I know absolutely ZERO about this other than what I read on this board and online in the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press.. I see the opinions with most agreeing but maybe a few dissenters. I have read NO ONE endorsing sexual assault regardless of opinion. I get that a lot of people wish that President Kaler and AD Coyle apologize at the very least and offer their resignation, at most.

Cant take back or change how it was originally handled so now our Board of Regents, President, AD and coach must work forward and try to learn from the past. IS IT REASONABLE TO EXPECT THAT THOSE INVOLVED WILL NOT CONSIDER THEIR OWN SELF INTERESTS OVER THE SCHOOL, PLAYERS, GIRLS, AND COACH"S BEST INTEREST?? From this board, it does not sound like that is a possibility. EOAA has an agenda, President Kaler and AD Coyle are trying to answer to a ton of people, players involved in the circumstance and the cheerleader obviously are not saying much, dont know what is going on with the Board of Regents, PC people running roughshod over everything. Probably all of them think they are doing the right thing

I know it has been pointed out how spineless Kaler and Coyle are in handling these things and decision making. But here is the crux of the major important decisions, if I put myself in the shoes of Kaler and Coyle, that are INDIRECTLY RELATED TO THE INCIDENT, AS WELL.

HOW DO WE PUT BUTTS IN THE SEATS OF TCF, NEXT YEAR???

WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO MAINTAIN OUR STRONG FINANCIAL DONORS OR TO REGAIN THEM WHILE DEVELOPING A STRATEGY TO CULTIVATE MORE DONORS??

HOW DO WE HANDLE THE PR CRISIS WITH THE FOOTBALL TEAM AND THE ATHLETIC PROGRAM?? DOES THE FANBASE HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT TRACY CLAEYS IS THE RIGHT GUY TO LEAD THIS TEAM IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE??

There are so many huge issues here that would exist, without this incident being front and center. Needless to say, they have their hands full..

Meet with Claeys on Tuesday according to the Star Tribune. Not sure if that is good news or not.

Sticking to it pays off. The next Adam Thielen? Isaac has the excellent size-speed ratio ... hopefully he gets the chance to show what he can do today!

my vote is for Claeys. I'm a defense guy and I think Claeys has more than proven himself in that regard. I'm very curious to see the results.

Link: Purdue preview

There once was an angry Gopher fan named Wren
Who never could put down his pen
He chose as his foil
Two guys named Kaler and Coyle
But still ripped on MACturi now and then

On any non-forum page, you're now able to search for a prospect and find articles related to them and their player page.

I've tried to be analytical and thoughtful over the course of this tragicomedy.

But not today. If you're looking for a reasonable, measured take then skip this thread---cause today I'm pissed and breathing fire.

The rumors on TOS suggest that Coyle is trying to work out terms with PJ Fleck.

I don't know what Fleck can do at this level, but I do know that sawvel and Claeys can field a top notch D. I know they are hard working, blue collar kinda guys who (incident aside) have a knack for bringing in players who work hard and 'play by the rules'.

Claeys hasn't had much chance to
Improve the O yet. Johnson and Claeys inherited Limey's mess, and despite that fact the offense improved this year largely due to an improved OLine (which Claeys deserves credit for), and the continued emergence of our Soph RBs.

Claeys won 9 games without a pass catching TE (Lingen hurt), a high level QB, or more than one WR who could consistently make plays.

If Claeys is fired, we oughta tar and feather Kaler and Coyle, March them down University, and then...?

I saw we HANG THEM from the highest tree in Dinkytown.

You think treatment of women by players will improve under Fleck? Of course it won't. Coaches lead by example---enough said.

