2019 Iowa vs Oklahoma State | NCAA Wrestling

The Total & Complete Iowa vs. Oklahoma State Preview

The Total & Complete Iowa vs. Oklahoma State Preview

Everything you need to know about the Iowa Hawkeyes versus Oklahoma State Cowboys wrestling match on Sunday, Feb. 24.

Feb 21, 2019 by Andrew Spey
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Pretty big dual meet happening this Sunday. Some would say you could call it the Dual of the Century. Others would demand you call it that. 

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Pretty big dual meet happening this Sunday. Some would say you could call it the Dual of the Century. Others would demand you call it that. 

But whatever you call the Iowa versus Oklahoma State dual meet, what's undebatable is the number of highly ranked and accomplished studs featured in each lineup.

Watch Iowa vs. Oklahoma State LIVE ON FLO

Sunday, Feb. 24, 2 p.m. CT

Team Rankings

Let us begin with the team rankings. Both are #3. How can that be? Well, just as there can be ties in the standings at the NCAA National Championships, so too can there be ties in the FloWrestling team rankings, which are based off hypothetical NCAA team scores derived from the individual rankings. 

Now that we've established that both teams are very good, let's enjoy this graph (also seen in this article) that illustrates both teams team ranking throughout the season. 


Both teams stayed between #6 and #3 all year long. Not bad! Next, we will next go weight by weight through the projected lineups


125: #2 Spencer Lee (Iowa) vs. #4 Nick Piccininni (Oklahoma State)

Assuming this dual starts at 125, and most Iowa and Oklahoma State dual meets do, we're going to kick things off with a doozy. 

Spencer Lee is inarguably one of the most popular wrestlers in the NCAA. He was an absolute buzzsaw in the 2018 NCAA Championships, where his run to the title as a true freshman included a second-period pin of Piccininni in the quarterfinals.

Piccininni has been untouchable this season, however, and he currently sports a 22-0 record over D1 opponents, with 77 percent of those wins coming by bonus. 

Lee is the favorite, and an absolute hammer on top, but Pich is a prolific collector of nearfalls via tilt himself, so this one could come down to who avoids giving up back points. 

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133: #3 Austin DeSanto (Iowa) vs. #2 Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) 

Is this the match of the dual? Of the Dual of the Century? Oh yeah. Hell yeah. 

Both wrestlers have one loss, but with the way 133 has gone this year, that hardly diminishes either of their chances of an NCAA title. Whoever emerges in Pittsburgh will have had to run the gauntlet. But that's in March. We're still in February, so let's stay focused on the dual meet.  

Fix has one of the most impressive arsenals of any wrestler. Besides the standard leg attacks, Daton has a vicious slide by as a changeup to his patented inside trip. DeSanto's go-to is the fireman's carry and when that fails a variety of finishes while maintaining a vice-like grip on his opponent's tricep. But scouting reports will only take you so far with either wrestler, as it's their competitive spirit and pace that will determine this match.

With the matchups slated at 125 and 133, anyone tuning in late will sorely regret their decision.


141: Max Murin (Iowa) vs. #14 Kaid Brock (Oklahoma State)

Although Vince Turk has gotten a couple of starts recently, Iowa's match notes for the dual only list Max Murin, who has wrestled the majority of the Hawkeyes' duals. Murin has the skill and the power to compete with the heavy hitters of the weight class.

That power may be the difference maker against Kaid Brock, who is a two-time All-American, but those honors came down at 133 pounds. Still, Brock has a go-for-broke attitude and the upper body chops that leave no one safe no matter what the score is as long as there is time left on the clock. 


149: #11 Pat Lugo (Iowa) vs. #6 Kaden Gfeller (Oklahoma State)

Gfeller may have the higher rankings, but he's coming off his worst defeat since arriving at Oklahoma State, losing to Missouri's Brock Mauller last weekend 10-4. Lugo, conversely, is coming off one of his best wins of the season, taking out Wisconsin's Cole Martin in sudden victory

Gfeller may also be a touch undersized at 149, although you wouldn't be able to tell from his results this year. If Gfeller can shake off last weekend's performance, Lugo is in for war, and us fans are in for a treat.


