Cowboy Insider: Smith Wants To See Offense Rewarded More
Cowboy Insider: Smith Wants To See Offense Rewarded More
John Smith wants to see more scoring in college wrestling and he thinks the rules need to be adjusted to reward those who attack.

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John Smith wants his guys to wrestle. Not stalemate out and restart.
College wrestling rapidly evolves. Smith knows that well and as a former member of the NCAA Rules Committee, he tracks the sportโs latest development.
Scrambles are becoming prevalent and a lot of matches can be won in those positions.
โPeople are getting in on legs and your baseline defense seems to be somewhere else,โ he said. โPeople are jumping over the top out scrambling and doing some things. I really don't think we've stayed up with that and have awarded points. Instead, we're ending up in stalemates and guys have one leg and I'm behind two arms, and we're not given points very easy, you know.
โWhat people want to see is they want to see points on the board, so our rules committee really needs to focus on creating the rules where we can put more points on the board. We donโt want to see 3-2. We donโt want to see 2-1. Some of our guys across this country, weโve noted thereโs less shooting, less penetration, and a lot of thatโs due to the scrambles. If we can create an environment where weโre scoring those points a little bit easier โ especially for the offensive guy whoโs actually taking the shot.โ
Here are some other notes during the #12 Cowboysโ off week before the Big 12 Championships.
Confusing Case Of Carter Young
To characterize Carter Youngโs season, look at his matches last week.
Bedlam last Thursday.
Heโs aggressive from the start. Patient offense led to two second-period takedowns and a 5-3 ranked win over Oklahomaโs Mosha Schwartz. A highlight in OSUโs 26-6 stomping over the Sooners.
Revenge from Youngโs 8-6 loss in December. A loss in which Smith called Young โbraindead.โ
โI thought for the most part it was one of his complete matches,โ Smith said.
Weeks ago, Smith teased Young about his losing record. He often takes light-hearted shots at his sophomore 141-pounder in media availabilities.
Despite the win, Smith said he hasnโt seen a different attitude from Young.
โHeโs just kinda la la,โ Smith said. โJust get angry with me. Maybe even push me. Heโs a good kid. I just think to get the best out of yourself, I want him to feel pain when he loses. I want him to feel disappointment. I want him to be driven off of those losses. I think he does it in a quiet way a little bit but not as much as I want.โ
But then Sunday happened. An 11-0 loss to Iowaโs Real Woods. One match is not like the other.
โThat may have been the worst Iโve ever seen Carter get beat,โ Smith said on his weekly radio show. โIโve seen him get beat a lot.โ
Youngโs success could be crucial to OSUโs postseason success. At #13, he will be the fifth-highest-ranked Big 12 141-pounder at the conference tournament.
Gfeller Chasing Third Big 12 Title At Third Weight
Kaden Gfeller, OSUโs 157-pounder, keeps opponents close with deep underhooks and strength in the tie-ups.
Heโs a scrapper, a fifth-year with tape on his right wrist and left knee. A symbol of physical wear but a career not without its struggles.
He won a Big 12 championship as a freshman but bumped into obstacles. Gfeller overcame various injuries and off-the-mat issues that hindered his performance.
โI was winning,โ Gfeller said in December 2021. โSo, off the top of my head, I thought I could get away with it. You know, I thought I could get away with drinking, partying, like you know, things that you canโt be doing if you want to be a successful wrestler.โ
He won a 2022 conference title at 149 pounds and could win at a third weight class on March 5.
Gfeller hasnโt lost since Feb. 3, a 3-2 tiebreaker to Michiganโs Will Lewan. Gfeller enters the Big 12 Championships with four ranked wins since. On Sunday, he outlasted Iowaโs Cobe Siebrecht in the first tiebreaker, 3-2.
โHe does some crazy stuff, too,โ Gfeller said before the Iowa dual. โHe (Siebrecht) is a wrestler who will go out there and try to throw you. Exciting wrestler. I like wrestling those type of guys.โ
Second-ranked Jared Franek of North Dakota State will be the highest-ranked 157-pounder in Tulsa.
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