IF TC gets canned, then I say:

F*€# Kaler
F*€# Coyle

#RAMPAGE
#fedup
#NomoreMinnesotanice
#ineptbureaucratspissingonourorogram
#Tar&Feathers
#HangforTreason*

*i know it wouldn't actually be treason to fire Claeys but this is an Archer inspired internet RAMPAGE!^#*#¥<£|£{€~£

**If TC keeps his job disregard this thread. Again it's a RAMPAGE thread so take it for what it is.

I was already in his camp

Nominations for the prestigious The Gopher Report Poster of the Year (POY) award have now closed. Many worthy posters were nominated, but the list of nominees was trimmed to 9 finalists for voting, to fit in the Poll Post form.

Please vote for your selection to be honored as POY. Remember, posters can see who you voted for, and votes can be changed, so let the shenanigans begin! The winner to be announced after 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 31st. The winner will be entitled to all the honors, rights, and privileges conferred upon them through winning this award, throughout the 2017 calendar year.

May the best poster win!

1. Scandal free2017 across all sports teams
2. NCAA Basketball Tourney Invitation
3. A true Dual -threat QB
4. A football win over the school to the East
5. NCAA hockey final four
6. And finally, a game in Pasadena on 1-1-18

Am I being greedy? I think not. Our suffering Gopher Nation has suffered long enough.

Does anyone have any insight as to when and how some of these players will be reinstated to the university? Will it be through some appeal process(the U), or the courts? Hutton has said he is filing appeals...lengthy process? Kahler promised some speedy action and fairness to the players...did he not.

Would love to see the Huskies beat 'bama. Can't stand the SEC

Huskies QB seems to be on fire at the moment. Keep the 'bama offense off the field

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...gm-trent-baalke-dismissed-san-francisco-49ers

Opie approved?

Actually posting this 6 hours early, but saw that Berlin was already in 2017 so I thought I would celebrate with a German beer and wish all of the posters the best for the New Year!

Go Gophers!!

Gophers up 1-0 less than two minutes in...

San Diego?

Hennipen County AD has finished the review and no charges will be brought against anyone.

WR/Safety Joe Russell of Totino Grace verbals to Minnesota. Per his Twitter account.

One of the best open tournaments of the year is the Midlands, always the last week of December held at Northwestern. While our Gophers go to next week's Southern Scuffle instead, many B1G teams are at the Midlands: IA, NE, IL, WI, and MI. The action starts tomorrow am and finishes on Friday night and every match will be broadcast on BTN Plus.

I'll put up a thread on The Southern Scuffle (Jan. 1st & 2nd) in the next couple days. It will be very interesting for our Gopher Wrestlers as the suspended wrestlers will be back and there are some additional line-up changes.

Here's an article on The Midlands from FloWrestling:


The 54th Midlands Tournament Preview: Contenders and Predictions

FloWrestling.org
Dec 28, 2016
Andrew Spey

It's the last week of December, which means the 54th edition of The Midlands, the annual holiday wrestling classic hosted by Northwestern, is right around the corner. This year's competition looks to be as mighty and monstrous of a meatgrinder as we've seen in recent memory.

The wrestling starts at Welsh-Ryan Arena in the morning on Thursday, Dec. 29, and concludes the next day on Friday, Dec. 30.

The Midlands organizers have assembled an intimidating lineup of teams: 36 NCAA DI programs as well as at least one top competitor from the Division II, III, and NAIA ranks.
The field is staggeringly deep -- a theme that will be revisited often in the individual weight class previews -- with half of the teams currently in the top 20 slated to compete in Evanston, Illinois.



A few teams, such as Michigan and Lehigh, will send redshirts and backups but not starters. Furthermore, not all teams have finalized their rosters, and even for the teams that have registered, there is always the possibility of last-minute additions or scratches. So we won't know exactly who will be stepping on to the mats until the brackets are released, but armed with as much foresight as possible, we've nonetheless compiled a list of potential contenders at each weight class.

