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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on August 9, 2022
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What would you rather see? Sasso go 149 and have a lesser chance to win an NCAA title (Yianni) but make the lineup a bit stronger?
Or Sasso take his chances at 157 where he has a better chance to be an NCAA champion but maybe the team's a bit weaker?
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Justin Hayes added to this discussion on August 9, 2022
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Sasso the individual, better chance at winning.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Ben Golden added to this discussion on August 9, 2022
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Agreed on prioritizing the individual--which may or may not mean moving to 157.
But keeping him down a weight just to make the team lineup stronger is a move that comes with a few risks. If he's cutting a lot, he makes himself more vulnerable to injury. And suppose the other buckeye at 157 gets injured... now that team benefit is more than gone. If he truly has a strong chance of winning it all at 157, those 4 extra team points are valuable too.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Brian Mathews added to this discussion on August 10, 2022
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(1) How much do you value team results if you can't realistically win a title?
We did an informal poll similar to this recently. Personally, I'd rather see Sammy win an individual title than see OSU finish 2nd instead of 3rd. But I'm a fan, not the coach.
That being said, Sammy is far from a lock to even make the finals at 157. I think he has a chance, but he lost to Doug Zapf a couple months ago in freestyle and Zapf didn't even AA at 157 last year.
(2) How good is Paddy?
I can guess at how good he is but I don't think that's particularly helpful. What we do know is that if you bump Sammy up, you're asking a number 1 recruit to sit on the bench for another year. Maybe he starts looking at the portal. He would have unlimited options, and probably stand to make a good chunk of change out of it as well.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Ethan Moore added to this discussion on August 10, 2022
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That returning 157 group seems very underwhelming to me. Let him chase a title.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Nick Lecklider added to this discussion on August 10, 2022
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Paddy is not going to be a guy sitting the bench for two years. Sasso goes 149 this year and then every moves up next year when smith and Romero graduate. You can’t risk losing a paddy Gallagher. Maybe if he has a very bad year this year.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Don Bork added to this discussion on August 10, 2022
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Not sure if Sammy has trouble with the cut or not, but from my recollection he got horsed pretty good by Gomez of Wisconsin. I’m not convinced he would be a full size 157, especially if he is only going to start building to it from this point. And if he did, who goes 149. I’m in the camp of waiting till next year to move up.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on August 10, 2022
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Interesting responses. My first instinct was to put Sasso in the best position to win a title. But I hadn't considered the impact on Gallagher. That's a significant consideration.
Bucks have a lot of potential lineup options and we will have to see how it plays out.
I agree with whomever said they'd rather see the team finish 3rd and Sam wins it than 2nd.
As Brian previously mentioned, Sasso has been the talisman for the program for the last few years and that has been a large burden to carry. I'd love to see him get one more crack at a championship. Yes...he has that opportunity at 149. But Yianni D is a huge obstacle (not to mention Gomez, the Nebraska kid, etc...).
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Jack Muni added to this discussion on August 10, 2022
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I do find it interesting that InterMat has Brayton Lee as #1 and Andonian(VaTech) as #5 at 157, both of whom Sammy beat at 149. Hmmm... David Carr was at 165, not 157 anymore.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Don Bork added to this discussion on August 10, 2022
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And Austin O’Connor is rated #7 by InterMat, whom Sammy lost to. I marvel at the thought that so many believe he would step in to the weight class and win it or even, perhaps, be the favorite.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Brian Mathews added to this discussion on August 11, 2022
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157 obviously doesn't have Yianni but does have O'Connor, who AA'd last year on a torn ACL and will presumably be healthy this year. Beyond that you have 5 or 6 returning AA's and a handful of other very capable guys like Zapf, Franek, Scott, Coleman, Humphreys. That won't be an easy bracket for Sasso to win, or for Paddy to crack into.
If you bump Sammy up you're making your lineup weaker for a better chance at an individual title, without knowing what that chance might be. You're also asking one of your best recruits to burn a year of eligibility on the bench, and possibly creating more issues for the team down the line.
Even though I do value Sasso winning a title over improving team placement slightly, I don't think you can make that move this year. Sammy gets his last shot next season.
Since the 2022 class was finalized I've been operating under the assumption that 2023/24 was "the year." Which is why I think staggering Bouzakis and Mendez is nonsensical. They both need to be in the lineup next season unless neither can be legitimately competitive at 141.
Gonzales, Bouzakis, Mendez, D'Emilio, Sasso, Gallagher, Kharchla, Geog, Hoffman, Feldman--that's your best shot at a title, IMO.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on August 11, 2022
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"Since the 2022 class was finalized I've been operating under the assumption that 2023/24 was "the year." Which is why I think staggering Bouzakis and Mendez is nonsensical. They both need to be in the lineup next season unless neither can be legitimately competitive at 141".
Brian--are you saying you think both need to get D1 starting experience all season so they're ready for next season?
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Brian Mathews added to this discussion on August 11, 2022
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Quote from Hank Kornblut's post:
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"Brian--are you saying you think both need to get D1 starting experience all season so they're ready for next season?"
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The opposite--redshirt both. They can now compete in five attached events as redshirts. Use those strategically combined with open tournament in the second half of the season to simulate a full season of starting competition.
They're not going to do that because the team is better now with Bouzakis in the lineup. I can live with that, even if I think it's misguided. What I don't want to see is them field a sub-optimal lineup in 2023-24 as a result.
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Scott Nicola added to this discussion on August 11, 2022
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I think you let Sammy go where he has the best shot to win a title. If that's 157, so be it. Lots of options to fill in at 149. D'Emilio could move up and Decatur or one of the stud freshman go 141. Maybe Wilcox or Hubbard make the cut to 149?
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Discussion Topic: Sam Sasso Question
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on August 11, 2022
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I thought Sam's chances at 157 were better until some of you filled in the details. Gotta agree that both weights are difficult.
Based on what Brian says, I think you can share 133 between Mendes, Bouzakis and Gonzales. Let the two studs redshirt and have Gonzales wrestle at Big Tens.
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