Nagao or Davis?

RockySmith

Senior
Dec 10, 2020
323
909
93
The decision may have already been made, but who scores more points at nationals, assuming Aaron is healthy?

I ask because I think Davis had a higher ceiling in the first place, and I was a bit surprised Davis was redshirting and Aaron had the nod At the beginning of the season. It looks like Davis is the man, but I think this is a net positive for team scoring.

Nagao: He is 2-0 all time against Mendez! Also placed 4th at NCAAs (albeit a while back).
Davis: Has shown he can gut out close wins, and took 5th last year. He is coming up a weight, but someone said he was walking around at 165 not long ago.

I like Davis more, but I’m not sure he can make the podium at the end of the year. If so, that’s ok, that’s what makes the sport interesting.
 

El_Jefe

Heisman
Oct 11, 2021
3,286
12,971
113
The decision may have already been made, but who scores more points at nationals, assuming Aaron is healthy?

I ask because I think Davis had a higher ceiling in the first place, and I was a bit surprised Davis was redshirting and Aaron had the nod At the beginning of the season. It looks like Davis is the man, but I think this is a net positive for team scoring.

Nagao: He is 2-0 all time against Mendez! Also placed 4th at NCAAs (albeit a while back).
Davis: Has shown he can gut out close wins, and took 5th last year. He is coming up a weight, but someone said he was walking around at 165 not long ago.

I like Davis more, but I’m not sure he can make the podium at the end of the year. If so, that’s ok, that’s what makes the sport interesting.
Davis definitely can make the podium at 141. The top 4 (Mendez, Vega, Hardy, Echemendia) look solid. After that, probably 6-8 candidates for the remaining 4 spots, and Davis is a returning AA. Not guaranteed, but legit candidate.

We'd like to think that Nagao's top game would mean more points with a comparable NCAA placement -- but Davis actually has the (very slightly) higher career bonus rate. So it's not that clear-cut.

The thing about Nagao is: we all know his biggest issue (too reliant on scrambles), but we don't know if he fixed it, because he injury defaulted at 3:16 against the only rankable opponent he faced all year (#16 Basile). We'd have a better idea if he could have faced Stanich in the Lehigh dual (except Stanich didn't wrestle either) or at least Drury and Composto at the Scuffle.
 

Bigboi hwt

Sophomore
Oct 30, 2021
39
129
33
Personally I would take Davis. I’ve always been a fan of his. Even thought during his matches I wonder sometimes if he forgets he’s in a match. lol. I think he is a better more consistent wrestler the Aaron. I’m not a big fan of letting guys in your legs so much. Aaron is good and a great guy but if I have a choice I’m taking. Babyface.
 

ElDuce

All-Conference
Oct 29, 2022
1,666
3,924
113
Davis burned his shirt to start, I do wonder if Nagoa beat him for the spot at 141 or was it roster management
 
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trufan

Senior
Nov 16, 2025
293
999
93
I feel the change in " potential danger " rules has hurt Nagoe more than most.
His style seems to put him in that position and in the past he could wrestle out of it, but now he's giving up easy takedowns.
 
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nerfstate

All-Conference
Oct 11, 2021
619
2,522
93
I feel the change in " potential danger " rules has hurt Nagoe more than most.
His style seems to put him in that position and in the past he could wrestle out of it, but now he's giving up easy takedowns.
Aaron was 15 when the NCAA adopted that rule. I don’t disagree he might be more effective in the old system but he should be used to it, and was when he AA’d as a freshman.
 

PSU Mike

All-American
Jul 28, 2001
4,111
7,192
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I feel the change in " potential danger " rules has hurt Nagoe more than most.
His style seems to put him in that position and in the past he could wrestle out of it, but now he's giving up easy takedowns.
Hasn’t it been in place his entire college career?
 
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CTStall

Senior
Oct 24, 2020
272
688
93
I think some of the equation is who is more reliable. Nagao is having trouble with injuries and if its a shoulder that tends to be a lingering issue. I intially was told that it was a wrist /elbow issue by someone that would have some knowledge about it.???
I think maybe Nagao wrestling this weekend was a baramoter for his ability to stay healthy in tournaments.???
 

Efejle

All-Conference
Apr 30, 2023
866
2,044
93
At some point a decision will be made and Cael has about a 98 percent success rate on those decisions. In the past 15 years, I think I counted literally 100 decisions and maybe 1 of them can be questioned....
 

AgSurfer

All-Conference
Aug 9, 2013
609
1,865
92
Yikes... having shades of Robbie Howard with Aaron N....
125. Luke
133 Marcus
141 Davis
149 SVN
157 Duke
165 Mitch
174 Levi
184. Rocco
197 Barr
hvy Cole

is still not bad LOL!
Just remember that we only need eight.
 

watoos

All-Conference
Oct 31, 2021
631
1,225
93
Davis,

I think Cael will now pardon him from cleaning up the arenas after events. The scooter ban stays.
 
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McScoreley

All-Conference
Oct 31, 2021
343
1,751
93
Per Brantt, it sounded like Nagao just told the coaches he couldn't go anymore at the Scuffle. Shoulders are unfortunately chronic often times and a lot of it is mental as well.

I wonder if Davis was a last second entry yesterday or if this had been planned, I lean the latter. He also mentioned Davis was walking around at 160+ this offseason.

The main reason I always laughed at the idea of Desmond going 141 is because there's no way a kid who just made 125 is going to be anywhere near big enough. 141s are massive and just as fast. He can overcome that against some weaker opponents by just being a better wrestler but anyone that is NQ quality (let alone AA) was likely going to just horse Nate around. Davis likely has been preparing to move up for a while. You cannot add good weight during the season, there's just not enough time when you add on practices and classes. Kasak was the exception to the rule because he was truly a 149 who sucked down to 141 to try to get into the lineup. When he went on full feed that season, he was a full sized 149.