125 Contenders
#1 Thomas Gilman (Iowa)
#6 Josh Rodriguez (North Dakota State)
#8 Tim Lambert (Nebraska)
#15 Noah Gonser (Eastern Michigan)
#16 Markus Simmons (Iowa State)
#17 Josh Terao (American)
#19 Freddie Rodriguez (SIU-Edwardsville)
#20 Shakur Laney (Ohio)
Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State)
Brent Fleetwood (Central Michigan)
Brandon Jeske (Old Dominion)
Ryan Millhof RS (Arizona State)
Elijah Oliver (Indiana)
Anthony Rubinetti (Northwestern)

Returning NCAA finalist Thomas Gilman has ended every match he's wrestled this year by a fall of either the technical or pin variety. He will be a strong favorite but will be tested by Ryan Millhof and Ronnie Bresser if the Sun Devils and Beavers choose to enter both redshirting wrestlers (teams have traditionally been able to enter up to 15 wrestlers, with redshirts competing unattached). Neither Millhof nor Bresser are registered at the moment, but both teams do have room on their rosters.

Nebraska's Tim Lambert will also be angling for a spot in the finals. This is the start of many stacked brackets to come and don't be surprised if several NCAA All-American contenders are kept off the podium at this year's Midlands.

The results of this bracket will also go a long way in determining the bottom half of the top 20 individual rankings, as those spots have gone through a weekly reshuffling so far this year.

Spey's Soothsay:
Gilman holds off the contenders to claim his third Midlands belt in four trips to the finals. Millhof and Bresser (if they wrestle) finish second and third. The acrobatic Terao of Washington, DC's American University finishes fourth, and the Huskers and Cyclones each get a wrestler on the podium in Tim Lambert and Markus Simmons. To cover myself if Millhof and Bresser don't go, move everyone else up and add Ohio's Shakur Laney and SIUE's Fred Rodriguez to the final two spots.

1. Gilman
2. Millhof
3. Bresser
4. Terao
5. Lambert
6. Simmons

133 Contenders
#1 Cory Clark (Iowa)
#2 Zane Richards (Illinois)
#4 Eric Montoya (Nebraska)
#5 Seth Gross (South Dakota State)
#7 Dom Forys (Pitt)
#11 Earl Hall (Iowa State)
#17 Tyson Dippery (Rutgers)
#19 Sean Fausz (North Carolina State)
#20 Cameron Kelly (Ohio)
Scott DelVecchio (Rutgers)
Luke Karam RS (Lehigh)
Cory Keener (Central Michigan)
Brian Lantry (Buffalo)
Alex Madrigal (Old Dominion)
Jamal Morris (North Carolina State)
Anthony Tutolo (Kent State)

It's tough to know where to begin with this absurd weight class. We could see Cory Clark versus Zane Richards, round seven, in the finals (Clark holds a 4-2 lead in that series), but that's assuming both wrestles can get past fellow returning All-Americans Eric Montoya and Earl Hall, not to mention top eight contenders Seth Gross and Dom Forys. It should also be noted that Clark, who has been hampered by injuries this year, is not registered as of publication time, and he is likely to be scratched from the tournament.

Half of the top 20 133-pounders are set to attend, joined by a host of other podium threats. I'm predicting mostly chalk, but that could easily prove to be a foolish forecast with a bracket this overflowing with talent. We could be looking at a lot of repeat podium climbers in St. Louis in March.

Spey's Soothsay:
Iowa wins it's second championship in a row, and Clark his second Midlands of his career, besting Junior and Cadet Freestyle World team member (and former Hawkeye teammate) Seth Gross, in the finals. Richards takes down two-time AA Earl Hall to salvage a third-place finish. Nebraskan Eric Montoya and Pitt Panther Dom Forys round out the top six. If Clark doesn't go, slide everyone up and Ohio's Cam Kelly into sixth place.

