On Thursday afternoon, the Buckeye wrestlers will look to defend their 2015 NCAA title when the best collegiate wrestlers in the country descend upon Madison Square Garden in New York City for the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
The Buckeyes qualified eight wrestlers out of ten weight classes and have a trio of wrestlers seeded in the top 3 in their respective weight classes, including top-seeded Nathan Tomasello at 125.
The action can be seen in it's entirety on ESPN's networks with the early rounds being shown on ESPNU and the WatchESPN app. The semifinals will air on ESPN and the finals will air live on ESPN on Saturday night.
The full bracket is here.
| Date | Time | Session | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 17 | 12:00 PM | First Round | ESPNU |
| Thursday | 7:00 PM | Second Round; 1st Round Wrestlebacks | ESPNU |
| Friday, March 18 | 11:00 AM | Third Round; Quarterfinals; 2nd & 3rd Round Wrestlebacks | ESPNU |
| Friday | 8:00 PM | Fourth Round; Semifinals; 4th Wrestlebacks and Wrestleback Quarterfinals | ESPNU |
| Saturday, March 19 | 11:00 AM | Medal Round- Wrestleback Semifinals, Placement Matches (3rd, 5th, 7th) | ESPNU |
| Saturday | 8:00 PM | Championship Finals | ESPN |
Below is a look at what to expect in the tournament, including the top competitors and how each Buckeye may fare.
125 pounds
2015 NCAA Champion: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State)
Returning All-Americans: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State, 1st in 2015), Thomas Gilman (Iowa, 4th in 2015), Nico Megaludis (Penn State, 3rd in 2014, 2nd in 2013, 2nd in 2012), Conor Youtsey (Michigan, 6th in 2015), Eddie Klimara (Oklahoma State, 7th in 2015), Joey Dance (Virginia Tech, 4th in 2014), Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa, 6th in 2014), Darian Cruz (Lehigh, 7th in 2014)
Top Four Seeds: #1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State), #2 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech), #3 Nico Megaludis (Penn State), #4 Thomas Gilman (Iowa)
Buckeye: No. 1 seed Nathan Tomasello (22-0, Big Ten Champion)
Contenders: It’s probably safe to say that the top four seeds are clearly the favorites at 125. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia) caught fire last year and knocked off the 2, 7, and 6 seeds before falling to Tomasello in the championship. Moisey is injured and won’t compete this season. Tomasello, Dance, Megaludis, and Gilman are by far the best wrestlers in the country at 125, with a total of just five losses between them (each of the five matches came at the hands of one of the other top four seeds). If the top four wrestled four times, you may have four different outcomes as they are all incredibly evenly-matched.
Gilman went undefeated until he lost to Megaludis in the Big Ten semifinals. Dance defeated Megaludis and lost to Tomasello early in the season before cruising to an ACC title. Dance does not score bonus points like the rest of the field, so he is accustomed to being in tight matches, regardless of the competition. Megaludis has been a finalist on two occasions, but has yet to win a title. His flexibility causes fits for opponents, making him difficult to take down. Gilman is nothing if not a fierce competitor. He is rarely out of position and attacks non-stop, leaving little room for error. On Saturday night, you’ll see some combination of these four wrestling for the championship.
Buckeye Outlook: Tomasello is the odds-on favorite to repeat as an NCAA champion, though it will not be easy. He will likely face Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa) in the quarterfinals and Gilman in the semifinals. Both Gilman and Peters defeated Tomasello last season, so they will have a degree of confidence when meeting him on the mat. Tomasello is incredibly focused and was in the zone throughout the Big Ten tournament. Tomasello has a repeat national championship in his sights, and should still finish as an All-American (Top 8) even if he is upset prior to the championship bout. Tomasello faces Kyle Larson (Iowa State, 23-15) in the opening round on Thursday.
