NCAA Qualification Process

[Bearhugger]

Team points are of course an accumulation of individual points. The individuals need to win matches to score points. Wrestlers who win should be going to the NCAA tournament.

WVU is sending 6 wrestlers to the NCAA tournament. This is +2 qualifiers above the previous two seasons. A sign of improvement.

Although the following has nothing to do with WVU, I do not understand the logic supported by the numbers for the past 3 Big 12 tournament results:

2021: WVU placed 9th as a team with 57 points. They achieved 4 NCAA qualifiers.

2022: WVU finished tied for 7th as a team with 62 points. They achieved 4 NCAA qualifiers.

2023: WVU finished 12th as a team with 34.5 points. They improved to 6 NCAA qualifiers.

In summary, WVU had by far their worst Big 12 Tournament in 2023. However, they qualifiers +2 NCAA qualifiers than the previous two seasons.

Interesting

[Doyablameme?]

Team points are of course an accumulation of individual points. The individuals need to win matches to score points. Wrestlers who win should be going to the NCAA tournament.

WVU is sending 6 wrestlers to the NCAA tournament. This is +2 qualifiers above the previous two seasons. A sign of improvement.

Although the following has nothing to do with WVU, I do not understand the logic supported by the numbers for the past 3 Big 12 tournament results:

2021: WVU placed 9th as a team with 57 points. They achieved 4 NCAA qualifiers.

2022: WVU finished tied for 7th as a team with 62 points. They achieved 4 NCAA qualifiers.

2023: WVU finished 12th as a team with 34.5 points. They improved to 6 NCAA qualifiers.

In summary, WVU had by far their worst Big 12 Tournament in 2023. However, they qualifiers +2 NCAA qualifiers than the previous two seasons.

Interesting

Good research … however nothing to be gleaned cept WVU is not very good .. and won’t be until the Admin decides they want to be.

[Jon Perkins]

All three years WVU has only qualified 3 wrestlers at the BIG 12 tournament. In 2021 and 2022 they had one guy qualify through the at large process. This year they had 3 guys qualify through the at large process. While the results at the BIG 12 tournament are not improving the number of qualifiers are increasing due to the number of quality wins and body of work each guy has built up throughout the year. Even though most of the guys that the team is sending has a very low seed that is still better than not sending any at all. The point total was so low this year because they only had one guy reach the semifinals and no one reach the finals.

To push back on the comment being made about the team not being very good...I will agree that there has been times, and certainly more than one occasion, this year where the team was not very good. There has also been times where the team was pretty darn good. What the team lacks is consistency. They are just not good enough to be consistently good, but they are good enough to not be consistently bad. Either way the NCAA's begin on Thursday, good luck and safe travels to not only the Mountaineers but to Josh Humpries and Braxton Amos as well, I will be rooting for all of them.

[Bearhugger]

All three years WVU has only qualified 3 wrestlers at the BIG 12 tournament. In 2021 and 2022 they had one guy qualify through the at large process. This year they had 3 guys qualify through the at large process. While the results at the BIG 12 tournament are not improving the number of qualifiers are increasing due to the number of quality wins and body of work each guy has built up throughout the year. Even though most of the guys that the team is sending has a very low seed that is still better than not sending any at all. The point total was so low this year because they only had one guy reach the semifinals and no one reach the finals.

To push back on the comment being made about the team not being very good...I will agree that there has been times, and certainly more than one occasion, this year where the team was not very good. There has also been times where the team was pretty darn good. What the team lacks is consistency. They are just not good enough to be consistently good, but they are good enough to not be consistently bad. Either way the NCAA's begin on Thursday, good luck and safe travels to not only the Mountaineers but to Josh Humpries and Braxton Amos as well, I will be rooting for all of them.

Why do you think there is such a consistency problem?

[Jon Perkins]

Was there a consistency issue with Noah Adams, Killian Cardinale, or Peyton Hall? The answer is no, because these three guys were and are very talented and could contend for All American status every year. So what about the other 8 guys? Let's start with Jordan Titus, you can see in his wrestling that he is still a little unsure of himself. A blue chip recruit that had a good red-shirt year in a lower weight class and has not quite figured out how to handle bigger guys ranked in the top 20. Noah Adams wasn't great his first couple of years either so I have no worries with JT, he will be just fine. Austin Cooley was wrestling pretty good up until the Midlands Tournament, since then he has been in and out of the lineup. I can only assume he sustained a fairly significant injury that has affected his conditioning and limits his motion on the mat. He has not been wrestling with the same fire he had in November. The other 6 guys in the lineup I feel like all have the same issue, they simply lack the talent that is needed. I could be wrong about this but I feel like the 133 pounder, Davin Rhoads, is going to be pretty good. Next year will tell the tale on him. Hornfeck, Joll, Carman, and even Wolfgram; these guys have been in the lineup for 3 or 4 years now and have never shown any consistency in their wrestling.