1. Clark
2. Gross
3. Richards
4. Hall
5. Montoya
6. Forys

141 Contenders
#3 Matt Kolodzik (Princeton)
#5 Kevin Jack (North Carolina State)
#6 Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers)
#10 Colton McCrystal (Nebraska)
#16 Luke Pletcher (Ohio State)
#19 Cole Martin (Wisconsin)
#20 Joey Palmer (Oregon State)
Michael Longo (Oklahoma)
Gabe Moreno (Iowa State)
Chad Red RS (Nebraska)
Emilio Saavedra (Old Dominion)
Kyle Springer (Eastern Michigan)
Kanen Storr RS (Iowa State)

In yet another weight class silly with depth, Matt Kolodzik, Kevin Jack, and Anthony Ashnault lead our pack of worthies. Expect a bloodbath as these three title contenders battle it out with NCAA tournament seeding on the line.

Nebraska is sending highly touted true freshman Chad Red, who will have his chance to make a statement. The redshirt frosh has 15 wins this year against a single loss, to his teammate, Colton McCrystal.

Ohio State plans on sending Luke Pletcher (along with Myles Martin as its only two entrants). Pletcher was thrust into the starting lineup following the season-ending injury to Keshawn Hayes. The Buckeyes will be counting on Pletcher to score points in March if they are to contend for a team title, and this tournament will go a long way in determining just how hopeful they should be.

Spey's Soothsay:
Jack tops Ashnault for the second time in a month to claim the crown. Kolodzik doesn't go down easy but still finishes third, beating an impressive Chad Red. Nebraska's second placer of the weight class, McCrystal, edges Ohio State's Pletcher, who shows off his bona fides with a sixth-place finish.

1. Jack
2. Ashnault
3. Kolodzik
4. Red
5. McCrystal
6. Pletcher

149 Contenders
#2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa)
#6 Justin Oliver (Central Michigan)
#10 Alfred Bannister (Maryland)
#13 Christian Pagdilao (Arizona State)
#14 Ken Theobold (Rutgers)
#17 Sam Speno (North Carolina State)
#18 Steve Bleise (Northern Illinois)
#19 Joey Delgado (Oregon State)
Andrew Crone (Wisconsin)
Davion Jeffries (Oklahoma)
Jordan Laster (Princeton)
Mikey Racciato (Pittsburgh)
Zander Wick RS (Wisconsin)

Barely keeping up with its peers, a mere nine top 20 wrestlers are expected to compete at 149, though another four starters are knocking on the rankings door.

Maryland's "Baby J" Bannister is undefeated, but to stay that way he'll have to topple Iowa's Brandon Sorensen, whose last loss to anyone not named Zain Retherford came in the 2015 NCAA finals (to Jason Tsirtsis). The seventh-place finisher in 2016, Central Michigan's Justin Oliver, should not be overlooked.

Like 125, the bottom half of the top 20 rankings here will hopefully achieve clarity by the tournament's conclusion, for Flo's NCAA-ranker Christian Pyle's sanity, if nothing else.

Spey's Soothsay:
In typical workmanlike fashion, Sorenson dispatches all challengers, cementing Iowa's team title (if the Hawkeyes haven't done so already). Oliver and Bleise wrestle tough and finish two-three, respectively, for the Chippewas and Huskies (of the Northern Illinois variety). A surging Speno finishes fourth for the Wolfpack. Bannister bags a medal and Sooner Davion Jeffries gets his season back on track with a place on the podium.

1. Sorenson
2. Oliver
3. Bleise
4. Speno
5. Bannister
6. Jeffries

157 Contenders
#4 Michael Kemerer (Iowa)
#5 Tyler Berger (Nebraska)
#9 Clay Ream (North Dakota State)
#10 Colin Heffernan (Central Michigan)
#11 B.J. Clagon (Rider)
#14 DaWaylon Barnes (Oklahoma)
#16 Josh Shields (Arizona State)
Alex Griffin (Purdue)
Hayden Hidlay (North Carolina State)
Colin Holler (South Dakota State)
Caden McWhirter (Northern Illinois)
Jason Tsirtsis RS (Arizona State)
Evan Wick RS (Wisconsin)

The Midlands' 157 weight class took a major hit in the last couple weeks, when N.C. State's Max Rohskopf and Rutgers' Richie Lewis both went down with season-ending injuries. Their absence should help clear the way for a Kemerer vs. Berger final, in what will likely be the first of many contests between the young Hawkeye and Cornhusker.

