Kansas is doing ok. It is hard to compare Kansas to Penn, Ohio, New Jersey, and the like. They have tens of thousands more wrestlers in those states than we have here. Sheer numbers alone make the probability of them running those kinds of placers compared to ours, understandable. It is pretty difficult for a Kansas kid to go to some of these powerhouse schools when most of the time they have to nearly walk on (see Brester of Nebraska). In that way it hurts not to have a DI school here in the state. As far as development of quality wrestlers I see no reason why that would be a factor with OU, OSU, MU, and Neb so close and providing so much in the way of resources.
Have you considered the walk ons? How many can afford the out of state tuition at any of the schools you have mentioned so they can walk on? If we had a D1 program at WSU we would have as many walk ons as scholarship wrestlers. Then we might develop a Craig Brester or two. Some of the WSU Wrestling grads would stay in KS and coach hS. The bar would get raised. KMC had a D1 National Champ for a head coach and they were a dynasty. Everyone worked harder to beat them. The bar was raised. We need that to be happening right now.
