Prediction: No. 1 Matt McDonough (Iowa) over No. 3 Alan Waters (Missouri)
133: The returning NCAA champion Jordan Oliver will make it two in a row with a lopsided victory over Logan Stieber of Ohio State. Oliver might've dropped a last-second decision to Tony Ramos of Iowa in the dual meet, but that was with less than two hours of recovery time after his large weight drop. Fully hydrated, there is little chance that Oliver is challenged in the semifinals or finals.
Prediction: No. 1 Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) over No. 2 Logan Stieber (Ohio State)
141: Kellen Russell isn't afraid of a close match, and when it comes to close matches, he's been near-perfect. The four-time Big Ten champ had little problem with Montell Marion in the finals two weeks ago. Look for Maple to score big points on Marion early and hang on for the semifinal win. The finals match could be high scoring, but Russell has shown the ability to adapt, and he's been there before.
Prediction: No. 1 Kellen Russell (Michigan) over No. 2 Kendric Maple (Oklahoma):
149: Jamal Parks has the ability to dominate opponents, and while Frank Molinaro hasn't had closer than a three-point match all season, he's yet to face a wrestler on par with Parks. It's a tossup, but Parks takes it in overtime.
Prediction: No. 2 Jamal Parks (Oklahoma State) over No. 1 Frank Molinaro (Penn State)
157: Kid Dynamite has proved critics wrong again and again, and it's a fool's errand to bet against the NCAAs most athletic and explosive wrestler. However, should he get Jason Welch in the finals, look for the New York native to feel frustrated in staying on top and finishing shots. Also look for what will be the nicest scrambles of the tournament. Welch making it to the finals is contingent on his besting nemesis Derek St. John, which I think he'll do with several extra points.
Prediction: No. 1 Kyle Dake (Cornell) over No. 3 Jason Welch (Northwestern)
165: Josh Asper was the true No. 2 seed, and though he now has to battle Cody Yohn of Minnesota in the second round, he'll recapture the seed in the quarters with a win over Shane Onufer of Wyoming. It'll be a nice season for Asper, who had the talent to win a title, but won't this year as he'll run into a very talented, very motivated David Taylor. The Penn State sophomore won't be denied. It's simply not happening.
Prediction: No. 1 David Taylor (Penn State) over No. 7 Josh Asper (Maryland)
174: Ed Ruth's kryptonite, Nick Amuchastegui of Stanford, will be on the other side of the bracket, where he'll encounter a very talented Chris Perry of Oklahoma State. The undefeated Cowboy will head into the finals, but won't match up well with Ruth, who seems to be wrestling on a different level, especially late in matches.
Prediction: No. 1 Ed Ruth (Penn State) over No. 2 Chris Perry (Oklahoma State)
184: The Vermonster is coming off a 3-2 won over No. 4 seed Steve Boask of Cornell in the EIWA finals. It was a win that avenged his only loss. There is nobody better than Hamlin right now and though LeBlanc has been wrestling well of late, he'll lose a close one-point decision.
Prediction: No. 2 Robert Hamlin (Lehigh) over No. 1 Joe LeBlanc (Wyoming)
197: Though Chris Honeycutt lost in the EWL finals to Matt Wilps, expect an improved performance out of the Fighting Scot in St. Louis. Edinboro always comes to wrestle and Honeycutt will perform. However, Simaz (should he stay healthy) is the right combination of speed and strength to frustrate Honeycutt. Expect to see a three-point margin.
Prediction: No. 1 Cam Simaz (Cornell) over No. 2 Chris Honeycutt (Edinboro)
285: Ryan Flores has a tough road to the finals. The senior wrestler drew a pigtail, then a possible match with a former teammate in Kevin Lester of Columbia. From there it's either Levi Cooper (Arizona State) who knocked of Zack Rey of Lehigh earlier in the year, or returning All-American Spencer Myers of Maryland. Should he manage that road, he'll likely face Rey in the semifinals, a wrestler he beat in overtime at the EIWA championships. After that's done, he'll face Nelson, who has had a great year, but look for him to have fits trying to stay off his back against a very dangerous Flores.
Prediction: No. 1 Ryan Flores (American) over No. 2 Tony Nelson (Minnesota)
Top Five Teams:
1. Penn State
2. Iowa
3. Cornell
4. Minnesota
5. Oklahoma State
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now