As repeatedly mentioned, depth is once again on display, as a bevy of stalwarts in and around the bottom half of the top 20 are expected to hash it out on the mats. NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis is notably registered at 157. Tsirtsis transferred from Northwestern to Arizona State in the offseason. Redshirt Wisconsinite Evan Wick, if entered, will look to establish himself, as his fellow blue-chip brother will do likewise at 149.

Spey's Soothsay:
Iowa loses its first finals match of the day, when Big Ten rival Tyler Berger gets the better of Michael Kemerer. BJ Clagon shakes off his trademark early season rust and storms his way to a bronze medal. Heffernan places an admirable fourth and ND Stater Clay Ream stops the upstart McWhirter in the fifth-place match.

1. Berger
2. Kemerer
3. Clagon
4. Heffernan
5. Ream
6. McWhirter

165 Contenders
#1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois)
#3 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin)
#6 Chad Walsh (Rider)
#8 Clark Glass (Oklahoma)
#12 Anthony Valencia (Arizona State)
#17 Seldon Wright (Old Dominion)
#19 TeShan Campbell (Pitt)
Alex Marinelli RS (Iowa)
Austin Reese (Ohio)
Johnny Sebastian (Northwestern)
Tyrel White (Columbia)
Kyle Bierdumpful (Harvard)

The marquee matchup of the tournament could be the 165 final if two-time NCAA champion Isaiah Martinez and two-time NCAA All-American Isaac Jordan hold seed. The Imar EyeJo tilt will be highly anticipated, with both Big Ten and NCAA tournament seeds at stake. [UPDATE]: Jordan is not on Wisconsin's list of registered wrestlers so our marquee match up is likely a scratch.

Arizona State's Anthony Valencia has had a few stumbles this year but has the talent and creativity to make a deep run in this tournament and reestablish himself as a title contender.

Fans may also get an opportunity to gauge the prospects of another blue-chip Iowa redshirt freshman in Alex Marinelli. There are NCAA team-race implications to Marinelli's finish as well, as head coach Tom Brands may decide to take off the redshirt if the young Hawkeye can show he can hang with the top tier of his weight class.

Spey's Soothsay:
IMar's pace is too much for Zeke, as the Fighting Illini keeps his collegiate varsity career loss total to a mere singleton. AValancia rebounds with a solid third-place finish over Rider star Chad Walsh. Marinelli makes a statement with a fifth-place finish over Oklahoman veteran Clark Glass.

1. Martinez
2. Jordan
3. Valencia
4. Walsh
5. Marinelli
6. Glass

174 Contenders
#4 Zahid Valencia (Arizona State)
#7 Alex Meyer (Iowa)
#12 Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State)
#13 Zac Brunson (Illinois)
#16 David Kocer (South Dakota State)
#19 Christian Brucki (Central Michigan)
#20 Jonathan Schleifer (Princeton)
Phil Bakuckas (Rutgers)
Micah Barnes (Nebraska)
Ryan Christensen (Wisconsin)
Trace Engelkes (Northern Illinois)
Josef Johnson (Harvard)
Matt Reed (Oklahoma)
Nick Reenan (North Carolina State)
Conan Schuster (Sacred Heart)

Frosh phenom Zahid Valencia has yet to drop a match this year and should earn the No. 1 seed of the tournament. Last year's Midlands was Zahid's debutante ball, as the then-redshirt freshman finished 7th at 184.

Iowa will look to senior Alex Meyer to stop Zahid in the finals. Lelund Weatherspoon of Iowa State and Zac Brunson of Illinois will try to crash that finals party. Both have proven themselves capable of such a feat despite their frequent spells of inconsistency.

