Transfer portal

[Oracle]

What Lehigh needs and what they can get are not the same.

We may need a grad transfer, but guys like Tate Samuelson (ranked top 15-20) that can come in and help are scarce. Offering a grad program as the primary draw is not what the elites are looking for. Understanding this will be helpful and mitigate disappointment. IMO, what grad transfers are after: 1-looking for is a place they can start, 2-looking for a room that will challenge them with guys around their weight to get to the podium (or higher), 3-NIL money.
Maybe these are 'in order' of importance, but they are all connected and equally important.

Lehigh could use help at 165, 174, 184. How many of these boxes do we check?

Guys, the grad program box is not one of the boxes.

Samuelson was a 1-off, albeit a really good get. Beard was a guy we recruited and had a relationship with. THIS is where we will have the most success moving forward IMO. Stanich exceeded expectations. Grungo, also a 1X NJ champ has not (yet.) Not all state champs are equally talented for D1. The best route is always straight out of high school recruiting. Our 58-year old coach needs to get in his car and drive....show up in living rooms and recruit the parents. IMO, meeting Pat will sell most families on where their kid should be for the next 4/5 years once they get to know him.

[Lehigh2007]

Are we sure that Hunter is really in the portal? I just don't see how you get deferred wrestler of the year then go right into the portal. I remember reading on this forum that Crookham and Vito wouldn't wrestle again for sure...

[Oracle]

It's not a random rumor -- it's listed on FLO's website.

[Spladle1989]

Just to be clear deferred wrestler of the year does not mean you were the academic deferred wrestler of the year correct?

Not implying anything, just saying.......

[HFO]

What Lehigh needs and what they can get are not the same.

We may need a grad transfer, but guys like Tate Samuelson (ranked top 15-20) that can come in and help are scarce. Offering a grad program as the primary draw is not what the elites are looking for. Understanding this will be helpful and mitigate disappointment. IMO, what grad transfers are after: 1-looking for is a place they can start, 2-looking for a room that will challenge them with guys around their weight to get to the podium (or higher), 3-NIL money.
Maybe these are 'in order' of importance, but they are all connected and equally important.

Lehigh could use help at 165, 174, 184. How many of these boxes do we check?

Guys, the grad program box is not one of the boxes.

Samuelson was a 1-off, albeit a really good get. Beard was a guy we recruited and had a relationship with. THIS is where we will have the most success moving forward IMO. Stanich exceeded expectations. Grungo, also a 1X NJ champ has not (yet.) Not all state champs are equally talented for D1. The best route is always straight out of high school recruiting. Our 58-year old coach needs to get in his car and drive....show up in living rooms and recruit the parents. IMO, meeting Pat will sell most families on where their kid should be for the next 4/5 years once they get to know him.

We check on the boxes in need, unless you want to field guys on roster who are ranked 60 or higher. Last I checked, #27 is better talent than a #60 guy.

[whiz wit]

HFO, you have Dubler at 165, Brancato at 174 and Wilt at 184 on the chopping block. Do you know that they're the projected starters for next season? Do you know that Herceg isn't returning? He at times took his lumps for the team wrestling up a weight and had a win against Cornell that was big in the team winning the dual. Do you know that Lawrence won't be coming back and be healthy? With his injuries he hasn't wrestled much but who knows? Rogers didn't show much in his brief appearances but he's young. Wilt, in his second year and first as a starter, looked very good at times. Schoppe sat out his first season due to injury.

You think it's ok to give these guys, as well as young guys Dubler and Brancato, votes of no confidence for the sake of bringing in guys ranked in the mid 20's to 30's? May not improve the team all that much while not being good for morale and bad form on the part of the coach, in my opinion.

[Oracle]

Maybe.

Let's say you hired a salesperson. After a year, they are not producing and there is no indication they will in the future. Your options are to keep then on and 'hope' they start producing, or cut them loose and hire someone else with the feeling maybe you get lucky with that next person. All that is certain is the first person can't get it done. Where's the downside?

[whiz wit]

Maybe.

Let's say you hired a salesperson. After a year, they are not producing and there is no indication they will in the future. Your options are to keep then on and 'hope' they start producing, or cut them loose and hire someone else with the feeling maybe you get lucky with that next person. All that is certain is the first person can't get it done. Where's the downside?

How is it "certain" that they can't get it done in the future, especially when most haven't wrestled much do to injury or youth or last wrestled up a weight?

As for the downside, see my comment above.

[Oracle]

Good question.

Our (Lehigh) history tells us it is unlikely. Who have we ever had who did not enjoy relative success in their deferred year and then went on to 'develop' into a championship caliber, as in AA level? I can' think of anyone, can you?

The guys LU has are tough, hard workers, but do not have the credentials coming in, nor any quality wins to indicate the potential you allude to. Hope is not a strategy. Wrestlers on the team know full well the stakes are high at Lehigh. Bringing in whoever should not affect them one bit. You earn the spot or you don't. Pat can't take the attitude he can wait on guys to produce. And I'm not advocating grabbing a 25-30 guy either....unless he can beat who we already have.

Others have pointed out LU has 4 guys who are AA level and then there's a drop off. D1 athletics is very competitive -- you grow and get better or you get run over.

Perhaps someone will return next year ready to elevate their game. Kelvin Griffin did last year, but he needs to drastically improve on his feet to be a consistent winner now that opponents know his top game.

If Stanich defers (which seems likely) then Bailey, Hines, Reinsel, Griffin should all rank at 141. Repos at 149. Schoppe at 174. Rogers/Wilt at 184. Not sure at 165.

Maybe we get a late portal guy that can help. Heaven knows everyone knows where we have holes. The problem is: if they are really good they will require NIL money or forget it.

[LUEngineer]

I am thoroughly on the same page as whiz wit that we have young guys that can in fact step it up.

I predict that Stanich will not redshirt but bulk up & take the 141 spot from Hines. Stanich is a driven kid with work ethic that will take him to the top of the podium some day.

I predict that Griffin will in fact improve substantially on his feet with our excellent coaching staff at 149.

I predict that Mays will stay & excel at 165 as he has pedigree credentials.

I predict the Shoeppe will have a great rookie year as he has good pedigree & talent to do well at 174.


I predict that Wilt will improve & perhaps the coaches will get Rogers to find his offense to cover 184.

The only portal transfers worth considering should be those that can AA. Otherwise we are undercutting what it means to be a committed Lehigh wrestler coached up.