133 pounds
2015 NCAA Champion: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma)
Returning All-Americans: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma, 1st in 2015, 8th in 2014, 7th in 2013), Nahshon Garrett (Cornell, 5th at 125 in 2015, 2nd at 125 in 2014, 3rd at 125 in 2013), Jordan Conaway (Penn State, 8th at 125 in 2015), Cory Clark (Iowa, 2nd in 2015, 5th at 125 in 2014), Mason Beckman (Lehigh, 6th in 2015), Rossi Bruno (Michigan, 8th in 2015), Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin, 7th in 2015), Earl Hall (Iowa State, 8th at 125 in 2014)
Top 4 Seeds: Nahshon Garrett (Cornell), Cory Clark (Iowa), Zane Richards (Illinois), Cody Brewer (Oklahoma)
Buckeye: #10 seed Johnni DiJulius (17-7, 7th place at Big Ten tournament)
Contenders at 133: This could be Garrett’s best shot at winning a title, though his road is tough right off the bat with returning All-American Mason Beckman waiting for him in the first round. Following Beckman, Garrett could face Bruno or Earl Hall in the quarterfinals before a likely rematch with Cody Brewer in the semifinals. Garrett beat Brewer in a shootout at the CKLV Invitational on his way to a perfect 32-0 record. Brewer is an explosive wrestler with brute strength, but he won’t be overlooked this season like he was last year. Clark and Richards are in the bottom half of the bracket, along with George DiCamillo (Virginia) and Eric Montoya (Nebraska). Johnni DiJulius is also in the bottom half of the bracket, and has victories over Montoya, DiCamillo, and Clark.
Buckeye Outlook: DiJulius begins his tournament against Robert Deutsch (Rider). JDJ beat Deutsch by major decision in last year’s NCAA tournament, so he has to be feeling confident entering his last NCAA tournament. DiJulius has never earned an All-American finish in his three previous trips to the NCAA tournament, but he has the capability to beat anyone in the field. He has winnable matches in his quarter of the bracket, and an All-American finish to cap off his outstanding career is certainly within the realm of possibility.
| weight | seed | buckeye | 1st round opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 125 | #1 | Nathan Tomasello (22-0) | Kyle Larson (Iowa State) |
| 133 | #10 | Johnni DiJulius (17-7) | Robert Deutsch (Rider) |
| 141 | #6 | Micah Jordan (25-2) | Ian Nickell (Cal State-Bakersfield) |
| 149 | Did Not Qualify | ||
| 157 | Jake Ryan (17-5) | #6 Joseph Smith (Oklahoma State) | |
| 165 | #3 | Bo Jordan (16-2) | Tyler Buckwalter (Kent State) |
| 174 | #11 | Myles Martin (28-6) | Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) |
| 184 | Kenny Courts (17-10) | #6 Blake Stauffer (Arizona State) | |
| 197 | Did Not Qualify | ||
| HWT | #2 | Kyle Snyder (6-0) | Antonio Pelusi (Franklin & Marshall) |
141 POUNDS
2015 NCAA Champion: Logan Stieber (Ohio State)
Highest Returning Placer: Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) – 4th place at 141
Returning All-Americans at 141: Dean Heil (Oklahoma State- 4th in 2015), Kevin Jack (North Carolina State, 5th in 2015), Rick Durso (Franklin & Marshall, 8th in 2014), Chris Mecate (Old Dominion, 6th in 2015), Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State, 5th at 133 in 2015)
Top 4 Seeds at 141: Dean Heil (Oklahoma State), Joey McKenna (Stanford), Kevin Jack (NC State), Anthony Ashnault (Rutgers)
Buckeye: No. 6-seeded Micah Jordan (25-2, 3rd place at Big Ten tournament)
Contenders: Graduation hit this weight class harder than most this season and there are no real front-runners for the title. Heil is experienced, tough, and has wins over many of the higher seeds (McKenna, Jack, #5 Matt Manley of Missouri, and #11 Tommy Thorn of Minnesota). McKenna has only lost to Heil (twice) with a win over #8 Joey Ward (North Carolina), but hasn’t wrestled a great schedule all season. McKenna was a blue-chip recruit and is proving the rankers correct thus far in his career.
Ashnault won the Big Ten title at 141, demonstrating his top game along the way. Jack exploded on the national scene last year with upsets over three seeded wrestlers, but won’t sneak up on anyone from the #3 seed. Jack hasn’t lost since the Southern Scuffle at the end of December and has picked up some nice wins since. Matt Manley of Missouri took the #5 seed, but stands an excellent chance of advancing far in the championship bracket, though he has a tough opening match against Jimmy Gulibon (Penn State).