157: #7 Kaleb Young (Iowa) vs. Wyatt Sheets (Oklahoma State)

On paper (or a computer screen), Kaleb Young would be the heavy favorite as a top 10 wrestlers going up against the unranked Wyatt Sheets. But wrestling is not done on paper, or a computer screen, unless you are playing a wrestling video game and we are unaware of any wrestling video game and even if one did exist it wouldn't be relevant to our conversation so let's just move on.

Sheets won't be a pushover, regardless of rankings. He's beaten a pair of ranked 157-pounders recently in Taleb Rahmani and Josh Humphreys. Young, not to be outdone, has five ranked wins on his resume. Expect another battle (which should probably go without saying from here on out).


165: #2 Alex Marinelli (Iowa) vs. #11 Chandler Rogers (Oklahoma State)

The Bull has been stampeding through the competition this year and is just coming off one of the best wins of his career against Evan Wick. Marinelli won in overtime, avenging a 16-3 loss from last year's NCAA Tournament. If Marinelli wins on Sunday, he'll head to the Big Ten Championships undefeated, just like last season. 

But don't expect Rogers to make it easy for Marinelli. The senior Cowboy will be wrestling in historic Gallagher-Iba for the last time in his career. He's also a pinning machine, who, in John Smith's humble estimation, may be one of the most proficient wrestlers at taking opponents to their back that he's ever seen. 

One suggestion for Alex: don't relax on bottom, lest Rogers breaks out the deadly assassin

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174: Mitch Bowman (Iowa) vs. #7 Joe Smith (Oklahoma State) 

Two-time All-American Joseph Smith is the heavy favorite, having proved very early in the season that his 11-month hiatus from folkstyle was no big thing when he beat fellow two-time All-American David McFadden at the Southern Scuffle. 

But Mitch Bowman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Eagle will have one thing going for him (besides his skill and talent, which he has in abundance), and that's that Smith is on his way down to 165-pounds. There's no way to tell in advance how much weighing in light and being in the midst of a cut will affect Smith's wrestling, but Bowman may still want to strategize with that in mind.


184: #14 Cash Wilcke (Iowa) vs. #11 Jacobe Smith (Oklahoma State)

We're assuming that Jacobe, like his teammate Joseph, is also on the descent to a lighter weight class. But we're confident Jacobe has more than enough muscle to hang with anyone at 184, regardless of the cut. We've seen what Jacobe can do to opponents when he commits to an upper body throw. 

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Cash Wilcke knows how to handle upperweights, however, having made it to the round of 12 in the last two NCAA Tournaments up at 197 pounds. He's also recently beaten All-American Taylor Venz of Nebraska, so he's definitely capable of pulling off the mild upset here. 


197: #4 Jacob Warner (Iowa) vs. #6 Preston Weigel (Oklahoma State)

This matchup has the most mystery surrounding it, mostly because Weigel has missed so much of the season due to injury. We all know Weigel has the goods when he's healthy. He is the only competitor currently wrestling at 197 pounds not named Bo Nickal who has beaten an NCAA champion before, which happened when Weigel beat Mike Macchiavello last year in Italy

If Weigel is slowed down by injuries, it could be an opportunity for the young Jacob Warner. Though slightly limited in his body of work, Warner is 2-0 against three-time All-American Willie Miklus, with plenty of other quality wins to back up his top five ranking.

At this point in the dual, every team point will count, so expect both wrestlers to fight for bonus no matter what the score may be. 


285: #7 Sam Stoll (Iowa) vs. #2 Derek White (Oklahoma State)

Could it all come down to heavyweight? It very well may! 

And if it does? Why, then we are all winners!

Sam Stoll is coming off a loss to the very tough Trent Hillger of Wisconsin, but last year's fifth-place finisher has felled many a fellow All-American in his long career as a Hawkeye heavy. His opponent, the Cowboy Bulk Job, also a senior, has been wrestling at a high level all year long. 

I don't know about y'all but we're getting pumped just thinking about this match happening with the dual meet on the line. 


Predictions

Spey (that's me) and Bader did a whiteboard war, both ending up with a 16-15 final score. But in who's favor? 

Watch the nine-minute video to find out!

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Can't wait until Sunday. See you all there!