Tournament host Northwestern isn't expected to put too many Wildcats on the podium, but one of its best shots may come at 174 from sophomore Johnny Sebastian.

And keep an eye out for Grandview's Lawton Benna and Messiah's Ben Swarr, the respective NAIA and NCAA Division III No. 1-ranked wrestlers. Their finish will provide some insight on how those non-DI wrestling classifications compare to the top division.

Spey's Soothsay:
ZValencia continues his torrential onslaught, capturing the Midlands throne over Meyer. Princeton's stout Jonathan Schleifer claims third after more than a couple upsets, including one over fourth-placer David Kocer of South Dakota State. Perennial enigmas Weatherspoon and Brunson complete the sextet.

1. Valencia
2. Meyer
3. Schleifer
4. Kocer
5. Weatherspoon
6. Brunson

184 Contenders
#3 TJ Dudley (Nebraska)
#4 Myles Martin
#6 Nate Jackson (Indiana)
#8 Sammy Brooks (Iowa)
#10 Jordan Ellingwood (Central Michigan)
#11 Nicholas Gravina (Rutgers)
#12 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion)
#13 Emery Parker (Illinois)
#15 Michael Macchiavello (North Carolina State)
#18 Ian Baker (Princeton)
Mitch Sliga (Northwestern)

This is yet another ludicrous weight class. The quarterfinals will resemble an abattoir, where at least one of the five NCAA All-Americans expected to enter the tournament will not make the semis.

This past season's NCAA champion at 174, Myles Martin, and 2016's fifth-place finisher at 197, Pat Downey, converged at 184 this year, contributing to what many experts consider to be the toughest overall weight class this academic year. Fortunately for for the Midlands' entrants (but unfortunately for its spectators), Downey will be out of action until 2017 and thus won't be on the mats this week.

Nevertheless, whoever emerges from this charnel house of a weight class unscathed will have truly established himself as a remorseless slaughtering machine and a major threat at the season-ending NCAA Tournament.

Spey's Soothsay:
Showing off his native South Carolinian muscle, TJ Dudley topples NCAA champ Myles Martin in the finals. Brooks settles for third with a win over conference rival and Hoosier Nate Jackson. Old Dominion's Jack Dechow halts the gravy train for Rutgers' Nick Gravina in the fifth-place match.

1. Dudley
2. Martin
3. Brooks
4. Jackson
5. Dechow
6. Gravina

197 Contenders
#5 Nate Rotert (South Dakota State)
#9 Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska)
#10 Brett Harner (Princeton)
#11 Ryan Wolfe (Rider)
#12 Kevin Beazley (Old Dominion)
#14 Shawn Scott (Northern Illinois)
#15 Brad Johnson (Oklahoma)
#17 James Benjamin (Buffalo)
#19 Ricky Robertson (Wisconsin)
Corey Griego (Oregon State)
Pete Renda RS (North Carolina State)
Austin Severn (Central Michigan)
Cash Wilcke (Iowa)

In an attempt to keep pace with its fellow weight classes, 197 shows up with nine ranked wrestlers of its own, in addition to a potential appearance from redshirt superstar and 2016 third-place finisher Pete Renda of NC State.

While not quite as top heavy as some of the lighter divisions, 197 will not lack for quantity. Princeton's Brett Harner will look to climb back into the top five where he started the year, and Oregon State's Corey Griego will attempt to pry is way back into the top 20.

Iowa freshman Cash Wilcke will attempt to establish himself as someone who can score points for the Hawkeyes in March. He'll have the opportunity to do so in a field replete with quality veterans.

Spey's Soothsay:
Princeton's Harner ascends the apex in a season-defining tournament. Studebaker's finals appearance helps the Huskers notch another impressive performance. Renda continues his preparation for next year's title run with a solid third-place finish. Nate Rotert ends up fourth. Ryan Wolfe of Rider scores a fifth-place finish over the surprising Austin Severn.

