I personally can’t think of a better way to bring in 2015. The Southern Scuffle is a gem. I can’t wait for it every year, and this year is no different. The matchups and mayhem deliver each and every year. It’ll have a different look to it this year with some new teams entered and some mainstays elsewhere. To the matchups!

125 Preseeds:
1. Nahshon Garrett- Cornell
2. Alan Waters- Missouri
3. Jordan Conaway- Penn State
4. Tyler Cox- Wyoming
5. Darian Cruz- Lehigh
6. Eddie Klimara- Oklahoma State
7. Evan Silver- Stanford
8. Trey Andrews- Northern Colorado
9. Tim Lambert- Nebraska
10. Max Soria- Buffalo
11. Sean Boyle- Chattanooga
12. Dalton Macri- Unattached

Unseeded X Factors: Sean Russell, Edinboro, Scotty Parker-Lehigh, Dom Forys-Pittsburgh, Connor Youtsey-Michigan, Nathan Boston, Iowa State

Lots to look at in this weight. It’s super deep here with 16 super tough guys. Looking forward to a few very interesting quarters.

Quarters:The Eddie Klimara v. Jordan Conaway matchup will be excellent. Two high-output guys with tons of offense. Conaway is the favorite, but if we get the Klimara we saw last year at NCAA’s this could be an upset special. Tyler Cox v. Darian Cruz will be entertaining as well in the quarters. Cox looked great at Reno against Silver. Cruz has been enigmatic, to say the least, in his first year and a half of D1 wrestling. I like Tyler here. Silver v. Waters in the quarters will likely be a snoozer, but look for Waters to control each aspect and win comfortable. Nahshon will roll regardless who is in his path.

Semis: I think seeds hold at this weight. Nahshon is a bad matchup against Cox (well, he kind of is against everyone I guess). Garrett will capitalize on any little error and when he gets on top it’ll be a problem. Garrett rolls to the finals. Alan Waters v. Jordan Conaway will be a battle of who can put their footprint on the match. What I mean by that is can Waters keep Conaway’s motor idling, and lull him to sleep with a few singles and tough riding? Or can Conaway make this about pace, pressure and angles? I think Conaway would need a few cracks to figure out Waters. I don’t see him figuring him out on his first shot. Waters is just better in each position. The Senior takes this one.

Finals: Familiar foes here as Nahshon Garrett takes on Alan Waters for the 4th time (or so). Waters won the early match ups but it was Nahshon taking it at NCAA’s. I like Nahshon, but am not expecting him to be running away with it here. Waters wrestling from a knee and tying up Nahshon’s wrist could frustrate Nahshon. However, we’ve seen guys try to slow him down in many different ways and Garrett more often than not finds a way. I like him to take his 2nd Scuffle title here, but Waters will have his opportunities to win this one.

CP’s Predictions:
1. Nahshon Garrett-Cornell
2. Alan Waters-Missouri
3. Jordan Conaway-PSU
4. Eddie Klimara-Oklahoma State
5. Tyler Cox-Wyoming
6. Darian Cruz-Lehigh
7. Dalton Macri-FLWC
8. Evan Silver-Stanford

133 Preseeds
1. Jimmy Gulibon- Penn State
2. Mason Beckman- Lehigh
3. Rossi Bruno- Michigan
4. George DiCamillo- Virginia
5. Earl Hall- Iowa State
6. Nick Soto- Chattanooga
7. Mark Grey- Cornell
8. Mackenzie McGuire- Kent State
9. Kevin Devoy- Drexel
10. Matt Manley- Missouri
11. Troy Heilmann- North Carolina
12. Gary Wayne Harding- Oklahoma State

Unseeded X Factors: Nathan Kraisser-Campbell, Zach Synon-Missouri

I think this weight is quite even with a number of contenders. I’m excited to see how Mark Grey does back down at 133. It has to be brutal changing weights mid season.

