FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Taylor Miller (taylor.miller11@okstate.edu)
Oct. 14, 2013

John Smith Previews Upcoming Season

STILLWATER – Oklahoma State wrestling coach John Smith met with the media on Monday to preview the 2013-14 season. Here’s the transcript:

Opening statement
“This season, I feel like we have a stronger team yet we’ve come out ranked fifth or sixth in some of the preseason rankings. It just tells us that there are some teams that have stepped up. One of those is Oklahoma. They’re going to be a great team this year, and we’re going to have a couple of great dual meets. On paper, it doesn’t look good for us, but we’re going to try to change that. Looking at my team, I’m excited. In the past, when I’ve had teams like this, we’ve been ranked No. 1 or 2 in the country. It looks like it’s going to be a very competitive year. It’s going to be about developing some new faces who haven’t done a lot up to this point.”

On what weight classes need development
“At 125 pounds, we had a true freshman starting last year. He had a pretty good finish to the year, but didn’t look too solid during the season. He seemed to grow a little bit toward the end. He was competitive at the national tournament, going 3-2. We have some guys ranked No. 15 and above, and if you’re ranked No. 15, you’re not going to be in the picture. That’s the area that we’re going to have to improve on. At 149 pounds, Josh Kindig is coming back from taking a redshirt year. He should help us out this year. At 184 pounds, we have two redshirt freshmen trying for that spot. Kyle Crutchmer is an Oklahoma kid from Union High School, and then we have Jordan Rogers from Spokane, Wash. Both have a lot of potential, but that has to be developed in order for us to do something in the end.”

On the leadership
“We may not know that until late November or even December. Once these guys have some matches under their belt, they’ll see their success and become more confident individuals. We’re going to have another Jordan Oliver. We just have to develop them. We’re working with a lot of talent, and I truly believe that we have some guys who can become the best at their weight by the end of the year.”

On an early Minnesota matchup
“It’s been an historical event for us having the dual against Minnesota around the same time in December. It’s a chance for us to really gauge ourselves as a staff. Historically, Minnesota has been a top 10 team and even a top 5 team more recently. This kind of matchup is going to tell you where you’re at real quickly and what your deficiencies are. They’re really strong, and I think they might be one of the best teams in the country. They have a heavy load of juniors and seniors with a lot of experience. They have kids who have had a lot of success in their first couple of years, so that’s a meet where you’re going to see where we are as a team.”

 

                                                                                                                                    -OSU-