Tennessee State Collegiate State Championships

[Kris Smith]

anything and everything to bring wrestling into the spot light is awesome.....I persoanlly do ot find anything about wrestling funny...you have to start somewhere...as small as it may have been...it speaks high volumes...Conrats MTSU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CBbest]

Hamm when is yall next match and where is it?

[Hamm]

Actually the next match is the Mid-Atlantic Conference tournament on February 28 at The Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia.

 

Demeatrice Miller (197) is heading to the Ed South Open Tournament this weekend at Carson Newman

[best_of_the_west]

I heard Pennington got mad at Coach Brands and quit. Is that true?

[Sommers]

I heard Pennington got mad at Coach Brands and quit. Is that true?

Either quit or told to leave due to throwing something I believe.

 

soms

[Hamm]

Someone tell him that MTSU could use a good heavyweight!!!

[Hamm]

There was a similar story that happened with Brandon Artilles. He is now wrestling at The University of Tennessee for the club team there. If he stays out! He will definitely dominate!

[sundancer]

Okay - this may be a stupid question, but is this an issue where our TN guys can't handle it at the next level? I've now heard of at least 3 TN boys that have quit UTC. Is Brands coaching that much different than the other NCAA programs? I know John Smith is tough, but at that level you would expect it. I would think that Brand's is trying to build a tough program at UTC that could compete with the likes of Oklahoma State.

 

[Hamm]

One thing to consider is the competition level. The case with both Artilles and Pennington is just considering the high school careers they both had, they weren't so successful at the next level. They both started as true freshman and were pretty much thrown to the wolves and had to make the adjustment fairly quickly. Neither of them took redshirt years. They both wrestled in one or two open tournaments before being named starters and recieved a rude awakening. Artilles as a true freshman, had a record of somewhere around 3-15. Pennington this year as a true freshman had a record 1-9. Group that with making the adjustment to college life, not to mention a great college coach! Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely not making excuses for these guys, I just have a similar story. They are both great guys and even better wrestlers, they just may not have been the best fit in the Brands program.

[best_of_the_west]

Keller is ranked 9th or 10th (depending on the poll) as a redshirt freshman. That's not too bad. Also, Pennington was not the state's best HWT last year. Most of the college HWTs look more like Crosby or the kid from Park Hill (if you saw him at the CBHS duals).

[Hamm]

Keller is really a special case. He placed at almost every open tournament last year as a redshirt. Pennington nor Artilles ever took a redshirt year. Artilles started for 2 years and Pennington started this year both started as true freshmen. Keller redshirted last year, and is having a great year this year!

[best_of_the_west]

Do any UTC people know about next year's recruiting class? I have heard that Ray Dunning might be going there. What about Mike Marable? I would think that if Mike goes there this year, Nick might go there next year. This team could get even better.