I feel is one of the best that will ever come out of Nebraska. Time and again he has proven himself. What are some of the colleges that are looking at him. He would be great at 125 at any school. Good luck this year Jason!
Unfortunately, DI college coaches recruit based more on talent and athleticism rather than on a persons productivity. By the end of Katusin's career he will indeed be one of the most productive highschool wrestlers in Nebraska history, however, he isn't as athletically gifted or talented as alot of other wrestlers (plus he's real undersized for a college 125 pounder) so I think he's going to get overlooked by DI programs.
I completely agree with you. He throughout his career doesnt seem like he has gotten much better. He is not as talented as many of the other great wrestlers around. I think because of his size is why he has been able to accomplish so much in high school. But when he goes to college, i dont think he has the talent to hack it.
Before entering HS; Jason wrestled in national tournaments frequently ... and did very well. He wrestled the "better athletes" and held up just fine.
At every level of competition; he has succeeded. I don't know if he will be a D1 wrestler or not; but he is a very smart wrestler who knows how to win big matches. He already has 3 state championships and defeated Brandon Brown (current state champion himself) and Cash Coolidge in the process. He can wrestle.
Wherever he ends up wrestling; they will be very lucky to have him.
Typically, DI programs are very apprehensive about offering scholarships to kids wrestling 125 or below in highschool because they won't be able to physcially compete with college 125 pounders, who usually cut 5-15 pounds to get down to weight.
Then why can't Katusin? I haven't seen him wrestle too much, but from his reputation(3-time state champ) and the few times I saw him I was VERY impressed and I can definately see Jason wrestling at a D1 program.
Jason is a great high school wrestler. However, as mentioned earlier, he doesn't have the body or the style to compete at the D1 or possibly the D2 level. To say that he beat these great wrestlers in national tournaments a few years ago, is totally irrelevant. Also, he will not get as much attention as the other four timers, because of the weight classes he has competed in.
that winning tough matches in national tournaments is "irrelavent". It was the talent and hard work then that has made him the 3 timer that he is today. Anyone that studies the sport of wrestling that hard pre-high school is going to have the advantage over those who have not. Any college wrestler will tell you that.
I think "In The Know" was refering to the fact that over the course of a couple of years wrestlers get better. You can't get cought up on a win you had over somebody in junior high, and automacilly think that you will beat the same person your senior year of high school. I have seen people get beat bad one year and come back the next year and avenge their previous loss. This is the point I think he was trying to make.
...during cross country season, and it sounds as if he has his heart set on UNO. It's always a huge leap going from high school to college. Some can handle it, others can't.
One thing that should be noted...if you look at the eight kids who have four-timed in the past decade, notice the difficulty in making the transition to the college game.
Brad Metzler (Stanford) and Todd Meneely (Iowa) are wrestling D-1. Metzler has qualified for nationals and Meneely appears destined for greatness this year.
Dirk Desmond started at Missouri and is now fighting for a spot at UNO. Brett Allgood is a national juco champ and may (or may not) wind up at UNK. Kasey Kohl has spent more time under the knife (out for the season again) than in the circle during his college career. Jake Rucker never really materialized at the college level. And I might be wrong, but I don't think the Nordhues boys wrestled after their HS days at Greeley.
That's only 2 of the last 8 four-timers that made it to D-1 and, really, only 1 at D-2 (although Allgood and Kohl are still possibilities in the future).
Oliver wrestling D-1? Certainly he's got the talent to do it. Katusin in college? Probably not D-1 (someone mentioned above about the fact that he would come in as a light 125-pounder, which I agree would be a big challenge on its own), but D-2 is a posssibility for him at UNO or wherever he lands.
Being a four-time champion is quite an achievement, but it doesn't always translate into success in the college game. How many state titles did Chad Wallace and Frank Kuchera win during their high school days? Brad Vering won three at Howells and was a three-time AA at UNL.
I'm not trying to downplay Katusin's ability because he is a superurb wrestler and one of the better highschool wrestlers that this state has produced. All I'm saying is that it is very difficult for highschool kids wrestling at 103-119 (maybe even 125) to make it in college. IMO the biggest difference from highschool to college is the physicality of the wrestling and the importance of positioning/defense/ties. 103-119 weight classes aren't premised on physical wrestling so kids are shocked when they get to college and see 125 pounders that have dropped 10-15 pounds and like to tie up and knock heads. If you aren't willing to develop a strong defense and an offense that is based on hand and arm ties then you're going to struggle. Also, riding time is huge in college because most kids are evenly matched in terms of talent and athleticism. When you're wrestling a kid thats alot stronger than you its difficult to get off bottom quickly becuase you don't have the hip power to get the kid off your legs or fight off arm bars because the kid has a stronger upper body. If I were to give advice to kids at 103-119 it would be this: If you're not willing to develop physically then you're only hope of having a successful college career is in NAIA because those wrestlers typically haven't developed the same fundamentals as DI-DIII wrestlers and can get by with highschool style wrestling.
I wrestled 103 and was a four time qualifier and champion, but I never got one call or letter from a college to wrestle. I have beat quite a few kids that do wrestle in college now as well. The light weight are hard to get recognition, I think college should have like a 118 lb weight class.
Tim as I recall you weren't even invited to participate in the NSWCA All-Star Dual because you had been a 103-pounder and the lightest weight was 115. That's a shame...the lightest weights really don't get as much respect as they deserve sometimes.
I did beat a few wrestlers that participated in it that year. But if I also remember Dan Hilario was forgoten in the line-up as well. How do you leave out a multi-state champ in an "ALL-STAR" dual? Com'on...especially Hilario.
that's because the NWSCA is the biggest good ol' boy network around.
If the coach from a particular school doesn't belong to the coaches association, they won't pick kids from that school to wrestle in the all-star meet. Therefore they end up punishing the kids.
The coaches association imo is full of themselves and full of ****. It is probably likely that Hilario did not wrestle in the meet because one of the coaches did not like Braun.
That's a pretty bold statement about the coaches association.
It's pretty easy to assume anything.
In fact, I ASSUME that he didn't want to wrestle in it, just as many of the state's best have opted not to do in the many years of the NSWCA All-Star Dual.
Am I right? Perhaps not. But it sure is fun to assume stuff. Anything to get a rise out those associated with the dark and evil coaches assocation . . . Rediculous.
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