An obvious lack of talent is why the team results are not improving much. Having two guys in your lineup will not produce any team results but having 4, 5, and 6 guys spread throughout the lineup can produce solid results. They are finally starting to get a few high level recruits, such Brody Conley, Ty Waters, and Shawn Taylor, that will be able to compete with those Top 20 and Top 10 guys. It is very possible that next year you could see Jordan Titus, Ty Watters, Brody Conley, and Peyton Hall all in the lineup together which could take this team to the next level making it more inviting for more blue chop recruits.

[Doyablameme?]

Was there a consistency issue with Noah Adams, Killian Cardinale, or Peyton Hall? The answer is no, because these three guys were and are very talented and could contend for All American status every year. So what about the other 8 guys? Let's start with Jordan Titus, you can see in his wrestling that he is still a little unsure of himself. A blue chip recruit that had a good red-shirt year in a lower weight class and has not quite figured out how to handle bigger guys ranked in the top 20. Noah Adams wasn't great his first couple of years either so I have no worries with JT, he will be just fine. Austin Cooley was wrestling pretty good up until the Midlands Tournament, since then he has been in and out of the lineup. I can only assume he sustained a fairly significant injury that has affected his conditioning and limits his motion on the mat. He has not been wrestling with the same fire he had in November. The other 6 guys in the lineup I feel like all have the same issue, they simply lack the talent that is needed. I could be wrong about this but I feel like the 133 pounder, Davin Rhoads, is going to be pretty good. Next year will tell the tale on him. Hornfeck, Joll, Carman, and even Wolfgram; these guys have been in the lineup for 3 or 4 years now and have never shown any consistency in their wrestling.

An obvious lack of talent is why the team results are not improving much. Having two guys in your lineup will not produce any team results but having 4, 5, and 6 guys spread throughout the lineup can produce solid results. They are finally starting to get a few high level recruits, such Brody Conley, Ty Waters, and Shawn Taylor, that will be able to compete with those Top 20 and Top 10 guys. It is very possible that next year you could see Jordan Titus, Ty Watters, Brody Conley, and Peyton Hall all in the lineup together which could take this team to the next level making it more inviting for more blue chop recruits.

Honestly , the wrestlers you describe as “ high level recruits” are really not high level recruits in the overall scheme of things. Let’s be straight about this..

[Bearhugger]

Was there a consistency issue with Noah Adams, Killian Cardinale, or Peyton Hall? The answer is no, because these three guys were and are very talented and could contend for All American status every year. So what about the other 8 guys? Let's start with Jordan Titus, you can see in his wrestling that he is still a little unsure of himself. A blue chip recruit that had a good red-shirt year in a lower weight class and has not quite figured out how to handle bigger guys ranked in the top 20. Noah Adams wasn't great his first couple of years either so I have no worries with JT, he will be just fine. Austin Cooley was wrestling pretty good up until the Midlands Tournament, since then he has been in and out of the lineup. I can only assume he sustained a fairly significant injury that has affected his conditioning and limits his motion on the mat. He has not been wrestling with the same fire he had in November. The other 6 guys in the lineup I feel like all have the same issue, they simply lack the talent that is needed. I could be wrong about this but I feel like the 133 pounder, Davin Rhoads, is going to be pretty good. Next year will tell the tale on him. Hornfeck, Joll, Carman, and even Wolfgram; these guys have been in the lineup for 3 or 4 years now and have never shown any consistency in their wrestling.

An obvious lack of talent is why the team results are not improving much. Having two guys in your lineup will not produce any team results but having 4, 5, and 6 guys spread throughout the lineup can produce solid results. They are finally starting to get a few high level recruits, such Brody Conley, Ty Waters, and Shawn Taylor, that will be able to compete with those Top 20 and Top 10 guys. It is very possible that next year you could see Jordan Titus, Ty Watters, Brody Conley, and Peyton Hall all in the lineup together which could take this team to the next level making it more inviting for more blue chop recruits.

Adams, Cardinale and Hall were proven winners BEFORE walking onto WVU's campus. I guess the key to WVU's success is to get sure fire winners from the get go.

What makes you think that Dusty Rhoads is going to be pretty good? When I think of WVU 133 this season, I think of the weakest link in the line up.

[Jon Perkins]

Doya, Brody Conley ended his HS career by winning 119 matches, 2 OH state titles, and 1 Ironman championship. Ty Watters is a Super 32 finalist and a 2 time PA state champion. Both were well within being a Top 35 recruit in the country. If you don’t like term “high level” may you you just prefer to call them “quality recruits”, I’m good either term.

Bear, recruiting wrestlers with proven success is the key to any teams success. Do you think Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State, etc. go out looking for recruits have never won anything. Top teams are not interested in someone who has finished their state tournament in fourth place three years in a row. As far as Noah Adams, Killian Cardinale, and Peyton all being proven winners before they got to WVU, you are correct. But none of them had any more or any less success in HS than Jordan Titus, Brody Conley, and Ty Watters.

