The Buckeyes will begin the dual meet portion of their 2016-17 season this afternoon when they travel to Tempe to take on the No. 19 Arizona State Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils enter with a 1-0 record on the season, thanks to a narrow victory over Northern Colorado.
The match will stream live HERE at 3 PM EST, so you’ll be able to check out the action after the Buckeye football game.
Let’s take a look at what to expect when the Buckeyes take the mat in Tempe.
| ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS |
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1–0 ROSTER | SCHEDULE |
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3 PM ET Tempe, Arizona |
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TheSunDevils.com |
The no. 19 Arizona State Sun Devils
Head Coach: Zeke Jones
Jones is beginning his third season as head coach at his alma mater, where he was a member of the 1988 NCAA Wrestling Champions. If there is a coaching accomplishment out there, Zeke has probably achieved it; he has been head coach of the 2004 US Olympic Freestyle wrestling team, USA Wrestling’s Freestyle Coach of the Year in 2001, head coach of two world teams, and was an assistant coach for the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. As a wrestler, Jones was one of three Americans to ever win FILA’s “World’s Most Technical Wrestler” award and was a silver medalist at the 1992 Olympic Games. He has earned medals at wrestling tournaments around the world, and is already a member of the Arizona State University Hall of Fame.
Jones is aided by Lee Pritts (Eastern Michigan), Chris Pendleton (Oklahoma State), and Haislan Garcia (three-time Canadian Olympian).
Ohioans on the Arizona State Roster
None.
Notable Sun Devil Wrestlers
No. 8 Zahid Valencia (RS Fr, 174)
The larger of the two Valencia brothers is a legitimate threat to wrestle on Saturday night at the NCAA tournament. Zahid has a history of wrestling (and defeating) NCAA champ Myles Martin, so he’s going to have a strong chance against a relatively thin field at 174 this season.
No. 4 Tanner Hall (RS So, HWT)
Hall is an experienced heavyweight who finished just a match away from earning All-American status at last year’s NCAA tournament. While some wrestlers have the benefit of starting the season against lesser competition, Hall has wrestled three wrestlers in the top 10 in his first eight matches of the season, coming away with a record of 2-1. Hall’s lone loss of the season is a 3-2 decision to No. 2 ranked Connor Medbery of Wisconsin.
No. 9 Anthony Valencia (RS Fr, 165)
It’s hard to believe that the Valencia brothers started their high school careers as lightweights based on their immense strength. They were ranked among the nation’s elite in high school at the lighter weights before a huge growth spurt late in their prep careers. Though Zahid is the more-heralded of the two, Anthony is not to be ignored.
| Ohio State | WT | Illinois |
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| JOSE RODRIGUEZ | 125 | JOSH KRAMER |
| BRANDEN FITZGERALD | 133 | ALI NASER |
| NO. 12 KE-SHAWN HAYES | 141 | TYLER SAGE |
| NO. 7 MICAH JORDAN | 149 | JOSH MARUCA |
| NO. 9 JAKE RYAN | 157 | JOSH SHIELDS |
| CODY BURCHER | 165 | NO. 9 ANTHONY VALENCIA |
| NO. 1 BO JORDAN | 174 | NO. 8 ZAHID VALENCIA |
| NO. 2 MYLES MARTIN | 184 | CONNER SMALL |
| NO. 12 KOLLIN MOORE | 197 | AUSTYN HARRIS |
| NO. 1 KYLE SNYDER | HWT | NO. 4 TANNER HALL |
Key Matchups
174: No. 1 Bo Jordan vs No. 8 Zahid Valencia
This match is sure to feature some elite wrestling between two of the nation’s top recruits in the past few years. Bo has yet to wrestle a match yet this season, so he’s not exactly easing into competition to start his junior year. Bo was making a tough cut to 165 as a sophomore, so we are likely to see a stronger, more energetic version of the two-time All-American this season as he looks to win a national title of his own.
HWT: No. 1 Kyle Snyder vs No. 4 Tanner Hall
Snyder hasn’t wrestled for the Buckeyes since he won an Olympic gold medal this season. While Hall is ranked in the top five and is several years older than the typical college sophomore, it’s unlikely that he’ll present any problems to Kyle that the grown men from eastern Europe haven’t already thrown at him. This should be some high-level wrestling between two of the top heavyweights in the country, but Snyder should have little trouble in demonstrating the gap between himself and the rest of the field.
133: Brendan Fitzgerald vs Ali Naser
The dynamic Fitzgerald will be filling in for Nathan Tomasello, who is out for undisclosed reasons. Naser is an excellent freestyler, with victories over two Olympians and Nathan Tomasello to his credit. Fitzgerald took some risks and they paid off in a big way when he knocked off a pair of ranked opponents at the Eastern Michigan Open by pin. If you didn’t see Fitzgerald’s excellent pins, don’t feel bad. His opponents didn’t see them coming, either.
Match Outlook
Arizona State is a program that is going to beat a lot of teams and score a great deal of points at the NCAA tournament. The only issue that the Sun Devils are going to face is that the Buckeyes are just as strong, or stronger, in the weight classes that feature young stars. Hall and Zahid Valencia are tough customers, but the Buckeyes will counter them with an Olympic champion and two-time All-American, respectively. Tom Ryan’s Buckeyes are going to have too much firepower from top to bottom for the host Sun Devils, even if Arizona State is able to score an upset somewhere along the line. This will be a good opportunity to check out Myles Martin and Micah Jordan at new weight classes, as well as Jose Rodriguez in his dual debut for the Buckeyes. Ohio State should win the dual decidedly before setting their sights on a tri match with Cleveland State and Kent State next week.