Buckeye Outlook:: Micah took an upset loss in the Big Ten quarterfinals against Jimmy Gulibon, but he has winnable matches in his bracket at the NCAA tournament. Jordan opens the tournament against Ian Nickell of Cal State–Bakersfield could rematch Tommy Thorn of Minnesota in the second round. Should Jordan win those two matches, he will likely face Jack in the quarterfinals. In the last few matches, Micah has struggled to escape from the bottom, so his opponents will likely key on that in matches against him. If Jordan is to earn an All-American finish in a wide-open field, which I fully expect, he will need to be patient on his feet and score quickly from the bottom.
149 POUNDS
2015 NCAA Champion: Drake Houdashelt (Missouri)
Highest Returning Placer: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern, 3rd in 2015)
Returning All-Americans: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern, 3rd in 2015, 1st in 2014), Brandon Sorensen (Iowa- 4th in 2015), Evan Henderson (North Carolina, 4th at 141 in 2014, 5th at 141 in 2013), Zain Retherford (Penn State, 5th at 141 in 2014), BJ Clagon (Rider, 5th in 2015), Daniel Neff (Lock Haven, 8th in 2015)
Top 4 Seeds: Zain Retherford (Penn State), Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), Lavion Mayes (Missouri), Matthew Cimato (Drexel)
Buckeye at 149: None. Cody Burcher placed 8th at the Big Ten tournament.
Contenders: At a glance, it looks like the race at 149 will be Zain Retherford vs The Field. Retherford is undefeated and just four of his 29 wins this season came without bonus points. Zain is aggressive on his feet, but utterly destructive in the top position. He should cruise to the semifinals, where I expect he’ll meet the #5 seed, Alec Pantaleo of Michigan. Sorensen and Lavion Mayes have the tougher half of the bracket, which features past NCAA champion Jason Tsirtsis, Anthony Collica of Oklahoma State, and the outstanding Jake Sueflohn (Nebraska). This bracket should go fairly according to plan, with Sorensen or Mayes squaring off against (but ultimately, losing to) Retherford in the championship bout.
157 POUNDS
2015 NCAA Champion: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois)
Returning All-Americans: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois, 1st in 2015), Ian Miller (Kent State, 5th in 2015, 4th in 2014), Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech, 4th in 157,8th at 149 in 2013), Brian Murphy (Michigan, 7th in 2015)
Top 4 Seeds: #1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois), #2 Thomas Gantt (North Carolina State), #3 Jason Nolf (Penn State), #4 Ian Miller (Kent State)
Buckeye: Unseeded Jake Ryan (17-5, 6th at Big Ten tournament)
Contenders at 157: Martinez and Nolf are tied 1-1 in their matches this season, with Nolf striking first before Martinez settled the score in the Big Ten championship. Martinez has unreal strength and a bottomless gas tank, both of which helped him to an undefeated national championship as a freshman. Nolf gave Martinez his first career loss in their dual meet this season and he has mowed down the rest of the competition aside from his loss in the Big Ten championship match. Gantt has been a steady force for one of the biggest upstarts in the NCAA this season, but has avoided Martinez, Nolf, and Miller on his way to an undefeated season.
Miller suffered a concussion and had to default out of the MAC conference tournament, ending his chance of winning four straight conference titles. A two-time All-American, Miller has just one win over a seeded wrestler in the NCAA tournament, saying more about his schedule than his undeniable talent. Joe Smith is the son of one of the most decorated wrestlers in American history, Oklahoma State coach John Smith. As a true freshman, JoJo has taken on some of the toughest competition in the country, and defeated all of them but #1 seeded Martinez, #4 seeded Nolf, and #5 Dylan Palacio of Cornell. Smith will factor into the placement at 157, though his inexperience against Martinez and Nolf may cost him.
Buckeye Outlook: Jake Ryan showed a great deal of upside this season, placing 6th at the Big Ten Championships after being ranked in the top 15 for most of the season. He’s got a great defense and scores many of his takedowns in response to his opponent’s shots. Jake will face #6 Joe Smith of Oklahoma State in the opening round on Thursday in a match between the young sons of NCAA champion coaches. Ryan could win a few matches at his first NCAA tournament, but he’s not likely to finish as an All-American with this draw.
