Courtney?

[greatbigfatboy 0]

Regardless, D1 had the highest level of competition. There's no argument. NAIA/D2/D3 may have good competition and there may be a few individuals that can hang with D1 opponents, but D1 is way ahead of the pack in terms of competition/quality of wrestling.

I agree with you that D1 is the highest level of competition.  But I believe you are exaggerating the gap between the different divisions.  Some kids fly under the radar and are never really looked at seriously for D1 unless they go to nationals and do well.  Take Kyle Ruschell for example.  I heard he was headed to NAIA or D3 until he placed in Senior Nationals and other big tournaments.  After that he was signed D1.  At that level he has excelled and been ranked nationally for 2 years now.  If he hadn't had the opportunity or the means to go to senior nationals he would have been missed and went NAIA.  He was a great wrestler either way.  That's how I look at Courtney.  Whatever his reasons for not choosing D1 if he chooses this path are his reasons.  I believe he is good enough to go either division and do well.

[Josh_Claywell 52]

Are or were any D-1 schools looking at him?

[possumdaddy 23]

Yes there are several Oklahoma,Illinois,Va Tech, Penn,Penn St., West Point, Naval Academy,Rutgers,Princeton,Harvard,Maryland,Stanford,Binghamton,Ryder,Cornell,Pitt,several others just remember these off the top of my head and many D2 and D3 schools

[385 109]

Yes there are several Oklahoma,Illinois,Va Tech, Penn,Penn St., West Point, Naval Academy,Rutgers,Princeton,Harvard,Maryland,Stanford,Binghamton,Ryder,Cornell,Pitt,several others just remember these off the top of my head and many D2 and D3 schools

HOW DO YOU PEOPLE KNOW THESE THINGS?!?!?!?!

[possumdaddy 23]

I know him pretty good

[ubtappin 1]

I know him pretty good

:-D

[385 109]

So are you Harrison Courtney? Or just a teammate? Or maybe a coach? Are you Joe Carr Junior?

[pioneer_pride 1]

So are you Harrison Courtney? Or just a teammate? Or maybe a coach? Are you Joe Carr Junior?

I know Harrison's nickname is possum, so if you can put 2 and 2 together, you can figure out who possumdaddy is.  Plust look at possumdaddy's history of posts.  I'd consider him a subject matter expert on Harrison Courtney. 

[Allamerican125 0]

Harrison Courtney will fit in great here at Campbellsville University. I know from personal experience that Coach James and his staff are great coaches. Harrison is considering wrestling here simply because that's what he wants to do, not what everyone else wants him to do. Where to go to college is a huge decision that will affect the rest of his life. It's important that he goes where he wants to go and also somewhere where he can excel in wrestling and get a great education. I beleive he can accomplish great things on any level of wrestling, Campbellsville is a great place and maybe he feels he wants to wrestle and go to school close to home and have a balance between wrestling and academics.

[risingtide160 1]

So are you Harrison Courtney? Or just a teammate? Or maybe a coach? Are you Joe Carr Junior?

No ............ he is Spartacus

[myGSP 4]

I know him pretty good

Maybe too well! How many of his diapers have you changed? :-D :-D :-D Good luck Coutney where ever you GO. 8-)

[The Bear 0]

I think that'd be a shame, he could do better than NAIA

Let me ask you a question eagle. Have you ever attended an NAIA match? Apparently you haven't, because if you had you would have seen that most of those guys can hang with D2, D3, or even D1 wrestlers.

[tiltfor3 20]

Let me ask you a question eagle. Have you ever attended an NAIA match? Apparently you haven't, because if you had you would have seen that most of those guys can hang with D2, D3, or even D1 wrestlers.

Sure they can. And, D1 can hang with Olympians.

Did I just poke the Bear?

[Zeus 117]

I graduated from Woodford and have wrestled with and worked with Harrison for a few years now.  I know him better than most of the state but I would say possumdaddy knows him a little better than I do.

One thing I can say about his personality is Harrison is the most humble and gracious people I have ever met considering what he has achieved.  Never once have I heard him boast about his accomplishments or talk down to another wrestler.  I wish him the best of luck in literally whatever he decides to do with his life, wrestling or not.

[Zeus 117]

Let me ask you a question eagle. Have you ever attended an NAIA match? Apparently you haven't, because if you had you would have seen that most of those guys can hang with D2, D3, or even D1 wrestlers.

I have never attended a NAIA match but did wrestle for a pretty good DII program and I can say that DI is another level, the top schools two levels, above us.  We competed in the WVU Open, the Midwest Classic (a tough DII/DIII tournament similar to Midlands) and against some decent DI teams like Cleveland St for example.  We had a national champ get pinned by someone from Kent St who didn't even qualify for DI nationals as a four-year starter.  The former Kent St wrestler is now a coach at Henry Clay.  I would also say that NAIA is a level below DII and DIII, just my opinion considering I beat and many of my teammates beat NAIA All-Americans.  I was started all four years but never qualified for nationals, a similar career to the Kent St wrestler but on the DII level.

This all being said the difference between DI and the rest is the depth, similar to KY high school vs PA/OH/IA/CA.  Most of the champs could probably compete at the higher level but after that the level drops off considerably.  Most DI All-Americans would win the DII national tournament pretty easily.  The DII champs could compete and possibly even win a title in DI but the guy who got 5th or a similar place would be lucky to even qualify for nationals.

