Following the No. 4 Iowa wrestling team’s 23-16 loss to No. 9 Minnesota (9-4, 3-2 Big Ten Conference) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa head coach Tom Brands criticized the Hawkeyes for poor performance in several games that led to the team’s eventual loss.
Brands singled out two games in particular where he observed Iowa not playing until the very last minute, saying that’s unacceptable in Iowa.
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“We had two matches where we had guys stop wrestling before time ran out. That can’t happen. That’s not going to happen. That’s not what we’re about,” Brands said.
Iowa State fell to 9-4 (2-2 Big Ten) with the loss against the Gophers.
Senior Derek Ayala won the match at 133 pounds, but Ayala wasn’t happy with the team’s overall finish and defended Brands, who has been on the radar of many Hawkeye fans lately.
“It hurts because it’s a direct reflection on me and my leadership. I think a lot of things have been put on Tom, but I think that’s bullshit,” Ayala said.
Iowa State is expected to face No. 2 Ohio State (15-0, 4-0 Big Ten) on Feb. 6 at the Covelli Center in Columbus, Ohio. The matchup will begin at 7 pm central time on the Big Ten Network.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeye Wired: Iowa wrestling coach Tom Brands blasts poor performance vs. Minnesota