As far as Davin Rhoads, I like him bc he has good size for 133. Even though he had a lot of losses this year many of those losses were to fairly high ranked guys and there was not very many of those losses where he didn’t score at one takedown. To me that shows he never quits fighting no matter what the score. His biggest weakness is wrestling off bottom. He is good on his feet and has a good bit of confidence there. His first two years have been filled with a lot illness and injury. Next year will tell the tale on him in whether he is going to much success or not.

[Bearhugger]

Doya, Brody Conley ended his HS career by winning 119 matches, 2 OH state titles, and 1 Ironman championship. Ty Watters is a Super 32 finalist and a 2 time PA state champion. Both were well within being a Top 35 recruit in the country. If you don’t like term “high level” may you you just prefer to call them “quality recruits”, I’m good either term.

Bear, recruiting wrestlers with proven success is the key to any teams success. Do you think Penn State, Iowa, Ohio State, etc. go out looking for recruits have never won anything. Top teams are not interested in someone who has finished their state tournament in fourth place three years in a row. As far as Noah Adams, Killian Cardinale, and Peyton all being proven winners before they got to WVU, you are correct. But none of them had any more or any less success in HS than Jordan Titus, Brody Conley, and Ty Watters.

As far as Davin Rhoads, I like him bc he has good size for 133. Even though he had a lot of losses this year many of those losses were to fairly high ranked guys and there was not very many of those losses where he didn’t score at one takedown. To me that shows he never quits fighting no matter what the score. His biggest weakness is wrestling off bottom. He is good on his feet and has a good bit of confidence there. His first two years have been filled with a lot illness and injury. Next year will tell the tale on him in whether he is going to much success or not.

WVU has a lot of injuries. They lead the field in medical forfeits in the season's opening event. You are referencing Dusty Rhodes having much illness and injury during his first two seasons. Let's delay discussing "quality recruits" and shift toward the topic of what is WVU changing to get their wrestlers better battle ready?

Lets avoid the deflection of "injuries happen and they are part of the sport". Lets discuss why does WVU has so many injuries.

[Jon Perkins]

If you can add anything to that topic that is not purely speculation, I would be happy to listen. Injuries occur for many different reasons, it is a part of life. You heal up and come back smarter and stronger, with any luck. In fact, a few weeks ago I about cut the tip of my thumb off with a machete. I put a Band-Aid on it for a few days and learned to never to use a machete when a pocket will suffice.

[Doyablameme?]

If you can add anything to that topic that is not purely speculation, I would be happy to listen. Injuries occur for many different reasons, it is a part of life. You heal up and come back smarter and stronger, with any luck. In fact, a few weeks ago I about cut the tip of my thumb off with a machete. I put a Band-Aid on it for a few days and learned to never to use a machete when a pocket will suffice.

What happened to your post with the head coach, RD, Trainer .. etc mentioned ?
I especially liked the part about loading up on Glucosamine as prevention against joint injuries! I ran out an bought two cases of the stuff from my local pharmacy!
Got some funny looks from the staff there but my joint problems will now hopefully be a thing of the past. Thanks

[Jon Perkins]

If you can add anything to that topic that is not purely speculation, I would be happy to listen. Injuries occur for many different reasons, it is a part of life. You heal up and come back smarter and stronger, with any luck. In fact, a few weeks ago I about cut the tip of my thumb off with a machete. I put a Band-Aid on it for a few days and learned to never to use a machete when a pocket will suffice.

What happened to your post with the head coach, RD, Trainer .. etc mentioned ?
I especially liked the part about loading up on Glucosamine as prevention against joint injuries! I ran out an bought two cases of the stuff from my local pharmacy!
Got some funny looks from the staff there but my joint problems will now hopefully be a thing of the past. Thanks

After posting it I thought about it and found it to be in poor taste and offensive, so I deleted it. I am not on here to be mean, offensive, or negative towards anyone. I just want to have and add to wrestling topics. I don't want you to be mislead and uninformed, glucosamine will not prevent joint injuries. It is a supplement to only help strengthen the cartilage in the joints, but if you already have arthritic joints it may be too late.

[armyscot0873]

Looks like the WVU coaches know more than the keyboard warriors on here on what matches are important and what isnt. Cardinale in the quarters in a very winnable match up. This isnt high school, strategy is important.

[Jon Perkins]

Looks like the WVU coaches know more than the keyboard warriors on here on what matches are important and what isnt. Cardinale in the quarters in a very winnable match up. This isnt high school, strategy is important.

PREACH!!! This guy had major shoulder surgery two years ago and has worn a big knee brace for all of this season. He should not be wrestling at the Cleveland State Open or in a dual against someone that is not ranked in the top 50. You don't have to be good all the time, you just have to be good when its time. That is what the coaches have set him up for and that is what he is doing.

[armyscot0873]

I will admit this after the last 3 matches. Wolfram, Cardinals, and Hall were all gassed and that's why they all 3 lost in the last seconds. Conditioning coach could be an area to look at. I would also bring in somebody to work on hip control. All three lost in scrambles with bad hip positions.