Lots going on in the wrestling world -- Fargo Jr. Freestyle Nationals, and upcoming Olympics in Paris. Lehigh's Darian Cruz looks like he's positioned 14th out of 16, so he will draw someone very good right off the bat. If he doesn't spring the upset, let's hope his guy makes the finals so he can wrestle back. Pundits say DC doesn't stand a chance, but he has fooled those pundits in the past -- Thomas Gilman on the way to his NCAA title and Zane Richards to qualify for these Olympics. IMO, he best chance is to fire off his outside shot early.
By the looks of an Instagram post, Lehigh's entire class of recruits is on campus and working out with the RTC....hopefully taking a class or two to get ahead of the game and working on weight management so certifications go smoothly. It's important, IMO, to have everyone at their best weights during their deferred year. Frankly, I don't get why Lehigh seems to be the only top 20 program who let's their guys coast a little during their RS year. Get down to weight and let's see what they can do. Entering as many Opens as possible is in a deferred wrestler's best interest. A potential future starter should see some top competition and get in 15 (at least) to 20 bouts.
Good to hear LU will meet UPenn this year in a dual. Perhaps this signals 'business as usual' with the Ivies, dual-wise. Schedules should be finalized sometime in August and to say the least there's a lot of anticipation from fans as to what it will look like.
I'm very optimistic about the '24-'25 season. Lots of competition for the 149 slot, maybe even Hines moving up to challenge there. I wouldn't put a lot of stock into Stanich needing a year to grow into 141. He was really a 133 last year so moving up should work. Leaving a returning AA on the bench if he wins the spot would be a hard decision.
141, 149, 157, 165 -- Hines, Stanich, Bailey, Griffin, Reinsel, Munch, Repos, Gringo, Brignola, Gonzalez, Dubler -- out of these should produce solid starters. Also have a couple of true frosh who may contribute. Anyone have other thoughts besides Lawrence moving down?
174-184 -- RRogers, Federici, Schoppe, Lawrence, CRogers, Wilt, JT Davis -- out of these 2 solid starters should emerge.
There's a lot more to be excited about than this time last year and we all know last year was a really good year.
Have a great weekend everyone!
Week-End Salvo
Re: Week-End Salvo
Good post.
My concern about Stanich at 141 is not whether he can compete there but rather managing fan expectations of whether he can repeat his 125 success. IMO, Luke is very talented and reportedly does everything right but as you say, he was really a 133 wrestling at 125, a weight class with a lack of superstars. He will likely not have that size advantage at 141.
Only the future will tell.
My concern about Stanich at 141 is not whether he can compete there but rather managing fan expectations of whether he can repeat his 125 success. IMO, Luke is very talented and reportedly does everything right but as you say, he was really a 133 wrestling at 125, a weight class with a lack of superstars. He will likely not have that size advantage at 141.
Only the future will tell.
Re: Week-End Salvo
Fan expectations are almost always out to lunch. Those expectations cannot be managed -- by any program, anywhere.
As you say, time will tell. He looks like he'll be a good-sized 141, but he has to win the spot first. If he can't, then he probably defers unless there is an injury. The only guy preventing him from starting at 141 is Hines. Even if it's close, I'd go with Stanich and let Hines battle it out at 149. Redshirts are for developing recruits. Stanich is past that. To defer a returning AA in today's climate (NIL, portal) is risky and under similar circumstances you'd see other coaches letting him go -- considering there is not an AA candidate blocking his way.
Is Lehigh the kind of program where the coach 'tells' a guy he is deferring? I don't think so. It seems to me, all have to agree.
As you say, time will tell. He looks like he'll be a good-sized 141, but he has to win the spot first. If he can't, then he probably defers unless there is an injury. The only guy preventing him from starting at 141 is Hines. Even if it's close, I'd go with Stanich and let Hines battle it out at 149. Redshirts are for developing recruits. Stanich is past that. To defer a returning AA in today's climate (NIL, portal) is risky and under similar circumstances you'd see other coaches letting him go -- considering there is not an AA candidate blocking his way.
Is Lehigh the kind of program where the coach 'tells' a guy he is deferring? I don't think so. It seems to me, all have to agree.
Re: Week-End Salvo
This season v last season for dual meets:
125 -
133 =
141 +
149 = or +
157 =
165 -
174 +
184 = or +
197 =
285 =
2 -
2 +
4 =
2 = or +
Cheesesteaks + (Highly regarded Mercatino Italiano from Quakertown opening a branch on Bethlehem's
South Side)
125 -
133 =
141 +
149 = or +
157 =
165 -
174 +
184 = or +
197 =
285 =
2 -
2 +
4 =
2 = or +
Cheesesteaks + (Highly regarded Mercatino Italiano from Quakertown opening a branch on Bethlehem's
South Side)
Re: Week-End Salvo
I'm not quite in agreement. If Stanich and Hines are close, your scenario of moving Hines up may not make either weight class better. If however, Stanich is beating Hines then the move makes a lot of sense. He is ready.Oracle wrote: ↑Fri Jul 19, 2024 11:35 am Fan expectations are almost always out to lunch. Those expectations cannot be managed -- by any program, anywhere.
As you say, time will tell. He looks like he'll be a good-sized 141, but he has to win the spot first. If he can't, then he probably defers unless there is an injury. The only guy preventing him from starting at 141 is Hines. Even if it's close, I'd go with Stanich and let Hines battle it out at 149. Redshirts are for developing recruits. Stanich is past that. To defer a returning AA in today's climate (NIL, portal) is risky and under similar circumstances you'd see other coaches letting him go -- considering there is not an AA candidate blocking his way.
