In the mind of Abe Assad, there is aggression and there is tactical aggression.

The University of Iowa sophomore from Carol Stream, Illinois, intends to display the latter Friday when the top-ranked Hawkeyes host No. 21 Princeton inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The first match begins at 7 p.m. (CST).

Assad, a 184-pounder, missed the 2020-21 season because of a knee injury and was slowed by hamstring issues over the summer. He is healthy, back on the mat, and excited to show off his aggressiveness.

Check that. He is excited to show off his tactical aggressiveness.

“I need to be aggressive, but also tactical on how I am doing that — moving my feet more, more fakes, in and out, stuff like that,” Assad said Tuesday. “I want even more aggression, more attacks, and more offense. That will start opening a guy up and make him tired.”

Assad won 15 of his first 17 matches for the Hawkeyes in 2019-20 before finishing with a record of 22-7. He was runner-up at the Midlands Championships and fourth at the Big Ten Championships. 

Assad opened the season Nov. 13 at the Luther Open, winning by major decision and fall before losing 4-3 to Missouri recruit Clayton Whiting. In the final bout at Luther, Assad attempted roughly eight shots, but he and Iowa’s coaching staff want more.

Iowa head coach Tom Brands says he and Assad’s relationship is built less around words and more around sign language.

“When I walk by him, I don’t use my voice, I just go like this,” Brands said, quickly twirling his hand and index finger in a circle. “I ask him what does that mean? Then he tells me what that means. What that means is we are on the same page. We just have to get him going a little bit with his pace.”

With Assad sidelined a year ago, the Hawkeyes turned to Nelson Brands, who went 17-10 and qualified for the national championships. It was a tough season for Assad, but he said he made strides, especially mentally.

“It sucks sitting out, that’s hard,” Assad said. “On top of that, you see those guys competing.” 

The Hawkeyes won their 37th Big Ten Championship and then secured the program’s 24th NCAA Championship by 15.5 points over runner-up Penn State in St. Louis. Assad, who admits he is not the type to spend hours watching others wrestle, learned a lot through forced observation.

“I like watching wrestling, but I’m not the guy who goes home and watches wrestling 24-7 on my couch,” he said. “When I was sitting out last year, I saw so many different moves than when I was just wrestling in practice.” 

It is Assad’s tremendous potential and scoring ability that excites Brands. He says the ingredient that could set Assad apart is a high pace he is working to increase.

“Don’t wait,” Brands said. “Do not wait.”

Against Princeton, Assad is scheduled to face either Forest Belli or Travis Stefanik.

“I’m excited,” he said. “There’s a lot of work to do this week and I have to stay focused on what’s ahead of me: taking it one day at a time, one practice at a time, and one shot at a time.”

Football Fever

It’s November and many sports fans — including Brands — have football on their minds. Brands opened his news conference by praising Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz and the No. 18 Hawkeyes, who have won eight of 10 games.

“It’s a good thing this press conference (wasn’t 15 minutes earlier),” Brands said. “I was ready to go on a tear with some Iowa football opponents. They chirp, chirp, chirp and then Ferentz keeps whipping tail.

“I keep hearing this stuff and this (football coach) is going to Southern California and that guy is going to Southern California and he might end up at LSU. And they have like 12 losses between them. Yet they keep talking about the Hawks and you know what? The Hawks keep coming out on top. How’s that?”