165 POUNDS
2015 NCAA Champion: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State)
Returning All-Americans: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State- 1st in 2015, 1st in 2014, 3rd at 157 in 2013), Bo Jordan (Ohio State- 3rd in 2015), Jim Wilson (Stanford- 8th in 2015), Anthony Perrotti (Rutgers- 8th at 157 in 2014), Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin- 7th in 2015, 7th at 157 in 2014)
Top 4 Seeds: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State), Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), Bo Jordan (Ohio State), Daniel Lewis (Missouri)
Buckeye: No. 3 seed Bo Jordan (16-2, 2nd at Big Ten tournament)
Contenders: Dieringer is looking to cap off one of the most successful individual careers in one of the greatest programs in collegiate wrestling with his third consecutive NCAA title. Incredibly strong and relentless on the feet, Dieringer has amassed a career record of 128-4 and has a 77 match winning streak intact. Dieringer is the clear leader of the pack at 165. Isaac Jordan took the #2 seed with an undefeated record and a second straight Big Ten title. Isaac is a crafty wrestler on his feet and picks his spots carefully when he attacks.
Max Rohskopf of NC State is an Ohioan who has made a big impact on the Wolfpack’s success this season with his outstanding top control. Speaking of top control, Missouri’s outstanding freshman Daniel Lewis has to be one of the best in the country from the top position. Lewis effectively rode Bo Jordan and Alex Dieringer for an entire period in his respective bouts with each wrestler, but lost both matches. Lewis has impressive pinning skills and is a real dark horse pick for an upset against the mighty Dieringer should they meet in the semifinals. Dieringer will likely meet the winner of Bo vs Isaac IV in the championship bout.
Buckeye Outlook: Expect an All-American finish from Bo, but hope for a national championship. It was widely suggested that Bo’s desire to drop to 165 had to do with his Vision Quest-esque passion to be the one to defeat Dieringer. Bo’s only two losses this season came to Isaac, and he’ll likely need to beat Isaac in the semifinals on Friday night. That’s proven to be a daunting task for Bo, but two of the three matches came down to a single instance of being caught off guard for Bo. Expect the fourth installment on Friday night. Bo will face Kent State’s Tyler Buckwalter in the opening round on Thursday.
174 POUNDS
2015 NCAA Champion: Matt Brown (Penn State)
Highest Returning Placer: Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech, 8th at 174 in 2015)
Returning All-Americans: Brian Realbuto (Cornell, 2nd at 157 in 2015, 6th at 157 in 2014), Ethan Ramos (North Carolina, 6th at 165 in 2015), Cody Walters (Ohio, 8th in 2013), Bryce Hammond (Cal State Bakersfield, 8th in 2014)
Top 4 Seeds: Bo Nickal (Penn State), Brian Realbuto (Cornell), Blaise Butler (Missouri), Ethan Ramos (UNC)
Buckeye: No. 11 seed Myles Martin (28-6, 3rd at Big Ten tournament)
Contenders: Nickal is a high-risk, high-reward type of wrestler who is incredibly fun to watch (unless he’s wrestling a Buckeye, that is) and more often than not, he is rewarded for his risks. The only blemish on Nickal’s record came at the hands of Indiana’s Nate Jackson in a match that nearly saw Nickal make a comeback after an early throw attempt caught him on his back. Nickal cruised through the Big Ten tournament, but faces some experienced foes at the NCAA level. Realbuto is up two weight classes and has looked impressive in the move. Blaise Butler is a grad transfer from Virginia and is thriving at Missouri. Cody Walters won this year’s Midlands and has an All-American finish to his credit. Chandler Rogers of Oklahoma State is replacing an injured Kyle Crutchmer and has some nice wins in his redshirt freshman season, though his results have been unpredictable. He’s got placement potential, but could also go 0-2.
Buckeye Outlook: Myles Martin has really fit into the lineup nicely at 174, surpassing the expectations of lots of critics. Martin has wrestled Bo Nickal close twice out of their three meetings, though the Nittany Lion managed to win all three of their matches. Martin’s attacking style is certainly refreshing when compared to the Big Ten’s now-graduated crop of defensive stars at 174 (Matt Brown, Mike Evans, and Logan Storley, to name a few). Martin is capable of earning an All-American finish, though it’s difficult to guess just how high he’ll climb in this unpredictable weight class. Martin faces Nick Wanzek of Minnesota in the opening round, before likely meeting #6 seeded Bryce Hammond in the second round.