[Zeus 117]

Yes there are several Oklahoma,Illinois,Va Tech, Penn,Penn St., West Point, Naval Academy,Rutgers,Princeton,Harvard,Maryland,Stanford,Binghamton,Ryder,Cornell,Pitt,several others just remember these off the top of my head and many D2 and D3 schools

This is a pretty good list.  Like he said there are others but one can't keep a list like that together just in his head.  I told my old DII school to not even bother because he was above our level.

[Josh_Claywell 52]

HOW DO YOU PEOPLE KNOW THESE THINGS?!?!?!?!

WHY ARE YOU YELLING?

[pioneer_pride 1]

I have never attended a NAIA match but did wrestle for a pretty good DII program and I can say that DI is another level, the top schools two levels, above us.  We competed in the WVU Open, the Midwest Classic (a tough DII/DIII tournament similar to Midlands) and against some decent DI teams like Cleveland St for example.  We had a national champ get pinned by someone from Kent St who didn't even qualify for DI nationals as a four-year starter.  The former Kent St wrestler is now a coach at Henry Clay.  I would also say that NAIA is a level below DII and DIII, just my opinion considering I beat and many of my teammates beat NAIA All-Americans.  I was started all four years but never qualified for nationals, a similar career to the Kent St wrestler but on the DII level.

This all being said the difference between DI and the rest is the depth, similar to KY high school vs PA/OH/IA/CA.  Most of the champs could probably compete at the higher level but after that the level drops off considerably.  Most DI All-Americans would win the DII national tournament pretty easily.  The DII champs could compete and possibly even win a title in DI but the guy who got 5th or a similar place would be lucky to even qualify for nationals.

That is a great analogy.  I never wrestled college or even came close, but that's what I would have guessed the difference to be similar to.

In the end, Harrison...get the most out of your college experience.  You've earned it.  Pick a college that you will get a great education and be successful in life after wrestling.  Set your goals and achieve them on the mat...but bust your @$$ in the classroom.

[Charger Coach 14]

I can actually relate a little bit to Harrison's situation on this one.  Although not for wrestling, but I had opportunities to play football at the DI level.  I had scholarship offers from Ball St., Ohio and EKU, but in the end chose a to take a full academic ride to a DIII instead because I wanted to stay closer to home and I felt the academics were better where I attended, which in turn would set me up for what matters most and it wasn't football.  I still wanted to play football and I was a fairly good player, but was starting to face reality and the fact was I was never going to the NFL.  I had a great college experience and wouldn't trade it for anything.  I received my degree in 4 years, met my wife there and the education I received set me up with the experience and confidence necessary to obtain the job I now hold, which by the way is a great one.  Now, was the level of football still the same as it would have been had I played DI?  No way, but it was still very competitive and there were some players who could play DI and would give DI guys a run for their money.  Some still wound up in the NFL despite playing DIII ball.  I'm sure the same can be said for wrestling.  As a whole, I'm sure that NAIA is not on the same level as DI (no offense), but that doesn't mean there aren't any wrestlers on that level who can compete with the big boys.  In the end, I always wondered if I could have seriously competed in DI, but the decision I made was the right one without a doubt.  Go where you want to Harrison and for the reasons you want.  Don't let others persuade you because you're the one who has to live with what decision you make, not them.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with Campbellsville.  They have fine academics, a good wrestling team, a good coaching staff, which are all things you're probably looking for.  I do have just one piece of advice:  Make sure to check out the female student population.  That's always an important deciding factor.   Good luck.

[grapplehed 8]

This will probably not be received well, however part of the problem Kentucky wrestlers face coming out of high school is that they wrestle in a state in the South.  GRADUALLY the perception that southern states do not have superior wrestling talent is changing.  With schools like Bradenton, Florida and individuals like Kyle Ruschel from Kentucky and Jordan Leen (Cornell) and Nick Marable (Missouri) from Tennessee having success at the national level, major colleges are looking more at southern states.  However, make no mistake about it, the perception still exists that a 3rd place wrestler in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey New York or Illinois would be a better D1 potential than a 3X Alabama or Kentucky state champion.

Until our wrestlers have more success at the highest level, that perception will persist.  Wish Ruschell would have had a better NCAA tournament last year. Trust me, D1 coaches noticed Jordan Leen and Nick Marable last year, and will glance an eye down at Tennessee because of that.  Success at the next level will open more doors.

Makes sense, if you look at the seeding criteria for the Beast of the East.  States like KY,AL, WV etc. only receive 70 pts for being a State Champ,  Tier 2 gets 80 pts, and Tier 1 gets 90 pts, OH, PA, NJ, CA.  Seeding is over 80% correct. Major colleges are looking at the south a bit more but only if they are producing results at the national level.  Diamond in the rough, find a super tough kid that is not being recruited by dozens of other schools.

[Dutch1873 0]

I know him pretty good

Watch this ol' boy, he's very sly... :-D

[Marjo 2]

Just curious does anyone know what national tournaments Courtney has actually placed in besides sophomore nationals.  Has he ever wrestled in the Beast, Ironman, Fargo, etc.?

[Just Wrestle 0]

How cool would it be if he went to West Point with Starks?  Just sayin...

[Zeus 117]

That would be cool, Starks has been trying to get Harrison to come there.  I'm not his dad but I don't know if Harrison would like the military regime of West Point.  It's pretty common to have wrestlers from the same high school go to the same college, we had several like that.

[Wrestling Dad 99]

That would be cool, Starks has been trying to get Harrison to come there.  I'm not his dad but I don't know if Harrison would like the military regime of West Point.  It's pretty common to have wrestlers from the same high school go to the same college, we had several like that.

Yes, but this is not a college.  A military academy like West Point requires a congressional appointment.