Is Lehigh the kind of program where the coach 'tells' a guy he is deferring? I don't think so. It seems to me, all have to agree.
I tend to view Luke's situation much like Darian's. Cruz was an AA, his freshman year. He then deferred his sophomore year to grow into his weight class. Parker, his replacement, deferred the following year to grow into 133.
Nate Brown took a year off after a Midland 2nd and grew into a full sized 184. All those moves were successful.
With that being said, the coaches and wrestler will work it out with far greater knowledge of the situation than I have.
Re: Week-End Salvo
Interesting look at our dual meet team. I have no idea who you penciled in as "the guy" either this year or last year but I believe we only lost 2 guys from our last year lineup. Jake Logan went 2-8. Connor Herceg went 2-5.
Only 1 guy looks to be moving weight so far and ironically Stanich only wrestled 5 dual meets last year going 3-2.
When I was attending Lehigh, there was only a handful of places on the South Side to eat especially on Sundays. Today there is about 4 to 5 on every block. Bethlehem has truly gone through a revitalization.
Re: Week-End Salvo
One last thought
Thinking outside the box with no inside information:
Malyke Hines has always been a good wrestler for Lehigh that has never quite broken through. He relies a bit on funk but to me didn't have quite enough horse power to finish. There is some speculation that he has really bulked up (based on 1 picture) and other speculation that he may move up to 149 accordingly.
On the other hand he may finally be an oversized 141, much in the way Stanich was last year at 125. It would be interesting if Lehigh could use Malyke in much the same fashion. It may be the formula to make him an AA.
Just a thought.
Thinking outside the box with no inside information:
Malyke Hines has always been a good wrestler for Lehigh that has never quite broken through. He relies a bit on funk but to me didn't have quite enough horse power to finish. There is some speculation that he has really bulked up (based on 1 picture) and other speculation that he may move up to 149 accordingly.
On the other hand he may finally be an oversized 141, much in the way Stanich was last year at 125. It would be interesting if Lehigh could use Malyke in much the same fashion. It may be the formula to make him an AA.
Just a thought.
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FloridaGuy
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Re: Week-End Salvo
>>>>>>> I see it differently from O’s statement that “ redshirts are for developing recruits”
A Redshirt year, imo, is for any wrestler who would benefit from a year to improve
Clearly guys like DCruz, DEsposito and NBrown all benefited significantly from mid-career redshirt years.
Stanich has 4 years to use his remaining 3 years of eligibility———— he should redshirt now for an “improvement” year and thereby maximize his final 3 years of performance.
Lehigh has Crookham at 133 and a solid veteran plus depth at 141——-this is the logical redshirt year for Stanich to grow, mature, add strength/experience, and become an elite 141
A Redshirt year, imo, is for any wrestler who would benefit from a year to improve
Clearly guys like DCruz, DEsposito and NBrown all benefited significantly from mid-career redshirt years.
Stanich has 4 years to use his remaining 3 years of eligibility———— he should redshirt now for an “improvement” year and thereby maximize his final 3 years of performance.
Lehigh has Crookham at 133 and a solid veteran plus depth at 141——-this is the logical redshirt year for Stanich to grow, mature, add strength/experience, and become an elite 141
Re: Week-End Salvo
Nope.
It's a different world and you're recommending traditional thinking. It may have applied in the past, it no longer does. LStanich is an AA -- does it matter what weight? Those that said there were no stars at 125 were sadly mistaken. There was a plethora of high octane talent. He proved he can stand on the podium. None of the "solid veteran plus depth at 141" have proven they can, nor is there any indication they will. LStanich is already pretty big -- in the 160s I hear -- he should be given a wide berth to do what he wants. Red shirting so a guy can be elite for 3 years is wishful (old school traditional) thinking. Guys get hurt. Guys transfer. DCruz was small and they had Parker who was a stud. Esposito was what .... 20+ years ago? Nate Brown, unless it was imagination, was recovering from a brutal EIWA incident. None of your examples compare to what this situation is. IMO.
Bailey is serviceable and a gamer. Hines is a teaser and has had 5 years to get it done. Enough thinking that is akin to a returning AA. LStanich will be big enough for 141. Maybe not to the level of Mendez and Alirez, but few are. Maybe throw in Bartlett. I would rather have Stanich fighting for the podium at 141 than anyone else in the room. Am I alone here?
It's a different world and you're recommending traditional thinking. It may have applied in the past, it no longer does. LStanich is an AA -- does it matter what weight? Those that said there were no stars at 125 were sadly mistaken. There was a plethora of high octane talent. He proved he can stand on the podium. None of the "solid veteran plus depth at 141" have proven they can, nor is there any indication they will. LStanich is already pretty big -- in the 160s I hear -- he should be given a wide berth to do what he wants. Red shirting so a guy can be elite for 3 years is wishful (old school traditional) thinking. Guys get hurt. Guys transfer. DCruz was small and they had Parker who was a stud. Esposito was what .... 20+ years ago? Nate Brown, unless it was imagination, was recovering from a brutal EIWA incident. None of your examples compare to what this situation is. IMO.
Bailey is serviceable and a gamer. Hines is a teaser and has had 5 years to get it done. Enough thinking that is akin to a returning AA. LStanich will be big enough for 141. Maybe not to the level of Mendez and Alirez, but few are. Maybe throw in Bartlett. I would rather have Stanich fighting for the podium at 141 than anyone else in the room. Am I alone here?
Re: Week-End Salvo
Stanich being poached is a real possibility. I wouldn't risk a redshirt.
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