#WrestleSTL: Popolizio Preview – Part 2
3/13/2017 8:33:00 AM | Wrestling
READ: #WrestleSTL: Popolizio Preview - Part 1
Raleigh, N.C. – With a school-record 10 NCAA Qualifiers set to compete at the 2017 NCAA Championships starting Thursday, head coach Pat Popolizio previews the Pack's squad that will be competing in St. Louis.
Today, we look at 165-285 pounds.
Q: Five are seeded this year, following up six from last year. Over the last two years with 11 total, how does that show the continued progress of the program?
A: I think it has to do with the body of work these guys have put on paper during the year. It gets contagious. The more success one guys has, the other guys feed of of that. A seed at the national tournament does help in some ways, but at the end of the day you are going to get everybody's best match, because each time out there your opponent wants to advance over you.
Q: In the first round alone, three guys will have rematches from earlier matches this season, of course more such matchups will take place in the other rounds. Does it hurt or help to see the same opponent multiple times in a season?
A: I think it is good to go to the national tournament and see some new competition, but at the end of the day we wrestle all over the country during the year against all different teams so you are ready for whomever is across the mat. Whether you have faced a guy last year or this year, you still have to go out and perform. Having 10 guys there, you are bound to match up with familiar foes.
Q: What are the goals for this squad in St. Louis?
A: When you have these 10 guys, you want to come back with multiple individual national championships and you want more individual All-American honors to fill up that trophy case. We have guys that can accomplish those goals this year, I truly believe that. We have guys that on paper are very close and will be in contention for both of those honors, but we are not here to have paper matches. We have to go out there and compete, and perform up to the level I expect them to and the level they expect themselves to be at as well. To have all 10 guys out there will be a fun atmosphere for us.
Popolizio Breakdown of @PackWrestle:
• R-Jr. Brian Hamann (165 pounds)
Brian has shown tremendous improvement over the last two seasons. Mentally he has made some big growths in our program. He is a guy that we used a lot in and out of our lineup his first two years here, and stepped in and became a starter for us. He got a chance to start first as a freshman, so he got that valuable experience. Last year he redshirted, but he got to work with and against (2016 All-American) Tommy Gantt which was probably just as valuable for him. To see what he has done this year is very impressive. He didn't come in with huge credentials out of high school, but now he is beating guys that he saw were ranked higher then he was, and that makes our sport exciting. To see the work he is putting in, it is great to see him succeed.
• Fr. Nick Reenan (174 pounds)
Nick is a guy that when things click and he is confident, he can be so dangerous on the mat. He has had some good bursts, and some exciting wins this season as a freshman. He has had some exciting times out there, then like any freshman, he has had some lows while out there competing. To get a new life and reach the NCAA Tournament, that is what your goal is at the beginning of the year. He has been on the big stage many times during his career, and this is something that he will be excited for in St. Louis. We recruited a guy like Nick to be ready right away and compete at a high level.
• #10 seed R-Jr. Michael Macchiavello (184 pounds)
He is a very focused-driven human being, so I am excited to see what he is capable of doing. He has put himself in a position to accomplish his goals this year, and to go out and compete for a national title. That is his ultimate goal. He is at a weight class that is wide open with a lot of really good competition. To reach that goal, he is going to have to truly believe he can reach that level. That is what I like about him, he is very confident and does everything right. He is one of the hardest working guys I have ever seen in this sport, and he has earned the opportunity to put himself in the conversation of the top guys at his weight. As hungry as he is, it will be fun to watch him compete on the national stage.
• R-So. Malik McDonald (197 pounds)
Malik has new life entering the NCAAs. He had to wait his turn to get that starting spot, but he gained some very valuable experience in some open tournaments and big dual matches when we needed him last year. This year, he got thrown out there and competed and improved tremendously since November. He has worked on things he needed to fix and it has shown that he has developed and grown this season. Going into the national tournament, he is a dangerous guy that can get some wins. Outside of the top few in that weight class, it can really open up and guys maybe off the radar can make a run. It will be exciting to see him compete. For us to see two kids from North Carolina (Macchiavello is the other), speaks volumes for how far along wrestling has come and improved in this state.
• R-Sr. Mike Kosoy (285 pounds)
Mike has made a lot of sacrifices for this program, being behind a four-time All-American and waiting his turn. It is hard to sit behind somebody and wait your turn, a lot of guys in a position like that can lose their motivation. But Mike stayed and saw the big picture. Even this year was not an easy quest for him with Michael Boykin at heavyweight too, there were two competitive guys. Halfway through he year we were not sure who was going to be the guy, but Kosoy emerged at the end and won the spot. I'm excited and happy for him to have the opportunity and the chance to go out and accomplish the goals that he has set. With his background here at NC State, he can not be more ready for his first NCAAs.
