My observations regarding the three programs after the last three days now follow.
UNI... Nice tourney and the future looks pretty good. Colon got surprised against Graff, but I think he would beat him 3 out of 5 times. Peters needs more muscle and I think another year in the room will get it for him. Wolfy will be a decent replacement at 133 next year and I think the upper weight guys will continue to improve. I see them just outside the top ten again next year.
Iowa... Major, major disappointment. No fire, continually losing points at the end of periods, poor technique, and outside of Clark and Ramos... a bunch of guys who looked like they'd rather be somewhere else. This may be the only Nationals I've ever attended in 20 some years where Iowa had ZERO falls in the NCAAs. Iowa needs a ALGER-like bad arse to make these guys show some emotion. The lack of production from the middle weight guys was simply astonishing!
ISU... WOW! A 4th, 5th, and 8th. Simply unacceptable for that program. And that following a lousy season last year. Any ISU fan that can accept a 12th place finish in KJ's fifth year has really lowered their goals. Gadson looked lost against the top guys. He'll likely never exceed this season's placing. I feel for him given his father's passing. Seems like a great kid. Happy for Moreno. Hall has potential if he can get stronger.
But given ISU's weak recruiting and the questionable improvement of the kids redshirting this year, I just can't envision them cracking the top ten anytime soon. Sounds like KJ gets one more year because Pollard can't afford to pay him off given how bad the contract extension for Rhoads looks now.
UNI... Nice tourney and the future looks pretty good. Colon got surprised against Graff, but I think he would beat him 3 out of 5 times. Peters needs more muscle and I think another year in the room will get it for him. Wolfy will be a decent replacement at 133 next year and I think the upper weight guys will continue to improve. I see them just outside the top ten again next year.
Iowa... Major, major disappointment. No fire, continually losing points at the end of periods, poor technique, and outside of Clark and Ramos... a bunch of guys who looked like they'd rather be somewhere else. This may be the only Nationals I've ever attended in 20 some years where Iowa had ZERO falls in the NCAAs. Iowa needs a ALGER-like bad arse to make these guys show some emotion. The lack of production from the middle weight guys was simply astonishing!
ISU... WOW! A 4th, 5th, and 8th. Simply unacceptable for that program. And that following a lousy season last year. Any ISU fan that can accept a 12th place finish in KJ's fifth year has really lowered their goals. Gadson looked lost against the top guys. He'll likely never exceed this season's placing. I feel for him given his father's passing. Seems like a great kid. Happy for Moreno. Hall has potential if he can get stronger.
But given ISU's weak recruiting and the questionable improvement of the kids redshirting this year, I just can't envision them cracking the top ten anytime soon. Sounds like KJ gets one more year because Pollard can't afford to pay him off given how bad the contract extension for Rhoads looks now.