184 POUNDS
2015 NCAA Champion: Gabe Dean (Cornell)
Returning All-Americans: Gabe Dean (Cornell, 1st in 2015, 3rd in 2014), Nate Brown (Lehigh, 2nd in 2015), Vic Avery (Edinboro, 3rd in 2015), Blake Stauffer (Arizona State- 4th in 2015), Kenny Courts (Ohio State, 5th in 2015), Hayden Zilmer (North Dakota State, 6th in 2015), Willie Miklus (Missouri, 7th in 2015), TJ Dudley (Nebraska, 8th in 2015), Jack Dechow (Old Dominion, 4th in 2014)
Top 4 Seeds: Gabe Dean (Cornell), Sammy Brooks (Iowa), Vic Avery (Edinboro), Domenic Abounader (Michigan)
Buckeye: Unseeded Kenny Courts (17-10, 8th at Big Ten tournament)
Contenders: Interestingly enough, this weight returns all eight of last year’s All-Americans, including defending NCAA champ Gabe Dean and Ohio State’s Kenny Courts. Dean is an outstanding athlete, opting to wrestle for Cornell rather than play quarterback at Georgia Tech. Dean has a combination of speed and power rarely seen and dropped just one match in each of the last two seasons. He’s the clear favorite at 184, though several others will give him a run.
Domenic Abounader finds himself in the same half of the bracket as Dean, so the pair may meet in the semifinals if Abounader can make it past Zack Zavatsky (Virginia Tech) in the quarterfinals. Zavatsky is an outstanding top wrestler and will pose a serious matchup problem for everyone in the tournament. Sammy Brooks won the Big Ten title and then gave my favorite post-match interview to date, but I don’t have much hope for him to upend Dean.
Buckeye Outlook: Courts caught fire at last year’s NCAA tournament after finishing 8th at the Big Ten tournament. Courts earned his first All-American finish by taking 5th place, an outcome that was instrumental in the Buckeyes winning their first NCAA title. Since then, Kenny has gone 17-10, losing lots of matches that he could have won. He’s an enigma, to say the least. Kenny has the skill to earn another spot on the All-American podium, but you just never know what you’re going to get when Kenny steps on the mat. Kenny will start his tournament run against #6 seed Blake Stauffer of Arizona State. Courts is 1-1 against Stauffer, including a 6-2 loss at last year’s NCAA tournament.
197 POUNDS
2015 NCAA Champion: Kyven Gadson (Iowa State)
Highest Returning Placer: J’Den Cox (Missouri, 3rd place in 2015)
Returning All-Americans: J’Den Cox (Missouri, 3rd in 2015, 1st in 2014), Morgan McIntosh (Penn State, 3rd in 2015, 7th in 2014), Conner Hartman (Duke, 6th in 2015, 5th in 2014), Nathan Burak (Iowa, 7th in 2015, 8th in 2014), Max Huntley (Michigan, 8th in 2015)
Top 4 Seeds: Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), J’Den Cox (Missouri), Brett Pfarr (Minnesota), Nathan Burak (Iowa)
Buckeye: None. Mark Martin placed 7th at the Big Ten tournament
Contenders: McIntosh is undefeated with narrow victories over Burak and Pfarr and dominant victories over pretty much everyone else. His Big Ten championship at 197 was his second consecutive conference title, which was clinched with a 3-2 decision over Burak. Cox’ only loss is a disqualification in a match that he was winning at the time. He has bumped up to heavyweight on occasion to help the Tigers in dual meets, so he’s got the speed and strength to beat even the bigger wrestlers. Pfarr is the lone standout for Minnesota in a down year for the program, but he’ll have to score some upsets if he’s going to win the title.
Burak is 0-5 in his career against McIntosh, though three of the five matches have been decided by two points or less. The Iowa and Penn State fans will be looking at 197 as one of the weight classes where they can make up some serious team points if the opposing wrestler is upset early in the tournament, though that’s not likely before the semifinals. If anyone should be on upset alert, I’d be willing to bet Brett Pfarr is concerned with Ohio’s Phil Wellington and their potential quarterfinal match. For the casual fan, a match between Cox and McIntosh could be the most interesting because both are outstanding athletes with great wrestling intelligence.