Quarters: Gulibon should roll whether he gets Devoy, McGuire or someone else in his quarter. Things get very, very interesting if Mason Beckman hits Mark Grey in his quarter. That was an NCAA round of 12 match that Beckman narrowly won. Pretty brutal draw for the 2 seed here. Honestly Mason would probably match up better with both the 5 and 6 seed than Grey. Regardless, coming down a weight I’m not sure Grey is going to pull the upset here (though it’d be a slight upset despite the rankings disparity). I’ll take Mason, close. Bruno v. Soto should go Rossi’s way. Soto has had some super bad losses this year. I don’t see much upset potential here. DiCamillo beat Hall last time around, but it was a very fun match. Don’t miss it this time around. I like George again, but Hall’s massive arsenal will put George to the test.

Semi’s: Jimmy Gulibon has had success against George DiCamillo before, and I expect that to continue. Gulibon has only gotten better since their last meeting. Jimmy will pull, yank and tug on DiCamillo’s head to produce some good scoring opportunities from short offense. DiCamillo has shown some vulnerabilities from bottom before and Jimmy has been riding super tough. DiCamillo’s pace could be a factor if he can keep it close early. Beckman should be fine against Bruno here and I expect Mason to hit the finals for a rematch from earlier this year.

Finals: It was Gulibon taking the match this season at Rec Hall over Beckman. However, this severely deviated from the track this rivalry was on coming into that season. Beckman had won the previous matches 6-2, 9-1, 3-2, fall and 7-6. The Gulibon loss was no fluke, however, you can’t deny Mason’s tremendous success against Jimmy historically. I like for Mason to turn it around here and take it in a 1 takedown match.

CP’s Predictions:
1. Mason Beckman-Lehigh
2. Jimmy Gulibon-PSU
3. George DiCamillo-UVA
4. Rossi Bruno-Michigan
5. Earl Hall-ISU
6. Mark Grey-Cornell
7. Nathan Kraisser-Campbell
8. Nick Soto-UTC

141 Preseeds:
1. Lavion Mayes- Missouri
2. Zach Horan- Central Michigan
3. Geo Martinez- Boise State
4. Joe Spisak- Virginia
5. Joey Ward- North Carolina
6. Anthony Abidin- Nebraska
7. Randy Cruz- Lehigh
8. Dean Heil- Oklahoma State
9. Tyler Small- Kent State
10. Dante Rodriguez- Iowa State
11. David Pearce- Drexel
12. Brandon Gambucci- Duke

Unseeded X Factors: Nick Arujau-Cornell, Sahid Kargbo-GMU, Isaiah Locsin-Stanford, Cole Mendenhall-Wyoming

I’ve been high on Lavion for awhile now so seeing him as a top 10 guy with the top seed here doesn’t surprise me one bit. There’s some very real x factors here that are unseeded. Arujau who has been in and out of the lineup for a few years is back in for Cornell. He’s always dangerous.

Quarters: As much as I love Lavion Mayes I can’t deny that the match up with Dean Heil could be a tough one. Mayes is enormous for the weight, if he pulled the trigger more I’d feel more comfortable, but he’s all too often content to pick his spots and blow through you. Heil scares and threatens with his vast array of TD’s but falls just short of the upset. Randy Cruz v. Zach Horan will be another exciting quarter as well. I think the top monster Cruz can make it interesting, but Horan is super fundamental and tough to ride. I think Horan takes it. I don’t expect Spisak to have any trouble with Joey Ward. I hadn’t watched a lot of Geo Martinez before CKLV, I must admit. I’m a believer though. He really impressed me. A pin of Jamel Hudson, TF of Dante Rodriguez and a win over Morales definitely got my attention. As good as Abidin is I think Martinez takes it regardless.

Semis: Lavion Mayes v. Joe Spisak is a super tough match to call. Spisak was on a roll here last year when he crashed the finals. Mayes needs to use his double and blow through Spisak, if he ends up on a single it’s advantage Spisak with his leg pass prowess. I'll take Mayes here, cautiously. I saw Tyler Small give Mayes some issues, and Spisak is similar too Small(yet slightly more proficient). I think Martinez is a 100% goer and puts it all out there, similar to Horan’s quarter, I think he picks apart the little mistakes Martinez makes and makes the finals.

Finals: I'm sticking with Mayes here.  I've been high on him all year, not slowing down now!   Horan is going to make it interesting, however. I think Horan simply won't give himself enough opportunities to score.  Mayes will be able to pick his spot and take the match. 

CP’s Predictions:
1. Lavion Mayes-Missouri
2. Zach Horan-CMU
3. Joe Spisak-UVA
4. Dean Heil-Oklahoma State
5. Geo Martinez-Boise State
6. Randy Cruz-Lehigh
7. Anthony Abidin-Nebraska
8. Joey Ward-UNC

149 Pre Seeds:
1. Josh Kindig- Oklahoma State
2. Drake Houdashelt- Missouri
3. Dylan Cottrell- Appalachian State
4. Gus Sako- Virginia
5. Alec Pantelo- Michigan
6. Gabe Moreno- Iowa State
7. Edgar Bright - Pittsburgh
8. Zach Beitz- Penn State
9. Michael DePalma- Kent State
10. Luke Frey- Penn State
11. Mike Racciato- Pittsburgh
12. Shawn Greevy - Chattanooga

Having Edgar Bright and MIke Racciato both at 149 will be an interesting sub-plot to follow this tournament. Additionally you’ll need to keep your eye on the PSU battle between Beitz and Frey.

Quarters: The Josh Kindig v. Zach Beitz quarter should be entertaining, if nothing else. I’m not sure it’s a great matchup for Beitz, however. Kindig by a couple here. Dylan Cottrell v. Gabe Moreno is a potential upset waiting to happen. Moreno has the goods to get it done and Cottrell is super tough, but doesn’t have the elite wins to make you think he’s a lock here. Pantaleo v. Sako is possibly the most interesting quarter matchup. Sako has been out with injury. He’s good out of the underhook and looking for his pancake, but I’m not sure that’ll work on a guy like Pantaleo. Look for Alec to snag this in an ever-so-slight upset. Edgar Bright v. Drake Houdashelt should be all Drake. I love Edgar, but Houdashelt is wrestling like a man possessed. He’s dangerous in all positions.

Semis: Kindig v. Pantaleo is my prediction for a semi matchup and I like Pantaleo’s chances at keeping it close. I don’t see him having the offense to bring it home. Kindig will get the takedown or 2 necessary to win this one. Though it’s possible we’ll see Houdashelt v. Moreno, I’m assuming it’ll be Cottrell here. Regardless, this is all Drake, all the time in a matchup where he’ll roll more so than he did in his quarter.

Finals: We’ve seen it a few times, and it’s gone Houdashelt’s way every time. 10-2, 5-3 and 4-0 match scores suggest it’s not a good matchup for Kindig. I think he takes it comfortably here as well.

CP’s Predictions
1. Drake Houdashelt-Missouri
2. Josh Kindig-Oklahoma State
3. Alec Pantaleo-Michigan
4. Dylan Cottrell-App State
5. Edgar Bright-Pitt
6. Gus Sako-UVA
7. Zach Beitz-PSU
8. Mike Racciato-Pitt


157 Pre Seeds:
1. James Green- Nebraska
2. Ian Miller- Kent State
3. Brian Realbuto- Cornell
4. Mitch Minotti- Lehigh
5. Dylan Alton- Penn State
6. Joseph LaValle- Missouri
7. Russell Parson- Army
8. Anthony Collica- Oklahoma State
9. Steven Hernandez- Boise State
10. Brian Murphy- Michigan
11. Tommy Gantt- North Carolina State
12. Immanuel Kerr-Brown- Duke
Unseeded X Factors: Jason Nolf, PSU, Dylan Milonas-Lehigh

I’ll start by saying I’m as psyched to watch Nolf wrestle this tournament as I am for any other guy. The top 3 are ferocious, 4 and 5 are intriguing question marks here as well.

Quarters: James Green is rolling here, likely against Anthony Collica. No upset looming, all Greezy in this spot. Russell Parsons may slow down Ian Miller for a time with his power and positioning, but over time Miller will have his spots. The more guys wrestle and go after Ian Miller, the more they get bombed. Mitch Minotti v. Dylan Alton is a massive quarter final. I’m just excited to see what version of both guys we get. Alton has battled injuries for what seems like a year and more. When he’s at his best, he’s a threat to take this tournament. I’m not sure what we’ll get here, but I’m going with him to beat Minotti who is also a bit of an unknown at 157. Brian Realbuto should be able to take care of business against Lavallee. Lavallee could slow him down for a time, but Realbuto will figure it out. This will be Brian’s first action of the season coming off of knee surgery. He’s yet another unknown in this field. I will say that depending on Nolf’s draw he could crash a quarter and potentially be a threat to win one. Being unseeded it’s just hard to know where he will sit.

Semis: As I said, I like Alton against Green to happen but Minotti wouldn’t be a huge surprise. Regardless, much like the quarterfinals I like Green to move on. It won’t be a blow-out, but Green will take it something like 5-2 I’d imagine regardless of opponent. It is worth nothing Alton has done well with Green before, but that was some time ago. Ian Miller taking on Brian Realbuto is a match I wanted to see all of last year but never got to. Finally it’ll go down. It’s so tough to know what Realbuto will look like his first match back. Athletically Miller is on another level from almost anyone, including Realbuto. However, I love Brian’s motor, his varied attacks and top work. I think Realbuto keeps this closer than others may expect. That being said, Miller is fairly varied himself and has looked excellent this season. I’m taking Miller, close.

Finals: So we’ll have the rematch of Green v. Miller. Ian was able to narrow the gap against Green at the All Star but the mat was what separated the two. Once again, I’m siding with history and taking James Green. He’s a touch more complete in my opinion. He’s got to do a better job at neutralizing Miller’s elbow-control, but we’ve seen Green able to make adjustments before. I think he widens the gap from last time around or at the very least avoids giving up 2 TD’s like he did last time.

CP’s Predictions:
1. James Green-Nebraska
2. Ian Miller-Kent State
3. Brian Realbuto-Cornell
4. Dylan Alton-PSU
5. Mitch Minotti-Lehigh
6. Jason Nolf-PSU
7. Russell Parsons-Army
8. Joey Lavallee-Missouri

165 Pre Seeds:
1. Alex Dieringer- Oklahoma State
2. Nick Sulzer- Virginia
3. Dylan Palacio- Cornell
4. Jim Wilson- Stanford
5. Peyton Walsh- Navy
6. Mike England- Missouri
7. Austin Trott- Gardner Webb
8. Austin Wilson- Nebraska
9. Dakota Friesth- Wyoming
10. Chandler Smith- Army
11. Ethan Ramos- North Carolina
12. Chandler Rogers- Oklahoma State
Unseeded X Factors: Cody Wiercioch-Pitt

We’ve got a fairly well-defined pecking order here. The Champ is back and up a weight. Always excited to see what Dieringer will bring to the table.

Quarters: Dieringer rolls against Dakota Friesth of Wyoming. Could be Austin Wilson, just going on a hunch that it’ll be Friesth. Likewise, Sulzer will roll in his quarter against Trott. He’s beaten him badly before, look for history to repeat itself. Always a treat to watch Palacio. He’ll be going against Mike England, who is a tough guy, but not on the athletic level of Palacio. Look for Dylan to get it done here. Tough call to make between Jim Wilson and Peyton Walsh, but Jim is consistently solid. Walsh has real ebbs and flows. I’ll take Wilson. here.

Semis: Dieringer again rolls over Wilson, Walsh, or any other dude in his way here. Sulzer v. Palacio on the other hand will be a blast. Sulzer is going to bring a horsepower advantage against Palacio that I’m not sure Dylan will be ready for. Palacio’s scrambling ability will be a factor against Sulzer who doesn’t always finish quick and clean on his single’s. When it’s all said and done, you have to like Sulzer by a couple here.

Finals: Yet another rematch from the All Star. Sulzer struggles to create angles against the big hipped, positionally strong guys, and that’s Dieringer to a tee. Sulzer won’t be able to muscle him, and I see his scoring opportunities being very rare. Dieringer, conversely, won’t have a ton of opportunities to score himself, but when he gets in, he’ll finish. I’m not sure we can say the same for Sulzer. I like Dieringer in a numerically close bout, but he’s not particularly threatened.

CP’s Predictions:
1. Alex Dieringer-Oklahoma State
2. Nick Sulzer-UVA
3. Dylan Palacio-Cornell
4. Jim Wilson-Stanford
5. Mike England-Missouri
6. Dakota Friesth-Wyoming
7. Austin Wilson-Nebraska
8. Peyton Walsh-Navy


174 Pre Seeds:
1. Robert Kokesh- Nebraska
2. Matt Brown- Penn State
3. Tyler Wilps- Pittsburgh
4. Tanner Weatherman- Iowa State
5. John Eblen- Missouri
6. Andy McCulley- Wyoming
7. Jordan Rogers- Oklahoma State
8. Keaton Subjeck- Stanford
9. Kyle Crutchmer- Oklahoma State
10. John Staudenmayer- North Carolina
11. Bo Nickal- Penn State
12. George Pickett- Cornell


Another Mizzou guy slotted in down a weight in John Eblen. It’s tough to know what we have with him. Disappointed we won’t see Blaise Butler here either. Bo Nickal, though..#PSYCHED

Quarters: Robert Kokesh against Kyle Crutchmer should be a good one, but I’ve probably been inappropriately high on Crutchmer for some time. Kokesh wins here. Matt Brown v. Jordan Rogers is Brown all day. Rogers is building and improving, but I think he’ll be in over his head against Brown. Tyler Wilps is back and you have to expect him to roll against McCulley who is dangerous with his upper body stuff. I don’t know what to make of the Eblen v. Weatherman match. If Eblen is the same guy at 174 he was at 184, he’s probably the favorite here. However, sight unseen I’m going with a proven stud in Tanner Weatherman.

Semis: Robert Kokesh has little issue in his semi against Weatherman. Kokesh by a solid amount here. Matt Brown v. Tyler Wilps will be the semi to watch. Brown is coming off a loss I never would have expected against Epperly. I don’t think Wilps presents those same problems and think Brown takes it here by a point.

Finals: Not a lot of history here between these two despite being in the same conference for years. I like Kokesh here, as he may be the man to beat for the entire country. I love Brown’s physical nature but I think Kokesh can handle the hand fight if not match it. Kokesh will find his way to a leg a few times more than Brown and that’ll be the difference as both are great finishers. Truly a coin-flip bout. I’m going with Kokesh.

CP’s Predictions:
1. Robert Kokesh-Nebraska
2. Matt Brown-PSU
3. Tyler Wilps-Pitt
4. Tanner Weatherman-ISU
5. John Eblen-Missouri
6. Bo Nickal-PSU
7. Andy McCulley-Wyoming
8. Kyle Crutchmer-Oklahoma State

184 Pre Seeds:
1. Gabe Dean- Cornell
2. Max Thomusseit- Pittsburgh
3. Nate Brown- Lehigh
4. Willie Miklus- Missouri
5. Nolan Boyd- Oklahoma State
6. Matt McCutcheon- Penn State
7. Ben Stroh- Wyoming
8. Domenic Abounader- Michigan
9. Timothy Dudley- Nebraska
10. Jacob Kasper- Duke
11. James Suvak- Virginia
12. John Lampe - Chattanooga

Probably the most anticipated weight of the tournament. It is for me anyways. I can’t wait to see how the Dean story plays out, and that’s probably why I’m so excited. I don’t understand how he gets the 1 when someone like Thomusseit has been so much better this season, but whatever. Apparently in Gabe Dean’s case what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. (Ok, I stole that from someone).

Quarters: Dean v. Abounader is no joke. Domenic looked pretty bad at CKLV, but I think he’ll be more ready this time around. That doesn’t mean he’s ready for the Dean of Mean, yet I still think he can athletically make this interesting. Dean a bit here. I don’t see Stroh giving Thomusseit any problems in this quarter. Thomusseit rolls. Brown thumped McCutcheon last time around, look for a slightly closer bout here. Nolan Boyd looked like an animal at Reno, let’s see how that carries over. I like Miklus to beat Boyd here. Miklus has been so good this year already and doesn’t have the swings we’ve seen Boyd go through

Semis: Dean will take on Miklus in another very interesting match. Between Abounader in the quarters and Miklus in the semi’s if Dean isn’t on his game, he may not make the finals. That being said, I don’t bet on guys not being at their best. Dean takes it here. Miklus will leave his legs too open and Dean will exploit. We saw Thomusseit and Brown once this year with Thomusseit taking it. I think Brown gives himself a chance to win, but Thomusseit takes it once again, albeit narrowly.

Finals: Gabe Dean v. Max Thomusseit is going down. The #1 spot in the country is on the line. Dean has been my guy for awhile, and I’m sticking with him for the time being. I think we’ll see Dean give himself a number of opportunities to score and think his re-attacks will be a huge factor against Thomusseit’s shots. These two haven’t met, to my knowledge so there’s not a strong track record to go by.

CP’s Predictions:
1. Gabe Dean-Cornell
2. Max Thomusseit-Pitt
3. Willie Miklus-Missouri
4. Nate Brown-Lehigh
5. Nolan Boyd-Oklahoma State
6. Domenic Abounader-Michigan
7. Ben Stroh-Wyoming
8. TJ Dudley-Nebraska

197 Pre Seeds
1. J'Den Cox- Missouri
2. Kyven Gadson- Iowa State
3. Conner Hartmann- Duke
4. Morgan McIntosh- Penn State
5. Max Huntley- Michigan
6. Nick Bonaccorsi- Pittsburgh
7. Elliot RIddick- Lehigh
8. Shane Woods- Wyoming
9. Zach Nye- Virginia
10. Jace Bennett- Cornell
11. Bryce Barnes- Army
12. Cole Baxter- Kent State
Unseeded X Factors: Chip Ness, UNC, Ryan Solomon, Pitt, John Bolich, Lehigh

Again a little puzzled by the seeding, but perhaps they’re ignoring the All Star match with Schiller and Cox. Makes sense I guess.

Quarters: J’den Cox v. Shane Woods is a mismatch. J’den rolls here. Elliot Riddick will make things very interesting for Kyven. Elliot can keep himself in a match with just about anyone, but he struggles to seal the deal. Maybe it’s close for a time, but Kyven is wrestling excellently right now. I’ve been thoroughly impressed this season with him. Kyven takes it by a couple. Hartmann v. Bonaccorsi should be Hartmann’s to lose. He beat Bonaccorsi 2 or 3 times last year. I don’t look for that to change. Morgan McIntosh v. Max Huntley is super intriguing. Both guys have been wrestling well this year. I like McIntosh, always have. I think he takes it here.

Semis: I think I mentioned in an article last year that Morgan McIntosh wouldn’t ever beat J’den Cox. It was just a bad matchup. J’den was too big for Morgan to get in deep on attacks and too good on top for Morgan to escape. All signs point to J’den getting it done. Not so fast my friend! I’m taking the upset special against all logic. I haven’t liked the mojo I’ve seen out of J’den this year. Who knows what it is, I just think McIntosh has been looking good and is coming in hot. I like Kyven over Hartmann in a much less dramatic match. Don’t sleep on Hartmann though, the dude can scrap.

Finals: So I’m predicting a McIntosh v. Gadson final. Who knows who we’ll have but I know one thing: I like Kyven regardless of his opponent here. I was blown away by him at CKLV. Maybe that was a lot of focus on just one guy in Schiller, but I think he showed wholesale improvements. I like Kyven here.

CP’s Predictions:
1. Kyven Gadson-ISU
2. Morgan McIntosh-PSU
3. J’den Cox-Missouri
4. Conner Hartmann-Duke
5. Max Huntley-Michigan
6. Elliot Riddick-Lehigh
7. Nick Bonaccorsi-Pitt
8. Zach Nye-UVA

285 Pre Seeds:
1. Austin Marsden- Oklahoma State
2. James Lawson- Penn State
3. Adam Coon- Michigan
4. Denzel Dejournette- Appalachian State
5. Riley Shaw- Cleveland State
6. Jon Gingrich- Penn State
7. Devin Mellon- Missouri
8. Collin Jensen- Nebraska
9. Nathan Butler- Stanford
10. Josh Marchok- Stanford
11. Tanner Harms- Wyoming
12. Ethan Hayes- Virginia
Unseeded X Factors: Nick Nevills, PSU

Again, I’m pumped to watch these PSU true Freshman. I think Nevills will make serious noise. Interested to see his draw. Pretty bummed we won’t see Gwiazdowski here.

Quarterfinals: Marsden should be fine here against Jensen or Butler. It’s Marsden’s to lose. Lawson v. Mellon has upset potential written all over it. Mellon has been out of the lineup for awhile but has still been competing. Look for him to make it very, close here. In the end I think we see Lawson, but I’m not sure a Mellon win is much of an upset to be honest. Adam Coon will get a shot at revenge against Jon Gingrich who beat him last year at Big 10’s. I like Coon to get it done this time around. Two guys I’d scarcely heard of coming into this year were Riley Shaw and Denzel Dejournette. I’m excited for this quarter and think Dejournette has a ton of upside. I like him close here. I must admit, if Nevills somehow drew his way into this quarter, I like him to win and make the semi’s against Marsden. Just can’t predict where a guy will draw, however.

Semis: Marsden once again shouldn’t be terribly challenged. He strolls to the finals over Dejournette. Coon against Lawson is very interesting. Lawson is enormous and strong. Coon’s advantage over a lot of guys is his ability to use his length and strength. I’m not sure he’ll have that advantage over Lawson. However, I don’t think Lawson has the requisite leg attacks to give Coon trouble. Coon runs the PSU gauntlet to make the finals.

Finals: A year ago Coon is the big favorite. In the eyes of many this has tightened up. I watched Coon dominate Marsden twice at University’s this year. I don’t expect domination by Coon, but I think he gets the victory here. I think this match up could be a bit easier than the PSU guys for Coon. I mentioned before Adam is a guy I’m buying stock in. I think he gets it together and finds a way to come home with a title.

CP’s Predictions:
1. Adam Coon-Michigan
2. Austin Marsden-Oklahoma State
3. Jimmy Lawson-PSU
4. Nick Nevills-PSU
5. Jon Gingrich-PSU
6. Devin Mellon-Missouri
7. Denzel Dejournette-App State
8. Riley Shaw-Cleveland State


Team Predictions: Team race in the top 3 will be tight, then there’s a bit of a drop off coming in my opinion.
1. Missouri
2. PSU
3. OK State
4. Cornell
5. Lehigh
6. Michigan
7. UVA
8. Nebraska
9. Pitt
10. ISU