to the finals is possible.
Either way, I'm most excited to see how Max fares. First time out as the #1 consensus kid at his weight - snubbed with the #2 seed here somehow! - and his response will be *very* telling as far as March is concerned. He's probably my favorite Panther on campus, so it doesn't mean much, but count me as optimistic.
On one hand, Wilps still had the hand wrapped & appeared to favor it while Bright was never shown practicing against anyone in the most recent Flo video. On the other hand, that video was from two weeks ago and they both are listed in the previews by UT-Chatanooga/Intermat. Why put forth the effort of listing them if they aren't going, right?
The weird thing is Bright is listed & seeded... but at 149 by the host school. Thought it was a typo, but he's actually seeded ahead of Mikey (Bright #7, Racciato #11). Mikey wasn't actually missing, so, again - who knows? If Bright goes, I hope he goes 141 - a trip to the finals is possible.
Either way, I'm most excited to see how Max fares. First time out as the #1 consensus kid at his weight - snubbed with the #2 seed here somehow! - and his response will be *very* telling as far as March is concerned. He's probably my favorite Panther on campus, so it doesn't mean much, but count me as optimistic.
Maybe Bright couldn't make the weight at 141 after his long injury layoff. I hope that is the case at least, and that he will be back at 141 soon.
Mikey, as usual, had a great scramble at the Southern Scuffle. In fact, it was flowrestling's Scramble of the Week. And, as usual, he was too undisciplined and gave up too many cheap points.
I am so tired of Wilps losing to Brown by 1 point. Hasn't Brown been wrestling at PSU since Lorenzo coached there? The encouraging thing is only losing by one after the injury layoff.
Rizzo has got to be the biggest disappointment in a long time. And, neither Bono nor Garbinsky appears to have improved since last year. In fact, both arguably have regressed.
And then there is the fact that with 29% of the top 5 HS wrestlers in the country being from the WPIAL, none are coming to Pitt. I can see losing Joseph to PSU and the kid to Iowa. But losing guys to Virginia and North Carolina and ASU is not excusable. Peters had a really good initial class, but has followed up with nothing other than legacies -- Zanetta and the youngest Wilps.
Mikey, as usual, had a great scramble at the Southern Scuffle. In fact, it was flowrestling's Scramble of the Week. And, as usual, he was too undisciplined and gave up too many cheap points.
I am so tired of Wilps losing to Brown by 1 point. Hasn't Brown been wrestling at PSU since Lorenzo coached there? The encouraging thing is only losing by one after the injury layoff.
Rizzo has got to be the biggest disappointment in a long time. And, neither Bono nor Garbinsky appears to have improved since last year. In fact, both arguably have regressed.
And then there is the fact that with 29% of the top 5 HS wrestlers in the country being from the WPIAL, none are coming to Pitt. I can see losing Joseph to PSU and the kid to Iowa. But losing guys to Virginia and North Carolina and ASU is not excusable. Peters had a really good initial class, but has followed up with nothing other than legacies -- Zanetta and the youngest Wilps.
Some valid points. As far as Bright goes, he wrestled at 141 vs. PSU after a long layoff, but it seems like the holiday season is the culprit.
* Mikey definitely gives up too many cheap points, which is strange, because I actually think he's got a lot of mat smarts. What I want most from him is to exert his elite physical ability on matches more. While the scrambles are exciting and take a lot athleticism, I'd rather him destroy guys on top and really make defending an easier proposition. I think that's the next step for him being a major guy nationally.
* Wilps normally does NOT lose to Brown by a point. There is a pattern in the Wilps family of losing to high ranked guys by a point, but not Tyler vs. Brown:
2013 ASICS University Nationals: Brown, 13-2
2013-2014 Dual: Brown, 9-3
.
That Wilps rallied to make it one was actually one of the handful of
positives I took away from the Scuffle. Especially given, as you mention,
that's his first action of the year.
* Rizzo - oy. I always give
guys one year before forming any real opinions on them, but no question
he is struggling mightily. I was hoping that he'd put together a feel good win
vs. Maryland since they had a backup going and he barely squeaked that out.
Then he puts up the goose egg in Chattanooga. I still believe in him, but he's got
quite the climb ahead of him. I don't think Bonaccorsi has regressed - I just think he's - and Max, too - noticably less effective outside of the Dual/one-match-a-day format. Whether that's a mental thing, a physical thing, or a combination - who knows? I sense it's more mental than physical.
* While it's tempting to think of where we might be if we could simply select from WPA's best - there are only 10 starting slots. Forys is the latest in a long line of evaluation wins by the staff. Siepel just came off a Walsh Ironman victory and looks primed for a second state title in 2015. And they got two well regarded kids locked up in Jake Wentzel (#2 Jr at 152 nationally, just beat Franklin Regional's Maruca at Powerade & is ranked higher than Iowa's 152 lb recruit from Punxy) & Austin Bell for 2016. If Nick Roberts manages to find his way into the Blue & Gold. If Morelli gets healthy & improves. If Solomon keeps developing. If they can bring Pletcher/Verkleeren into the fold. If...
* Mikey definitely gives up too many cheap points, which is strange, because I actually think he's got a lot of mat smarts. What I want most from him is to exert his elite physical ability on matches more. While the scrambles are exciting and take a lot athleticism, I'd rather him destroy guys on top and really make defending an easier proposition. I think that's the next step for him being a major guy nationally.
* Wilps normally does NOT lose to Brown by a point. There is a pattern in the Wilps family of losing to high ranked guys by a point, but not Tyler vs. Brown:
2013 ASICS University Nationals: Brown, 13-2
2013-2014 Dual: Brown, 9-3
.
That Wilps rallied to make it one was actually one of the handful of
positives I took away from the Scuffle. Especially given, as you mention,
that's his first action of the year.
* Rizzo - oy. I always give
guys one year before forming any real opinions on them, but no question
he is struggling mightily. I was hoping that he'd put together a feel good win
vs. Maryland since they had a backup going and he barely squeaked that out.
Then he puts up the goose egg in Chattanooga. I still believe in him, but he's got
quite the climb ahead of him. I don't think Bonaccorsi has regressed - I just think he's - and Max, too - noticably less effective outside of the Dual/one-match-a-day format. Whether that's a mental thing, a physical thing, or a combination - who knows? I sense it's more mental than physical.
* While it's tempting to think of where we might be if we could simply select from WPA's best - there are only 10 starting slots. Forys is the latest in a long line of evaluation wins by the staff. Siepel just came off a Walsh Ironman victory and looks primed for a second state title in 2015. And they got two well regarded kids locked up in Jake Wentzel (#2 Jr at 152 nationally, just beat Franklin Regional's Maruca at Powerade & is ranked higher than Iowa's 152 lb recruit from Punxy) & Austin Bell for 2016. If Nick Roberts manages to find his way into the Blue & Gold. If Morelli gets healthy & improves. If Solomon keeps developing. If they can bring Pletcher/Verkleeren into the fold. If...