Raleigh, N.C. – With a school-record 10 NCAA Qualifiers set to compete at the 2017 NCAA Championships starting Thursday, head coach Pat Popolizio previews the Pack's squad that will be competing in St. Louis.
Today, we look at 165-285 pounds.
Q: Five are seeded this year, following up six from last year. Over the last two years with 11 total, how does that show the continued progress of the program?
A: I think it has to do with the body of work these guys have put on paper during the year. It gets contagious. The more success one guys has, the other guys feed of of that. A seed at the national tournament does help in some ways, but at the end of the day you are going to get everybody's best match, because each time out there your opponent wants to advance over you.
Q: In the first round alone, three guys will have rematches from earlier matches this season, of course more such matchups will take place in the other rounds. Does it hurt or help to see the same opponent multiple times in a season?
A: I think it is good to go to the national tournament and see some new competition, but at the end of the day we wrestle all over the country during the year against all different teams so you are ready for whomever is across the mat. Whether you have faced a guy last year or this year, you still have to go out and perform. Having 10 guys there, you are bound to match up with familiar foes.
Q: What are the goals for this squad in St. Louis?
A: When you have these 10 guys, you want to come back with multiple individual national championships and you want more individual All-American honors to fill up that trophy case. We have guys that can accomplish those goals this year, I truly believe that. We have guys that on paper are very close and will be in contention for both of those honors, but we are not here to have paper matches. We have to go out there and compete, and perform up to the level I expect them to and the level they expect themselves to be at as well. To have all 10 guys out there will be a fun atmosphere for us.
Popolizio Breakdown of @PackWrestle:
• R-Jr. Brian Hamann (165 pounds)
Brian has shown tremendous improvement over the last two seasons. Mentally he has made some big growths in our program. He is a guy that we used a lot in and out of our lineup his first two years here, and stepped in and became a starter for us. He got a chance to start first as a freshman, so he got that valuable experience. Last year he redshirted, but he got to work with and against (2016 All-American) Tommy Gantt which was probably just as valuable for him. To see what he has done this year is very impressive. He didn't come in with huge credentials out of high school, but now he is beating guys that he saw were ranked higher then he was, and that makes our sport exciting. To see the work he is putting in, it is great to see him succeed.
• Fr. Nick Reenan (174 pounds)
Nick is a guy that when things click and he is confident, he can be so dangerous on the mat. He has had some good bursts, and some exciting wins this season as a freshman. He has had some exciting times out there, then like any freshman, he has had some lows while out there competing. To get a new life and reach the NCAA Tournament, that is what your goal is at the beginning of the year. He has been on the big stage many times during his career, and this is something that he will be excited for in St. Louis. We recruited a guy like Nick to be ready right away and compete at a high level.
• #10 seed R-Jr. Michael Macchiavello (184 pounds)
He is a very focused-driven human being, so I am excited to see what he is capable of doing. He has put himself in a position to accomplish his goals this year, and to go out and compete for a national title. That is his ultimate goal. He is at a weight class that is wide open with a lot of really good competition. To reach that goal, he is going to have to truly believe he can reach that level. That is what I like about him, he is very confident and does everything right. He is one of the hardest working guys I have ever seen in this sport, and he has earned the opportunity to put himself in the conversation of the top guys at his weight. As hungry as he is, it will be fun to watch him compete on the national stage.
• R-So. Malik McDonald (197 pounds)
Malik has new life entering the NCAAs. He had to wait his turn to get that starting spot, but he gained some very valuable experience in some open tournaments and big dual matches when we needed him last year. This year, he got thrown out there and competed and improved tremendously since November. He has worked on things he needed to fix and it has shown that he has developed and grown this season. Going into the national tournament, he is a dangerous guy that can get some wins. Outside of the top few in that weight class, it can really open up and guys maybe off the radar can make a run. It will be exciting to see him compete. For us to see two kids from North Carolina (Macchiavello is the other), speaks volumes for how far along wrestling has come and improved in this state.
• R-Sr. Mike Kosoy (285 pounds)
Mike has made a lot of sacrifices for this program, being behind a four-time All-American and waiting his turn. It is hard to sit behind somebody and wait your turn, a lot of guys in a position like that can lose their motivation. But Mike stayed and saw the big picture. Even this year was not an easy quest for him with Michael Boykin at heavyweight too, there were two competitive guys. Halfway through he year we were not sure who was going to be the guy, but Kosoy emerged at the end and won the spot. I'm excited and happy for him to have the opportunity and the chance to go out and accomplish the goals that he has set. With his background here at NC State, he can not be more ready for his first NCAAs.
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