1. Harner
2. Studebaker
3. Renda
4. Rotert
5. Wolfe
6. Severn

285 Contenders
#2 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin)
#5 Tanner Hall (Arizona State)
#7 Sam Stoll (Iowa)
#11 Brooks Black (Illinois)
#15 Collin Jensen (Nebraska)
#17 Ross Larson (Oklahoma)
#18 Ryan Solomon (Pitt)
#20 Ray O'Donnell (Princeton)
Michael Boykin (North Carolina State)
Garrett Ryan (Columbia)
Quean Smith (Iowa State)

If Michigan sends redshirting senior Adam Coon, we may get to see him wrestle Wisconsin's Connor Medbery in one final folkstyle battle. The pair of All-Americans have split their two previous encounters.

If Coon does not make an appearance, expect Sun Devil Tanner Hall or, if healthy, Hawkeye Sam Stoll to meet Medbery in the finals Saturday evening.

Also currently registered is Lehigh's cadet freestyle world silver medalist, Jordan Wood, who will be testing his mettle against top DI competition for the first time.

As with many other weights, 285 should do wonders for helping weary rankers sort out the bottom half of the rankings. The bracket is a minefield, and these heavies will need to be on their A game to avoid falling out of, or further away from, the top 20.

Spey's Soothsay:
Medbery stomps a path to victory over the redoubtable Tanner Hall. Iowan Sam Stoll impresses, coming back from injuries to win third place over Nebraskan Collin Jensen. Pitt scores its highest placement with Ryan Solomon, who beats Brooks Black for fifth.

1. Medbery
2. Hall
3. Stoll
4. Jensen
5. Solomon
6. Black

Team Race:
Though not in a complete runaway, Iowa takes the team trophy without too much trouble, earning its fourth championship in a row. Nebraska finishes second with a sizable lead over the rest of the field. Wisconsin narrowly tops its neighbor to the south, Illinois, for third. A young Arizona State team, with more hardware to come in its future, finishes fifth. Rutgers sneaks past Central Michigan and into the top six on the strength of its impressive depth.

1. Iowa
2. Nebraska
3. Wisconsin
4. Illinois
5. Arizona State
6. Rutgers

Check back here on FloWrestling for updates and tune in live to watch the Monstrous Midlands Mayhem on BTN2Go

I emailed Coyle asking him to act quickly on Claeys and to keep our coach. Here was his response:


Mr. Junit3

Thank you for taking time to send me an email. I appreciate your comments and loyal support of our program.

Kindest regards, Mark

Sent from my iPhone

I didn't expect any reply...this might sound like a generic response from Coyle, but everything he's ever said, this sounds like a well thought out from the heart response from our robot AD.

sorry if I missed it, but has there been an injury update from the Holiday Bowl?

Login to view embedded media
Opening statement: Obviously a very, very tough opponent. You know, Haas and Swanigan will play in the NBA. They're big, they're talented, always well coached, always tough. You know they're shooting the ball well. They're coming off an extremely impressive performance against Iowa. I think they're one of the best teams in the league, and it's a tough road experience, so it will be a good test for our guys.

On if it's another big test for the big men...
"Yeah, very much so. This, even more so than Michigan State. They're really physical. Swanigan is an NBA player, and Haas is huge. He'll play in the NBA. We have to do our best to guard them without fouling because so much of what they do from an offensive standpoint is predicated on throwing the ball inside. Almost everything they do is that, so it really revolves all around that. If you don't play post defense, you're in trouble.

On if he's stressed to Reggie Lynch to stay out of foul trouble to increase his minutes...
"Well Reggie, it's not stay out of foul trouble, it's play defense without fouling. It's just like screening. Oh, I didn't set an illegal screen. No, the goal is to set a great screen. The goal is to play great defense. Great defense is doing it without fouling. He's got to get better at that; that's been an issue for him most of his career. You know it's funny, we have not been able to work with Reggie, so it just feels like now, we're really able to work with him on that. He'll get better."

