Top 10 Quarter-Final Matches At NCAAs

Check out the top 10 quarter-finals at the 2022 NCAA Tournament

Mar 18, 2022 by Jon Kozak

The quarter-finals are set at the 2022 NCAA Tournament! While all of the matches have incredible significance, there are 10 that rise to the top. Take a look below at the top quarter-final matchups that you don’t want to miss.

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125 - #4 Brandon Courtney (Arizona State) vs #5 Killian Cardinale (West Virginia)

Killian Cardinale had an incredible come from behind victory over the #21 seed Taylor LaMont to avoid the upset in the round of 16 and will now face returning NCAA runner-up Brandon Courtney. Courtney has been dominant in his two matches with major decision victories against both Joe Manchio and Fabian Gutierrez. Both Cardinale and Courtney have the ability to put up big points and there’s sure to be a ton of action with a trip to the semi-finals on the line.

Cardinale's come from behind win against Taylor LaMont:

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133 - #4 Korbin Myers (Virginia Tech) vs #5 Austin DeSanto (Iowa)

Austin DeSanto had to grind out a tough, 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh’s Micky Phillippi in the round of 16. Myers, on the other hand, has been unchallenged in his first two matches securing a major decision win and receiving an injury default. These two met last year in the third-place match at the NCAA tournament with DeSanto winning 10-6. Myers has been outstanding all year and might be able to flip that result and make the semis Friday morning.

DeSanto's win over Myers from last year's NCAA tournament:

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149 - #3 Austin Gomez (Wisconsin) vs #11 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech)

Throw or be thrown! Both Andonian and Gomez often live by that motto - because of that, this quarter-final could be the match of the tournament. Gomez and Andonian have never met in their college career and are both wrestling well in Detroit. Gomez has two major decision wins while Andonian upset the #6 seed - Jonathan Millner (App State).

Andonian's win in the round of 16 over Jonathan Millner:

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149 - #2 Tariq Wilson (NC State) vs #10 Ridge Lovett (Nebraska)

Ridge Lovett might be the most dangerous 10 seed in the tournament and has two solid wins over Jaden Abas and Josh Heil. Tariq Wilson, though undefeated this year, has two close wins over Michael Blockhus and Anthony Artalona to start his NCAA tournament. Lovett is one of the toughest wrestlers to finish leg attacks on but Wilson is one of the best in the country at finishing his attacks. Will Lovett be able to out scramble Tariq? Or will Tariq's offense be too much for Lovett to handle? I can’t wait to find out!

157 - #4 Ed Scott (NC State) vs #5 Quincy Monday (Princeton)

Ed Scott and Quincy Monday met back in January during dual meet competition where Scott won a tight, 6-4 decision. Much more will be on the line when they meet Friday morning - especially considering the 1 seed, David Carr was upset in the round of 16. The winner of this match will be a considerable favorite to make the finals.

165 - #4 Dean Hamiti (Wisconsin) vs #5 Shane Griffith (Stanford)

Dean Hamiti narrowly escaped from the round of 16 against Cornell’s Julian Ramirez. Hamiti was caught in a cradle late in the second period but managed to escape and come back to win a thrilling 15-11 victory. Defending national champion Shane Griffith will certainly be a test for Hamiti and has looked solid in his first two matches on Thursday. The winner of this match will likely face #1 seed Evan Wick who is a heavy favorite over West Virginia’s Peyton Hall in their respective quarter-final bout.

Hamiti's win over Ramirez from the round of 16:

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165 - #2 Keegan O’Toole (Missouri) vs #7 Carson Kharchla (Ohio State)

Keegan O’Toole is taking a 22-0 record into his match against Ohio State freshman Carson Kharchla. Though he place third at last year’s NCAA tournament, O’Toole lost in the quarter-finals to eventual NCAA runner-up Jake Wentzel. Coincidentally, Kharchla took out Wentzel in the round of 16 Thursday evening, 7-1. Does Kharchla have what it takes to keep O’Toole out of the semis again or will O’Toole’s offense and scrambling ability prove too much for Kharchla? Only time will tell but I’m glad we don’t have to wait long for the answer.

Keegan O'Toole's win over Anthony Valencia from the round of 16:

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174 - #4 Hayden Hidlay (NC State) vs #5 Michael Kemerer (Iowa)

The depth at 174 is perfectly illustrated by Hayden Hidlay and Michael Kemerer meeting in the quarter-finals! Both Hidlay and Kemerer are past national finalists but will have to battle one another just to make the semi-finals. Kemerer is noticeably hindered by his shoulder injury but still managed to get the job done in his first two matches. On top of that, Kemerer has a previous head-to-head win over Hidlay - back at the 2016 Midlands Championships. However, Hidlay looks to be wrestling as good as he ever has, and now looks to be the time for Hidlay to take out the Hawkeye.

184 - #4 Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) vs #5 Bernie Truax (Cal Poly)

Everyone has been talking about the top 4 at 184 but Bernie Truax is a worthy contender to break into that group. Truax placed 4th at last year’s NCAA Tournament and proved he performs his best when the stakes are high. Keckeisen will certainly be the favorite in this match but it’s certainly one to circle and could prove highly entertaining.

285 - #2 Cohlton Schultz (Arizona State) vs #7 Mason Parris (Michigan)

This is a match we’ve been waiting to see for a long time. While Parris is the returning NCAA runner-up, Cohlton Schultz is undefeated on the year and is the only wrestler in the tournament to record 2 pins on Thursday. Schultz is a more traditional heavyweight and will have a significant size advantage over Parris. Will that size advantage be the difference or will Parris be able to use his athleticism against Schultz? It will be a true clash of styles and along with a trip to the semis, this match will hold significant meaning to the team race. Arizona State and Michigan are currently in 2nd and 3rd place respectively - separated by one point.

Cohlton Schultz's pin in the round of 16: