Post Conference Report: Stock Up, Stock Down
Post Conference Report: Stock Up, Stock Down
Unlock this article, live events, and more with a subscription!
Already a subscriber? Log In
Post Conference Stock Up, Stock Down
Christian Pyles
After conferences you really get the best feel for who is poised to breakout, and who may have peaked a bit early. I learned a TON watching and sifting through all the conference brackets. There’s some guys who may not get the best seeds from a rough regular season, but have turned it on late. Then there’s guys who looked like maniacs earlier in the year, but have fallen off since.
I’ll go weight by weight with the big movers.
125-Stock Up:
Tyler Cox-Wyoming: The returning All American just won a loaded WWC bracket and avenged an earlier loss to Josh Martinez. He’s a dangerous wrestler, and though Martinez is his only elite win, it speaks to the level he’s reached just to beat a guy of his caliber.
Nathan Kraiser-UNC: Many had Kraisser penciled in as a surefire AA this year. He was a few seconds away from crashing the semi’s last year at NCAA’s before Delgado got a clutch 4 points. Kraisser had great wins and was only getting better last year. This year has been bafflingly disappointing for a guy of his caliber losing to Tyler Walker, David White, Corey Keener, Mike Soria, Jared Germaine, Joey Dance, Billy Rappo just to name a few. He hadn’t notched a relevant win all year until the last few weeks. He is looking good after winning a tough ACC bracket over Joey Dance and Anthony Zanetta. You can’t count out his top game and his funk. He won’t be seeded, but some coach will draw him and take a big GULP when they see they drew him.
Ryan Taylor-Wisconsin: The kids been good all year long. Now he’s really shifting gears beating Cory Clark, Connor Youtsey and Tim Lambert. The needle is pointing up for Taylor.
125-Stock Down:
Cory Clark-Iowa: He went from title contender to AA candidate in the span of a weekend. The talent is there, but the mat sense and ability to respond after losing doesn’t seem to be there yet. He’s been in 2 legit tournaments this year. After losing to Garnett at Midlands he defaulted out. After losing to Delgado in semi’s, he gets handled by Taylor who he had pinned earlier this year. Maybe this is a reactionary perspective, but I’m admittedly nervoud for Clark if he loses in the quarters. I still think he can make the semi’s, but am curious how he’ll respond at NCAA’s.
Earl Hall-Iowa State: The ebbs and flows of Hall’s first year have been incredible to watch. Looks like a world beater at Vegas beating Martinez, sticking Youtsey and being seconds away from beating Peters. His highs are high and his lows are low. He’s fallen to Isaac Andrade among many others. He entered Big 12’s with some momentum beating Franco, Keener and Brancale. Then he goes 0-2 at Big 12’s losing to Klimara and Stainbrook (who he beat earlier this year). You simply don’t know what you’re getting with him. He’s so dangerous, but equally erratic.
133-Stock Up:
Cashe Quiroga-Purdue: Straight Cashe homie! This dude was out of his mind at Big 10’s. He’s always shown glimpses of this, whether it was his Freshman season, or in Freestyle last year, the dude can wrestle with the best guys. One of the best athletes from a size/strength/speed perspective and his attacks are crisp and efficient. He knocked off Thorn, DiJulius and Richards all at Big 10s, and was 10 seconds from beating Tony Ramos as well! Believe me, you DON’T want to draw him at NCAA’s. Very dangerous.
Dennis Gustafson-Virginia Tech: No, he didn’t win the most loaded bracket, but just watch the kid wrestle. Dennis possesses unbelieveable body awareness and feel. Great hips and quickness and a knack for coming out on top of scrambles. He’s not an upper echelon guy right now, but he’s red hot coming into the big dance. Don’t be surprise if he’s still around late in the tournament next week.
133-Stock Down:
Johnni DiJulius-Ohio State: After Vegas many had Johnni penciled in for a top 5 finish. He controlled Joe Colon and stuck Cody Brewer. His style was always a question, but he’d been winning much of this year. After Big 10’s where he fell to Thorn, Quiroga and Richards, I think a definite cap on his production has been placed. He can hit the round of 12, but he’ll need a favorable matchup to place as his style doesn’t translate against all guys.
Mark Grey-Cornell: I thought this kid would contend for AA status right away. He beat Beckman last year as well as Mango (which looked more impressive at the time, admittedly). He’s been solid this year but has taken the lumps. He made my jaw absolutely drop when he launched Dellefave for the late win, but really his offense isn’t there just yet. He’s struggling to create angles to get to shots and it is hurting him.
141-Stock Up:
Joey Lazor-UNI: Well this was kind of an easy one. Joey had losses to Dylan Phillipy, Brandon Wright and Danny Sabatello coming into conferences. He missed a lot of time and was completely unrankable. Comes to MAC’s and beats Horan 8-6 and sticks Mecate! If he doesn’t get seeded, some coach will be furious when they draw him! As they should be!
Todd Preston-Harvard: Another soft ball right over home plate. Preston went from a fringe qualifier to an All American contender in the span of two days. It’s not flukish as he had had some good wins before (pin over Lazor comes to mind). Beating Gardner (who has some fantastic wins this year) as well as #5 Vaith showed me all I need to know.
141-Stock Down: Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of choices for stock down at 141. Tons of ranked guys had absolutely abhorrent performances relative to expectations.
Richard Durso-F&M: Durso somehow earned the top seed at EIWA’s, and proceeded to fall to Scotton of Boston. He wrestled back for 3rd, but he doesn’t seem quite as sharp as he was at the end of last year. I’m not seeing him in the mix.
141-Stock Down:
Evan Henderson-UNC: He fell again to true Freshman Edgar Bright. No shame in that loss, but he had also lost to Spisak a few weeks ago as well. Henderson was potentially a top 5 guy this year, but he seems to be trending the other way. Or maybe Edgar Bright is just that dude.
Joe Spisak-UVA: Not a good showing for the Scuffle finalist. He was looking awesome most of the year and had a great shot at placing. He loses to solid guys, but not guys you can afford to lose to if you want to place. Him falling to Shyheim Brown and then Henderson (who he beat a few weeks ago) doesn’t show him trending the right way.
Mike Nevinger-Cornell: I saw first hand what Nevinger is right now and it’s a shame. The dude is an absolute warrior, but is not even close to healthy. The 2 time AA will need a miraculous recovery/performance to place, though he finished the tournament with a pin.
149-Stock Up:
Lenny Richardson-ODU: Lenny prevented the rematch many were anticipating when he knocked off Tywan Claxton at MAC’s. After he made the finals he wrestled the best guy in the land to a tight OT loss. He may or may not get a seed, but he could make a splash for the Monarchs.
Jason Tsirtsis-Northwestern: I mean he’s a Freshman and just won Big 10’s. He was my pick to win Big 10’s so I saw this coming to an extent. Yes he had a rough few weeks around Midlands, but he’s not that guy anymore. He was fairly dominant against both Dardanes and Sueflohn. He went from a potential top 5 guy to a bona fide title contender. Believe it.
149-Stock Down:
Tywan Claxton-Ohio: Hope you sold your Claxton stocks BEFORE MAC’s, because he really had a hard time getting anything going. He fell to Richardson, DePalma and Jillard. He’s barely holding on to a ranking at this point and is not trending in the right direction.
Gus Sako-UVA: Gus looked really good earlier in the year but I really think injuries have hampered his progression. He’s still a darkhorse to place, but after his loss to Racciato it seems less likely.
Brody Grothus-Iowa: Grothus may have always been a bit on borrowed time as top 8 guy at this weight. He’s just really lacking in a few areas. His hips are a bit questionable, and his offense is not necessarily sustainable heading into NCAA’s. He lost to Grajales who he beat earlier this year, then fell to Caleb Ervin. The Hawkeyes need production from him to push PSU, and I’m not sure if they’ll get it.
157-Stock Up:
Markus Scheidel-Columbia: I love watching this kid. Very exciting, and extremely skilled. Knocking off Realbuto and Napoli in back to back matches says all you need to know. He’s getting beaten on every day by All American Adam Hall. He’ll only be getting better.
James Green-Nebraska: I know, we had him at number 1 before NCAA’s, how can his stock go up? Easily. He answered the questions we had after his loss to Jordan. He’s back as the guy we saw all year long. Extremely active on his feet, nearly impossible to score on, sneaky good on top, and he’s a bull to ride. He was among the most impressive wrestlers I saw at Big 10’s. Who stops him at NCAA’s?
157-Stock Down:
Brian Realbuto-Cornell: He pushed Green and Dieringer to the brink and knocked off Napoli earlier this year. He looked like another Cornell Freshman AA. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing Brian lately as he fell to both Markus Scheidel and Anthony Perrotti.
Dylan Alton-PSU: Man, what a fall for Dylan. A for sure top 5 guy coming into this year he has disappointed every step of the way. With a Big 10 catastrophe, losing to DSJ, Murphy and Brunson there’s not much to suggest Dylan is going to place this year. I really thought he’d be nails this year.
165-Stock Up:
Danny Zilverberg-Minnesota: Though Minnesota fans could be disappointed in their teams performance at Big 10’s, they have to be elated with Zilverberg’s showing. Finishing 3rd and narrowly falling to Nick Moore in the semi’s, Zilverberg went on to knock of Harger twice as well as Austin Wilson. This is what I expected from him coming into this year, so it’s not as much of a shock as it’s a “what took ya so long?”
165-Stock Down:
Zach Toal-Missouri: If you had told me Missouri would have won the MAC’s with Toal losing to McMurtry and Eblen not wrestling, I’d have called ya crazy. Toal, who has never been a world beater really took a slide after falling to McMurtry. I don’t think we’ll see the Senior turn it around much at NCAA’s.
Pierce Harger-Northwestern: Should I be concerned about his stock, or is Zilverberg just a top 10 guy like Pierce? Hard to tell at this point, but I was surprised to see him 4th at Big 10’s.
174-Stock Up:
Robert Kokesh-Nebraska: Anytime I saw Kokesh this year I thought he looked awesome. However, I wasn’t sure HOW great he was since the guys he’d beaten were not elite apart from Evans. I was a little slow to hop on his train, but now I’m all aboard. He’s in the mix for a title, and while I still love Howe, he’s a real wild card in this one.
Cody Walters-Ohio: Walters had faltered lately losing to both Curling and Ottinger. He had it all together at MAC’s beating both guys and looking like the All American we remember him to be.
184-Stock Up:
Dominic Abounader-Michigan: I’ll never cease to be astounded when these True Freshman come along and are just monsters. I saw SOME of this success coming with him after watching his first match with Dudley. He’s really shifted gears and beat Steinhaus, Dudley and Courts at Big 10’s. With the right draw he could crash the semi’s.
Jack Dechow-Old Dominion: He knocked off Loder again and won the MAC’s. He’s had a rough year, but he’s rounding into form when it matters most. Maybe it’s just a matchup thing with Loder, or maybe he’s jumping levels. We’ll know for sure soon enough!
184-Stock Down:
TJ Dudley-Nebraska: Dudley has looked good for much of the year, but losing to Abounader (whom he’d beaten) and Rizqallah make me wonder if his first year of varsity competition may be wearing on him.
Ryan Loder-UNI: The dude dropped from 8th to 15th in the rankings. He has been excellent before. The question is if he is that same guy. At this point I’m not sure that’s the case.
197-Stock Up:
Alex Polizzi-Northwestern: Fantastic Big 10 tournament for Polizzi. He beat Burak, Gonzalez and McDiarmid. This weight drops off after 7. That 8th spot is up for grabs, and he may be the guy to snag it.
Zach Nye-UVA: With wins over Boley and Hartmann, Nye is rounding into form just on time. Though he’s quite counter-reliant, he is still a dangerous matchup at the big dance.
Nick Heflin-Ohio State: Was it just a hot National Duals, or is Heflin a legit title contender? Asked and answered. Beating Schiller again as well as McIntosh tells you what you need to know about him. He can definitely win a title at OKC. Darkhorse no more!
197 Stock Down:
Daniel Mitchell-American: First of all, let me say this is probably the most chiseled wrestler I’ve seen all year. Looks like he’s made out of freaking granite. That being said, he fell to Abram Ayala at EIWA’s and finished 3rd. He looked like a likely AA for awhile there, but he’s gone some time without a truly impressive win.
Christian Boley-Maryland: It seems like a distant memory. 2 years ago Boley was the 4 seed at NCAA’s. Now he just finished 4th at ACC’s falling to both Zach Nye and Conner Hartmann. Not sure what his ceiling is, but he looks like a likely R12 or worse candidate.
285-Stock Up:
Tony Nelson-Minnesota: If you bought up all the Nelson stock during his slump, you’re a rich man now! He’s back to form, and whether you like his style or not, he’s done this way his whole career. He’s not changing and either are the officials! He’s the guy to beat here at OKC.
Bobby Telford-Iowa: Great Big 10 tournament for Bobby. Fell to the champ, then beat McMullan who’d beaten him earlier this year and then McClure. He’s got wins over #1, 2 (he’s 3rd), 4 and 6 this year. He’ll be right there when it’s all said and done at OKC.
Adam Chalfant-Indiana: So impressed with this guy. Maybe the best leg attacker in the country at this weight. Love how he wrestles and how he’s honed his skill set. He used to be a raw athlete, now he’s a wrestler. He could be on top when it matters most at OKC.
285 Stock Down:
Adam Coon-Michigan: Pretty easy choice here. Seeing Coon lose two matches at Big 10’s was far from unthinkable coming into the tournament. Losing to Gingrich and Tavanello, however, is quite astounding. Not sure if it’s a confidence issue, injury or a combination of the two, but Coon is not the same guy anymore.
Mike McMullan-Northwestern: Mike was the number 1 guy at one point this year. He fell to Gwiazdowski right before conferences, then fell to Chalfant as well as Telford. Both guys he has beaten before. Hard to see him making the finals again. Yet, he’s notorious for having great NCAA tournaments.
Team Stock Up: I’m not sure much has changed. The teams were mostly set and the only trend changes I’ve seen are in the down direction.
Team Stock Down:
Penn State: All things considered, PSU is still a favorite to bring home the big prize. Though they have two virtual locks (and yes, I consider Ruth a lock still). Where they aren’t great, they’re struggling. Nico cannot beat Garrett, and may not beat Delgado. Him making the finals again looks tough. Gulibon has not progressed and may struggle to win more than 2 matches. English needed a great 3rd period to even qualify the spot for PSU. I don’t think he’s the solution many thought he’d be when he was named the starter. Alton had a poor, poor showing at Big 10’s losing to Murphy and Brunson. Brown looked much better earlier in the year, and now is struggling to get his offense off.
Last year they won with just 5 AA’s (all in the finals, however). 4 of those finalists are back, yet it seems unlikely to me that 2 of them (Brown and Nico) will duplicate the feat.
But Cael always has had em ready for the Big show. Time will tell.
Christian Pyles
After conferences you really get the best feel for who is poised to breakout, and who may have peaked a bit early. I learned a TON watching and sifting through all the conference brackets. There’s some guys who may not get the best seeds from a rough regular season, but have turned it on late. Then there’s guys who looked like maniacs earlier in the year, but have fallen off since.
I’ll go weight by weight with the big movers.
125-Stock Up:
Tyler Cox-Wyoming: The returning All American just won a loaded WWC bracket and avenged an earlier loss to Josh Martinez. He’s a dangerous wrestler, and though Martinez is his only elite win, it speaks to the level he’s reached just to beat a guy of his caliber.
Nathan Kraiser-UNC: Many had Kraisser penciled in as a surefire AA this year. He was a few seconds away from crashing the semi’s last year at NCAA’s before Delgado got a clutch 4 points. Kraisser had great wins and was only getting better last year. This year has been bafflingly disappointing for a guy of his caliber losing to Tyler Walker, David White, Corey Keener, Mike Soria, Jared Germaine, Joey Dance, Billy Rappo just to name a few. He hadn’t notched a relevant win all year until the last few weeks. He is looking good after winning a tough ACC bracket over Joey Dance and Anthony Zanetta. You can’t count out his top game and his funk. He won’t be seeded, but some coach will draw him and take a big GULP when they see they drew him.
Ryan Taylor-Wisconsin: The kids been good all year long. Now he’s really shifting gears beating Cory Clark, Connor Youtsey and Tim Lambert. The needle is pointing up for Taylor.
125-Stock Down:
Cory Clark-Iowa: He went from title contender to AA candidate in the span of a weekend. The talent is there, but the mat sense and ability to respond after losing doesn’t seem to be there yet. He’s been in 2 legit tournaments this year. After losing to Garnett at Midlands he defaulted out. After losing to Delgado in semi’s, he gets handled by Taylor who he had pinned earlier this year. Maybe this is a reactionary perspective, but I’m admittedly nervoud for Clark if he loses in the quarters. I still think he can make the semi’s, but am curious how he’ll respond at NCAA’s.
Earl Hall-Iowa State: The ebbs and flows of Hall’s first year have been incredible to watch. Looks like a world beater at Vegas beating Martinez, sticking Youtsey and being seconds away from beating Peters. His highs are high and his lows are low. He’s fallen to Isaac Andrade among many others. He entered Big 12’s with some momentum beating Franco, Keener and Brancale. Then he goes 0-2 at Big 12’s losing to Klimara and Stainbrook (who he beat earlier this year). You simply don’t know what you’re getting with him. He’s so dangerous, but equally erratic.
133-Stock Up:
Cashe Quiroga-Purdue: Straight Cashe homie! This dude was out of his mind at Big 10’s. He’s always shown glimpses of this, whether it was his Freshman season, or in Freestyle last year, the dude can wrestle with the best guys. One of the best athletes from a size/strength/speed perspective and his attacks are crisp and efficient. He knocked off Thorn, DiJulius and Richards all at Big 10s, and was 10 seconds from beating Tony Ramos as well! Believe me, you DON’T want to draw him at NCAA’s. Very dangerous.
Dennis Gustafson-Virginia Tech: No, he didn’t win the most loaded bracket, but just watch the kid wrestle. Dennis possesses unbelieveable body awareness and feel. Great hips and quickness and a knack for coming out on top of scrambles. He’s not an upper echelon guy right now, but he’s red hot coming into the big dance. Don’t be surprise if he’s still around late in the tournament next week.
133-Stock Down:
Johnni DiJulius-Ohio State: After Vegas many had Johnni penciled in for a top 5 finish. He controlled Joe Colon and stuck Cody Brewer. His style was always a question, but he’d been winning much of this year. After Big 10’s where he fell to Thorn, Quiroga and Richards, I think a definite cap on his production has been placed. He can hit the round of 12, but he’ll need a favorable matchup to place as his style doesn’t translate against all guys.
Mark Grey-Cornell: I thought this kid would contend for AA status right away. He beat Beckman last year as well as Mango (which looked more impressive at the time, admittedly). He’s been solid this year but has taken the lumps. He made my jaw absolutely drop when he launched Dellefave for the late win, but really his offense isn’t there just yet. He’s struggling to create angles to get to shots and it is hurting him.
141-Stock Up:
Joey Lazor-UNI: Well this was kind of an easy one. Joey had losses to Dylan Phillipy, Brandon Wright and Danny Sabatello coming into conferences. He missed a lot of time and was completely unrankable. Comes to MAC’s and beats Horan 8-6 and sticks Mecate! If he doesn’t get seeded, some coach will be furious when they draw him! As they should be!
Todd Preston-Harvard: Another soft ball right over home plate. Preston went from a fringe qualifier to an All American contender in the span of two days. It’s not flukish as he had had some good wins before (pin over Lazor comes to mind). Beating Gardner (who has some fantastic wins this year) as well as #5 Vaith showed me all I need to know.
141-Stock Down: Unfortunately, there’s no shortage of choices for stock down at 141. Tons of ranked guys had absolutely abhorrent performances relative to expectations.
Richard Durso-F&M: Durso somehow earned the top seed at EIWA’s, and proceeded to fall to Scotton of Boston. He wrestled back for 3rd, but he doesn’t seem quite as sharp as he was at the end of last year. I’m not seeing him in the mix.
141-Stock Down:
Evan Henderson-UNC: He fell again to true Freshman Edgar Bright. No shame in that loss, but he had also lost to Spisak a few weeks ago as well. Henderson was potentially a top 5 guy this year, but he seems to be trending the other way. Or maybe Edgar Bright is just that dude.
Joe Spisak-UVA: Not a good showing for the Scuffle finalist. He was looking awesome most of the year and had a great shot at placing. He loses to solid guys, but not guys you can afford to lose to if you want to place. Him falling to Shyheim Brown and then Henderson (who he beat a few weeks ago) doesn’t show him trending the right way.
Mike Nevinger-Cornell: I saw first hand what Nevinger is right now and it’s a shame. The dude is an absolute warrior, but is not even close to healthy. The 2 time AA will need a miraculous recovery/performance to place, though he finished the tournament with a pin.
149-Stock Up:
Lenny Richardson-ODU: Lenny prevented the rematch many were anticipating when he knocked off Tywan Claxton at MAC’s. After he made the finals he wrestled the best guy in the land to a tight OT loss. He may or may not get a seed, but he could make a splash for the Monarchs.
Jason Tsirtsis-Northwestern: I mean he’s a Freshman and just won Big 10’s. He was my pick to win Big 10’s so I saw this coming to an extent. Yes he had a rough few weeks around Midlands, but he’s not that guy anymore. He was fairly dominant against both Dardanes and Sueflohn. He went from a potential top 5 guy to a bona fide title contender. Believe it.
149-Stock Down:
Tywan Claxton-Ohio: Hope you sold your Claxton stocks BEFORE MAC’s, because he really had a hard time getting anything going. He fell to Richardson, DePalma and Jillard. He’s barely holding on to a ranking at this point and is not trending in the right direction.
Gus Sako-UVA: Gus looked really good earlier in the year but I really think injuries have hampered his progression. He’s still a darkhorse to place, but after his loss to Racciato it seems less likely.
Brody Grothus-Iowa: Grothus may have always been a bit on borrowed time as top 8 guy at this weight. He’s just really lacking in a few areas. His hips are a bit questionable, and his offense is not necessarily sustainable heading into NCAA’s. He lost to Grajales who he beat earlier this year, then fell to Caleb Ervin. The Hawkeyes need production from him to push PSU, and I’m not sure if they’ll get it.
157-Stock Up:
Markus Scheidel-Columbia: I love watching this kid. Very exciting, and extremely skilled. Knocking off Realbuto and Napoli in back to back matches says all you need to know. He’s getting beaten on every day by All American Adam Hall. He’ll only be getting better.
James Green-Nebraska: I know, we had him at number 1 before NCAA’s, how can his stock go up? Easily. He answered the questions we had after his loss to Jordan. He’s back as the guy we saw all year long. Extremely active on his feet, nearly impossible to score on, sneaky good on top, and he’s a bull to ride. He was among the most impressive wrestlers I saw at Big 10’s. Who stops him at NCAA’s?
157-Stock Down:
Brian Realbuto-Cornell: He pushed Green and Dieringer to the brink and knocked off Napoli earlier this year. He looked like another Cornell Freshman AA. However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing Brian lately as he fell to both Markus Scheidel and Anthony Perrotti.
Dylan Alton-PSU: Man, what a fall for Dylan. A for sure top 5 guy coming into this year he has disappointed every step of the way. With a Big 10 catastrophe, losing to DSJ, Murphy and Brunson there’s not much to suggest Dylan is going to place this year. I really thought he’d be nails this year.
165-Stock Up:
Danny Zilverberg-Minnesota: Though Minnesota fans could be disappointed in their teams performance at Big 10’s, they have to be elated with Zilverberg’s showing. Finishing 3rd and narrowly falling to Nick Moore in the semi’s, Zilverberg went on to knock of Harger twice as well as Austin Wilson. This is what I expected from him coming into this year, so it’s not as much of a shock as it’s a “what took ya so long?”
165-Stock Down:
Zach Toal-Missouri: If you had told me Missouri would have won the MAC’s with Toal losing to McMurtry and Eblen not wrestling, I’d have called ya crazy. Toal, who has never been a world beater really took a slide after falling to McMurtry. I don’t think we’ll see the Senior turn it around much at NCAA’s.
Pierce Harger-Northwestern: Should I be concerned about his stock, or is Zilverberg just a top 10 guy like Pierce? Hard to tell at this point, but I was surprised to see him 4th at Big 10’s.
174-Stock Up:
Robert Kokesh-Nebraska: Anytime I saw Kokesh this year I thought he looked awesome. However, I wasn’t sure HOW great he was since the guys he’d beaten were not elite apart from Evans. I was a little slow to hop on his train, but now I’m all aboard. He’s in the mix for a title, and while I still love Howe, he’s a real wild card in this one.
Cody Walters-Ohio: Walters had faltered lately losing to both Curling and Ottinger. He had it all together at MAC’s beating both guys and looking like the All American we remember him to be.
184-Stock Up:
Dominic Abounader-Michigan: I’ll never cease to be astounded when these True Freshman come along and are just monsters. I saw SOME of this success coming with him after watching his first match with Dudley. He’s really shifted gears and beat Steinhaus, Dudley and Courts at Big 10’s. With the right draw he could crash the semi’s.
Jack Dechow-Old Dominion: He knocked off Loder again and won the MAC’s. He’s had a rough year, but he’s rounding into form when it matters most. Maybe it’s just a matchup thing with Loder, or maybe he’s jumping levels. We’ll know for sure soon enough!
184-Stock Down:
TJ Dudley-Nebraska: Dudley has looked good for much of the year, but losing to Abounader (whom he’d beaten) and Rizqallah make me wonder if his first year of varsity competition may be wearing on him.
Ryan Loder-UNI: The dude dropped from 8th to 15th in the rankings. He has been excellent before. The question is if he is that same guy. At this point I’m not sure that’s the case.
197-Stock Up:
Alex Polizzi-Northwestern: Fantastic Big 10 tournament for Polizzi. He beat Burak, Gonzalez and McDiarmid. This weight drops off after 7. That 8th spot is up for grabs, and he may be the guy to snag it.
Zach Nye-UVA: With wins over Boley and Hartmann, Nye is rounding into form just on time. Though he’s quite counter-reliant, he is still a dangerous matchup at the big dance.
Nick Heflin-Ohio State: Was it just a hot National Duals, or is Heflin a legit title contender? Asked and answered. Beating Schiller again as well as McIntosh tells you what you need to know about him. He can definitely win a title at OKC. Darkhorse no more!
197 Stock Down:
Daniel Mitchell-American: First of all, let me say this is probably the most chiseled wrestler I’ve seen all year. Looks like he’s made out of freaking granite. That being said, he fell to Abram Ayala at EIWA’s and finished 3rd. He looked like a likely AA for awhile there, but he’s gone some time without a truly impressive win.
Christian Boley-Maryland: It seems like a distant memory. 2 years ago Boley was the 4 seed at NCAA’s. Now he just finished 4th at ACC’s falling to both Zach Nye and Conner Hartmann. Not sure what his ceiling is, but he looks like a likely R12 or worse candidate.
285-Stock Up:
Tony Nelson-Minnesota: If you bought up all the Nelson stock during his slump, you’re a rich man now! He’s back to form, and whether you like his style or not, he’s done this way his whole career. He’s not changing and either are the officials! He’s the guy to beat here at OKC.
Bobby Telford-Iowa: Great Big 10 tournament for Bobby. Fell to the champ, then beat McMullan who’d beaten him earlier this year and then McClure. He’s got wins over #1, 2 (he’s 3rd), 4 and 6 this year. He’ll be right there when it’s all said and done at OKC.
Adam Chalfant-Indiana: So impressed with this guy. Maybe the best leg attacker in the country at this weight. Love how he wrestles and how he’s honed his skill set. He used to be a raw athlete, now he’s a wrestler. He could be on top when it matters most at OKC.
285 Stock Down:
Adam Coon-Michigan: Pretty easy choice here. Seeing Coon lose two matches at Big 10’s was far from unthinkable coming into the tournament. Losing to Gingrich and Tavanello, however, is quite astounding. Not sure if it’s a confidence issue, injury or a combination of the two, but Coon is not the same guy anymore.
Mike McMullan-Northwestern: Mike was the number 1 guy at one point this year. He fell to Gwiazdowski right before conferences, then fell to Chalfant as well as Telford. Both guys he has beaten before. Hard to see him making the finals again. Yet, he’s notorious for having great NCAA tournaments.
Team Stock Up: I’m not sure much has changed. The teams were mostly set and the only trend changes I’ve seen are in the down direction.
Team Stock Down:
Penn State: All things considered, PSU is still a favorite to bring home the big prize. Though they have two virtual locks (and yes, I consider Ruth a lock still). Where they aren’t great, they’re struggling. Nico cannot beat Garrett, and may not beat Delgado. Him making the finals again looks tough. Gulibon has not progressed and may struggle to win more than 2 matches. English needed a great 3rd period to even qualify the spot for PSU. I don’t think he’s the solution many thought he’d be when he was named the starter. Alton had a poor, poor showing at Big 10’s losing to Murphy and Brunson. Brown looked much better earlier in the year, and now is struggling to get his offense off.
Last year they won with just 5 AA’s (all in the finals, however). 4 of those finalists are back, yet it seems unlikely to me that 2 of them (Brown and Nico) will duplicate the feat.
But Cael always has had em ready for the Big show. Time will tell.
Related Content
2024 USA Wrestling Olympic Trials ResultsApr 19, 2024
2024 Olympic Wrestling Trials Live UpdatesApr 19, 2024
Replay: Mat C - 2024 Asian Olympic Qualifiers | Apr 19 @ 12 PMApr 19, 2024
Replay: Mat A - 2024 Asian Olympic Qualifiers | Apr 19 @ 10 AMApr 19, 2024
Replay: Mat C - 2024 Asian Olympic Qualifiers | Apr 19 @ 10 AMApr 19, 2024
Seth Gross Has A Gameplan For The 65kg Olympic TrialsApr 19, 2024
James Green Is Already Under 65kgApr 19, 2024
Jason Nolf Talks 74kg Field, His Prep For The 2024 Olympic TrialsApr 18, 2024
Makoyed Feeling Good, Wants Welker RematchApr 18, 2024