Because college wrestling is spread out all over the country and the field so large, there are still plenty of questions that have not been answered by mid-January. Pollsters are still dishing out a fair amount of conjecture and seek more black and white statistics rather than chin-scratching to yield their rankings. The National Duals is an event that traditionally answers some of these questions. The extent to which injuries are healed is revealed, redshirts are burned, lineups solidified and new faces step it up and take their names out of the fine print and into the headlines. Here are some of the answers we might get this weekend.
Cael SandersonAfter a costly last second reversal in the Iowa-Iowa State dual at 141 pounds (by Alex Tsirtsis over Nick Gallick) and the call of a takedown that was awarded at the edge (stopping the action) then taken away in the finals of the 165-pound final of the Midlands (Ryan Morningstar vs. Jon Reader), one has to think that the chips have to fall the Cyclones way sooner or later. An 0-5 performance in the finals at the Midlands made it seem like there's a bit of a jinx on Iowa State. If they're due for a bit of luck, perhaps it will appear this weekend.
2. Will Troy Nickerson go?
The 2006 NCAA finalist at 125 pounds is a key component to Cornell reaching new heights as a program in 2009. This season, Nickerson wrestled at 133 pounds against Penn State, sat out for the Body Bar Systems Invitational to get ready for the NWCA All-Star Classic, but sat out there are well upon re-injuring his shoulder. He did not compete at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational or the Southern Scuffle. The word is that he'll wrestle at the National Duals "if needed" but it's difficult to imagine the Big Red not needing him at some point during the weekend. If he does return and is reasonably healthy, how much rust and third-period oxygen deprivation, if any, can fans expect to see?
Will anyone be able to challenge Iowa's Brent Metcalf this weekend? (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Perhaps the greatest quality to one of the greatest active college wrestler is his determination to realize his full potential. There is no doubting his marked improvement from "great" to "super-great" since wrestling under Tom Brands and it is quite clear that Metcalf is willing to work on all aspects of his game. Far more than merely being offensive-minded at all times, admirers of the art of wrestling can appreciate a precision in his attacks that seems to be constantly improving. After tech-falling North Carolina State's Darrion Caldwell (the only wrestler to beat Metcalf during his college career) at the NWCA All-Star Classic, one wonders where this talented Hawkeye can go from here. Only his performance this weekend will tell. It's worth noting that there has been a bit of an exodus from Metcalf's weight class. While college wrestlers do grow, it seems to be more than a coincidence that Jordan Leen of Cornell, Jordan Burroughs of Nebraska, J.P O'Connor of Harvard, Gregor Gillespie of Edinboro and Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota (who is redshirting this season) all started their careers at 149 pounds and are now at 157 pounds.
4. What will happen at 125?
The National Duals field at this weight includes No. 1 Troy Nickerson, No. 2 Angel Escobedo of Indiana, No. 4 Charlie Falck of Iowa, No. 5 Brandon Precin of Northwestern, No. 8 Zack Sanders of Minnesota and No. 9 Tyler Clark of Iowa State. Many of these ranked wrestlers haven't faced each other yet. There could be some significant shakeups in the next set of rankings. It's worth noting that Nickerson and Falck are both coming off of injuries, which would make for an interesting matchup if Iowa and Cornell were to meet in the finals.
5. Will there be a bracket buster?
Last year, Nebraska was unseeded at made the finals. In 2003 it was Oklahoma. In 2002, Ohio State was in the championship from the No. 7 seed. With a field so rich in talent, it's far from unthinkable for an inspired team to make a Cinderella run for the title. Team upsets are often about how the specific strengths of one team match up against a seemingly superior one. And with so many teams not having faced each other this year, there can be many surprises.
6. Who will win the race for fifth place?
If the top four seeds make the semis, the race for fifth place becomes just as interesting as the championship bracket. Penn State, Northwestern, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Penn State and Boise State all feature marquee wrestlers. Many interesting results will occur when all ten weights determine the winner.
7. Who will emerge as a new individual star?
The National Duals have a history of turning the names of talented newcomers into stars. This event is late enough in the season that wrestlers not seasoned in the world of Division I wrestling can finally find their footing and the confidence to bring their games to previously-unseen levels. When looking at the careers of NCAA champions like Teyon Ware and Dustin Schlatter, one can't help but point to their performances as freshmen at the National Duals as moments when they became truly great.
8. Mike Pucillo vs. Jake Herbert?
If the brackets were followed to the letter, these two NCAA champions could square off for the first time this season in the second round of consolations.
9. Who will be OW?
The format of selecting the Outstanding Wrestler at the National Duals has a history of working against wrestlers on teams that make the finals. Each round a team competes in gives wrestlers on that team to earn a vote for OW. Because teams that place in the consolations wrestle more matches, their wrestlers have more chances to accrue OW votes. This format resulted in some head-scratching tallies, including Casey Cunningham of Central Michigan getting OW in 1999, despite suffering a loss in the event.
How good is Rob Koll's team? We'll find out this weekend (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)Everyone's been talking about this being Cornell's year. Cornell is loaded this season, but has yet to field its strongest lineup. That lineup would include No. 1 Troy Nickerson at 125, No. 11 Mike Grey at 133, No. 4 Jordan Leen at 157, No. 1 Mack Lewnes at 165, No. 6 Steve Anceravage at 174, No. 15 Justin Kerber at 184, and No. 14 Zach Hammond at heavyweight. On paper, a dual between No. 2 Iowa State and Cornell would be very interesting, as would a final between the Big Red and the No. 1 Hawkeyes. But matches are not wrestled on paper and Cornell has to take care of business on the mat if they want to join the true upper echelon of college wrestling. Perhaps this weekend will be their coming out party.
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