On if Florida State resembles Purdue...
"Yeah, I mean there are some similarities. Haas and Ojo are huge. Now, Jonathan Isaac is a different player than Swanigan, but there are similarities. Michigan State is very similar from a physical standpoint to Purdue. I think we've moved on from Florida State to be honest. Last game is fresh with our guys from a physicality standpoint, from a post defense standpoint, so we'll talk about that.

On how to defend a player like Ward or Swanigan...
"It's hard. Bakary I thought did a good job on Ward, even Eric was okay, you know. But it's difficult; you have to do your work early on those guys. It's a different dimension than Michigan State because they really, really try to find them every single time. And then they make you pay with really good players: Vince Edwards, Cline, Dakota Mathias. All those guys can make shots and they burn you if you over-help too much. That's what a good team does, and they're a very, very good team.

On talking on his blog about wanting Murphy to get the ball more and Lynch to finish above the rim...
"...I think with Murph, I think throughout the flow of the offense, we need to find him ways to get the ball more. I think he's pretty effective down there. And with Reggie, he's just too below the rim. I think he gets his shot blocked a lot. I think it's just a consistency thing for him to work on. You know, last game you can't take much away from it because he didn't play much. But I thought that Murph has been pretty efficient. We have to continue throughout the flow of the offense to look into him. I think that defensively we're very, very difficult to guard when we're driving obviously because we get fouled a lot, but we have to look to him more often."

On the mindset of Big Ten road games for the new players...
"I've talked to them a little bit about, last game you have a devestating loss, right? You can't look at it like that. You have to say, okay, it's one game. I remember my first year, I want to say we played like three top ten teams in like two weeks, or whatever it was. I mean this league, you've got to learn from the last game, and you have to move on. As disappointing as Michigan State was, you now get to play a top ten, top 15 team in the country on the road. You get another great opportunity, then you go at Northwestern, another great opportunity, then you play Michigan State again. Because this league is so good, you're going to have so many really good opportunities to get really good wins. You've got to learn from the past game, and you got to get over it. You got to move on; you got to get better."

On Bakary Konate not playing much at the start of the year and now seeming like the first one off the bench for Reggie Lynch...
"Well they're all important, but Bakary does a pretty good job versus physical bigs. The one thing about Bakary is he's strong. He is physical; he likes contact and doesn't shy away from that, and in the Big Ten, you need that. Where we got to get him is to stop fouling. He had some fouls in the Michigan State game where there was just no point. If we can get him to stop doing that, he's a valuable weapon off the bench. He's tough, he's physical, he's a very good defender. He gives us another dimension where we don't necessarily have to play small with Eric at the five, and I like that rotation."

On if Jordan Murphy's role has evolved from last year to have more jumpers and perimeter attacks...
"Not really, no I don't think he's taken a lot of jumpers. I think he needs to continue to get points, offensive rebounds, transition. I do like him driving off of a ball screen pop-type situation. I don't think he's taken a lot of jumpers, but I do think he's a matchup issue. We need to put him in spots to make the defense pay. He's kind of that undersized four; he's difficult to guard. He's a bit of a matchup issue."

On how he tries to utilize Murphy...
"We run a ball screen offense, so it's just kind of roll, pop. If you do roll, roll into the post, throw it in there. If you do pop, look to drive it, or look to reverse it and set another ball screen. So I mean there are multiple things that you can do throughout the course of our offense if you're doing it properly.

"I think our offense is behind our defense -- it's very clear. But that's five new faces all trying to figure out what to do, where to be. So that needs to catch up because our defense is pretty good right now, but we got to get our offense moving in the right direction. We're very good getting fouled, but we're still not moving the ball like we need to move it."