2024 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational Preview and Predictions (Part One)

We’re only a few days away from the toughest tournament of the collegiate regular season, the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. This is a tournament that featured 37 of the 80 2024 NCAA All-Americans a year ago. Seven of those All-Americans were unable to find the podium in Vegas. Additionally, 40% of the NCAA champions and finalists were in action. 

Turning our attention to this year. The 2024 version of the tournament features six top-ten teams in InterMat’s latest team tournament rankings (#4 Nebraska, #5 Oklahoma State, #6 Virginia Tech, #7 Ohio State, #9 Michigan, and #10 South Dakota State). Six other top-20 teams will be in attendance. 

Individually, we’re still trying to obtain final entries; however, it appears as if this tournament could feature a pair of #1 ranked wrestlers and four past NCAA champions. 

We expect eight past CKLV champions to lay it on the line. 

Before the action gets underway, we’ve gone weight-by-weight to highlight some of the key matchups and potential upsets you could expect - along with predictions for the semifinals and finals. 

Since this is such a massive tournament, we’ve broken it down into two parts - starting with 125-157 today and we’ll finish up with 165-285 tomorrow. 

125 lbs

Ranked Wrestlers: #2 Caleb Smith (Nebraska), #3 Matt Ramos (Purdue), #4 Troy Spratley (Oklahoma State), #6 Tanner Jordan (South Dakota State), #7 Jore Volk (Wyoming), #8 Nico Provo (Stanford), #10 Brendan McCrone (Ohio State), #11 Eddie Ventresca (Virginia Tech), #12 Vince Robinson (NC State), #24 Maximo Renteria (Illinois), #29 Adrian Meza (Iowa State), #31 Anthony Molton (Campbell)

There’s a possibility that this weight class has the last two CKLV champions at this weight (Richie Figueroa and Nico Provo), but also a more realistic chance that neither wrestles. Figueroa was injured a few weeks ago and Provo has yet to compete in 2024-25. Even without Provo, half of last year’s placewinners are back (Smith/Ramos/Jordan/Volk). 

New face(s):

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