The Buckeye wrestlers will try to improve upon their 6-0 record on the season on Sunday as they welcome the No. 11 Illinois Fighting Illini to St. John Arena for a Big Ten tilt.
Illinois is led by two-time NCAA champion and human Sherman tank Isaiah Martinez at 165, but the Buckeyes boast a pair of top-ranked wrestlers in Bo Jordan (174) and Kyle Snyder (HWT).
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| ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI |
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2-1 Overall, 1-1 Big Ten ROSTER | SCHEDULE |
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2:00 PM – SUNDAY, JAN.15 St. John Arena Columbus, Ohio |
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Streaming live on BTN Plus (Subscription) |
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FIGHTINGILLINI.COM |
Let's take a look at what to expect when the Buckeyes host the Illini on Sunday.
The No. 14 Fighting Illini (2-1)
Head Coach: Jim Hefferman
Heffernan is in his seventh year at the helm of the Illini program after being an assistant in Champaign for seventeen seasons. Under his tutelage, Jesse Delgado and current redshirt junior Isaiah Martinez have won NCAA titles (two for Martinez), and he's coached other wrestlers to 18 All-American finishes at the NCAA tournament.
A notable wrestler himself, Heffernan won four Big Ten titles and an NCAA title at Iowa and he was a two-time Ohio state champion for Lakewood St. Edward. Assisting Heffernan is Associate Head Coach Mark Perry, who was a two-time NCAA champion – and one of my favorite non-Buckeye wrestlers – at Iowa. Jeremy Hunter, a three-time All-American at Penn State, is also on the staff as an assistant coach.
Ohioans on the Illini Roster
None, although Heffernan wrestled for St. Edward High School in Lakewood.
Notable Illini Wrestlers
No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (RS Jr. - 165)
Known to many as simply IMar, Martinez is Illinois’ one man wrecking crew. The redshirt junior has just a single loss in his non-redshirt career (he lost as a true freshman to NCAA champ Derek St. John by decision during his redshirt year) with a shocking pin defeat to Jason Nolf of Penn State. IMar avenged the loss to Nolf at the Big Ten and NCAA championships and now has a career win percentage of 98.75 to go along with two individual NCAA titles. After laying waste to the field at 157 for two years, IMar is up a weight class to beat up a new batch of opponents. At 14-0 on the season with 12 bonus point victories, he’s well on his way.
No. 4 Zane Richards (RS Sr- 133)
Richards was undefeated a season ago until the Big Ten Championship finals, where he lost a tight decision to Cory Clark. Richards finished the NCAA tournament with a 4th place finish, earning his first All-American finish. His 6-4 loss in the Midlands finals to No. 3 Eric Montoya of Nebraska is Richards’ only loss to this point in the season.
| Ohio State | WT | Illinois |
|---|---|---|
| #12 Jose Rodriguez | 125 | #14 Travis Piotrokowski |
| #2 Nathan Tomasello | 133 | #4 Zane Richards |
| #14 Luke Pletcher | 141 | Mousa Jodeh |
| #5 Micah Jordan | 149 | Eric Barone |
| Jake Ryan | 157 | Kyle Langenderfer |
| Cody Burcher | 165 | #1 Isaiah Martinez |
| #1 Bo Jordan | 174 | #12 Zac Brunson |
| #10 Myles Martin | 184 | #13 Emery Parker |
| #5 Kollin Moore | 197 | Andre Lee |
| #1 Kyle Snyder | HWT | #17 Brooks Black or Deuce Rachal |
Key Matchups
133: No. 2 Nathan Tomasello vs No. 4 Zane Richards
This bout will feature a pair of smaller wrestlers for 133, but each will be in the running for an NCAA title when March rolls around. Tomasello is undefeated to this point in the season, but he hasn’t faced anyone at 133 that is quite up to Richards’ caliber. This will likely be a low-scoring affair with a single takedown possibly the deciding factor. Tomasello’s high crotch takedown could be the difference maker here.
174: No. 1 Bo Jordan vs No. 12 Zac Brunson
Brunson is generally pretty tough to score on, but Bo Jordan isn’t your average 174 pounder. Brunson could be in the mix for an All-American finish in March, but Jordan is on a higher tier and will be gunning for his first NCAA title. Look for Bo to make a statement here.
157: Jake Ryan vs Kyle Langenderfer
Both Ryan and Langenderfer have shown flashes of brilliance in the past, but each are struggling this season. This match will not win or lose the dual for the Buckeyes, but a victory here could bolster Ryan’s confidence as the two will likely lock horns in the consolation bracket at the Big Ten tournament for a chance to go to the NCAA tournament.
Match Outlook
I’d like to say the Buckeyes will cruise to a victory here, but Illinois has proven to be a tough opponent year after year. The Buckeyes should get certain victories at 141 and 174 with better than good odds to see bonus point victories at 149, 184, 197, and heavyweight.
Micah Jordan remains undefeated at 20-0 on the season, and he should light up the scoreboard a bit at 149 against a beatable Eric Barone. Kyle Snyder is in the lineup, and I am legally obligated to mention that he won an Olympic gold medal. Snyder will score more takedowns in his heavyweight match than some guys score in a calendar year.
With the Buckeye basketball team struggling, this will likely be an opportunity for some central Ohioans to see a conference victory for the local team.
