College review... pre post season...

[MitchL]

My objective review of the current season's results of the three major in-state programs prior to the start of the Conference and Nationals Tourneys...

Iowa. The holes have been patched, but I'm not sure they have the lineup to be National Champs unless they have a near perfect tournament and Penn State stumbles a bit. Clearly a top three team, but I'm predicting a tight fight with Minny for second place.

UNI. Better than most expected and have definitely become the threat many predicted when Schwab took over. Their victories over Oklahoma and ISU were NOT upsets. They are legit and I believe elite recruits will now give them serious consideration. They can compete with Brands and Co. for the best in-state kids going forward.

ISU Clearly are regressing and have now cemented their place as the third best team in the State. Young guys aren't progressing and Moreno no longer a lock for AA. At this point, Gadsen is their only AA threat.

Many felt last season's NCAAs were a sign that ISU had righted the ship. Now it appears that was a fluke. Pollard must really be regretting that contract extension. I admit I was fooled and thought Jackson had things going in the right direction. But can ISU afford to eat yet another contract and fire KJ? Plus that would make the AD look bad, just as the contract extension for the football coach has done. ISU is now UNI's lil brother, too.

Fan apathy might save KJ's job until the contract expires, because there just isn't much going on at Hilton these days regarding college wrestling. The Meeks' family better have some options lined up if things continue down the toilet. Maybe Daddy can apologize to Tom Brands and see if a partial scholly is available.

 

[MitchL]

Funny stuff on the ISU site regarding the Clones' latest choke job. ISU fans are eating their young. Just another meltdown following another miserable showing... this time at the National Duals. And given how the Clones will likely have an even weaker lineup next year, just can't see how Pollard doesn't cut KJ. An expensive, but necessary move.

 

[Saints85]

How about a little honesty here: As an alum, who bleeds cardinal and gold, I don't care much for MitchL. However, I have to agree with his assessment about the wrestling program heading in the wrong direction. KJ seems like a great guy, but the job isn't getting done. I do believe the fball program is in as good a hands as we will get, so I disagree with him there. Jack Trice gets filled and as the cash cow, that is actually more important to the overall program than wins. And since I am being honest, MitchL should consider some facts. If the ISU gymnastics team or softball team beats Iowa this spring, ISU will win the Cy-Hawk trophy this year. If that happens, the series will be tied at 6-6. Hardly a Hawkeye dominance over the past 12 years. So the wrestling team is going South, but Pollard's overall job should be given high marks, if comparing success against U of I. Though we beat the piss out of U of I in the non-glammer sports, I am expecting MitchL's letter to Barta firing all their minor sports coaches, to be forth coming on iapreps.com. Better get to typing MitchL.

 

[MitchL]

Pollard has been the beneficiary of that big, big TV contract that the BigXII signed a little while back. That has really helped with the facility upgrades that ISU so badly needed. That, in turn, has helped the coaches promote their programs. But outside of Hoiberg... Pollard's coaching hires haven't exactly been anything to rave about. KJ has been an absolute disaster. PR... the record speaks for itself. Losing record, but a rah/rah coach that plays well with the fanbase... for now. Continue with the 5-7/3-9 records and he'll be gone well before that contract expires.

And that CyHawk trophy... who gives a rat's behind??

What you nailed was that football revenue drives all college athletics, at nearly all schools. So Rhoads always can stay on Pollard's good guy list as long as Trice is close to capacity. But I have yet to see how the football team gets any better than 7-5 or so anytime soon. PR really put his eggs in the Lazard basket with that signing day circus. But I've never seen a wr that can save a football program without a qb to get him the ball. ISU's qb play the last few years has been average, at best.

Back to wrestling... will Gadsen as the only AA be enough to save KJ? If it does, that says a lot about how low the bar is at ISU. The Meeks' fiasco last year and the decision to wrestle him as a true freshman was a bad decision by any objective fan view. Clearly... bringing in Nickerson wasn't the answer to the ISU lightweight struggles. The problems are at the top.

 

[sloehawk]

Originally posted by Saints85:
How about a little honesty here: As an alum, who bleeds cardinal and gold, I don't care much for MitchL. However, I have to agree with his assessment about the wrestling program heading in the wrong direction. KJ seems like a great guy, but the job isn't getting done. I do believe the fball program is in as good a hands as we will get, so I disagree with him there. Jack Trice gets filled and as the cash cow, that is actually more important to the overall program than wins. And since I am being honest, MitchL should consider some facts. If the ISU gymnastics team or softball team beats Iowa this spring, ISU will win the Cy-Hawk trophy this year. If that happens, the series will be tied at 6-6. Hardly a Hawkeye dominance over the past 12 years. So the wrestling team is going South, but Pollard's overall job should be given high marks, if comparing success against U of I. Though we beat the piss out of U of I in the non-glammer sports, I am expecting MitchL's letter to Barta firing all their minor sports coaches, to be forth coming on iapreps.com. Better get to typing MitchL.

This actually surprises me. Iowa is at or near the bottom of the Big 10 every year in these All-sports categories. Really piss-poor. I assumed Iowa State was well ahead in this Cy-Hawk deal. They must be lousy as well.