Heavyweight
2015 NCAA Champion: Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State)
Returning All-Americans: Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State, 1st in 2015, 1st in 2014, 8th in 2012 for SUNY-Binghamton), Adam Coon (Michigan, 2nd in 2015), Ty Walz (Virginia Tech, 7th in 2015), Michael Kroells (8th in 2015), Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State, 8th in 2014), Kyle Snyder (Ohio State, 2nd in 2015 at 197)
Top 4 Seeds: Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State), #2 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State), Ty Walz (Virginia Tech), Austin Marsden (Oklahoma State)
Buckeye: No. 2-seeded Kyle Snyder (6-0, Big Ten Champion)
Contenders: Gwiazdowski, commonly known as Gwiz, is looking for his third NCAA title at heavyweight, the first coming over Tony Nelson, who was in pursuit of his third straight NCAA title. Gwiz is an exceptional heavyweight, with great quickness to go with his heavyweight strength. He is light on his feet and has a variety of takedowns, which sets him apart from most of the field at heavyweight. Gwiz left Binghamton with Pat Popolizio and the pair helped to put NC State on the map in a big way. At a glance, the heavyweight bracket is likely just an appetizer for the seemingly inevitable main course of Gwiz versus Snyder in the championship bout on Saturday night. Walz’ only two losses came at the end of season to Gwiz, though he showed flashes of potential against the two-time champ.
Walz is a St. Edward’s graduate who is a mobile big man and seems to have Coon’s number. Walz has his work cut out for him as he opens the tournament against a tough Tanner Hall of Arizona State. Marsden’s only loss, like Walz, came at the hands of Gwiz. Marsden has nice wins over Denzel Dejournette of Appalachian State and Sam Stoll of Iowa, but he is bracketed to face Coon in the quarterfinals before a likely rematch with Gwiz in the semis. Talk about a tough bracket, especially when you notice he starts the tournament against Cleveland State’s Riley Shaw. Stoll defaulted out of the Big Ten tournament, but should advance far in the tournament if he’s healthy and score some big points for the Hawkeyes in the process. The podium should feature a number of Big Ten wrestlers, but Gwiz and Walz are certain to find themselves perched high on the podium on Saturday night.
Buckeye Outlook: Snyder’s accomplishments on the world stage have been well-documented, but many were concerned that he would suffer from switching his focus from freestyle to college wrestling and back so frequently. Snyder has proven the doubters to be off-base with his four tech falls and a Big Ten title victory over Coon. Snyder is unlikely to be derailed before he butts heads with Gwiz in the championship, but if he is defeated before the finals, it’ll likely be by someone that scores on Snyder on the mat. Of note, Snyder may meet the #7 seed Amarveer Dhesi (Oregon State) in the quarterfinals. Dhesi is a quality freestyle wrestler, earning a silver medal at the FILA Junior Worlds for his native Canada. Snyder starts his tournament on Thursday against Antonio Pelusi of Franklin & Marshall.
Team Outlook
Penn State is going to be hard to catch. They’ll get big points at 125, 149, 157, 174, and 197, leaving everyone else in the wake. If guys like Jordan Conaway and Matt McCutcheon can put points on the board, it’s going to be icing on the cake for Cael Sanderson and his travelling takedown machine. North Carolina State is going to be in the race with potential champions at 141 and heavyweight and serious scoring potential at 157 and 165.
Virginia Tech will be a nice contender with great bracketing to go with some star power and some upset potential. Oklahoma State almost assuredly will have a finalist and likely champion at 165 in Alex Dieringer with point-scoring potential throughout the rest of the lineup.
Iowa is going to make a push for a title, but the cupboard is bare in Iowa City in the middle of the lineup, which really hurts the Hawkeyes. They’re going to be tough in the lighter weights and the lower heavy weights, but they’re going to get next to nothing at 157 and 165, and not much from 174. Sam Stoll’s health is in question at heavyweight, but if he’s healthy, he could score some points for Iowa.
I believe the Buckeyes could have four legitimate finalists (Tomasello, Micah Jordan, Bo Jordan, and Kyle Snyder). Johnni DiJulius and Kenny Courts are certainly capable of ending their collegiate careers with All-American finishes, but both are going to need to do some work in the wrestlebacks if they’re going to earn a spot on the podium. Myles Martin stands a serious chance at an All-American finish, but he’s going to have a pair of tough matches early against previous All-American Bryce Hammond in the second round and Blaise Butler in the quarters. Jake Ryan must have done something to provoke the bracket gods because he is certainly feeling their wrath with his placement. He’ll need to score some wins on the backside.
As Kenny Courts’ run propelled the Buckeyes last year, Ohio State will not only need top-tier points out of the likely candidates, but they’ll also need some help in the consolation bracket if they’re going to end up in the top three.
Check back with Eleven Warriors for coverage on the NCAA Championships throughout the weekend.
