Black Shoe Diaries - 2013 Big Ten Wrestling ChampionshipsDOMINATE THE STATEhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47529/blackshoediaries_fave.png2013-03-11T14:08:52-04:00http://www.blackshoediaries.com/rss/stream/38357252013-03-11T14:08:52-04:002013-03-11T14:08:52-04:00Penn State Three-Peats!
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/A315WWAkjWEqbZrlolepl8pj-P4=/0x61:682x516/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9504645/nittanylion_zpsb5be90e4.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>BSD/Galen</figcaption>
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<p>Penn State wins the 2013 Big Ten Championship.</p> <p>Penn State opened up what became a close race with Minnesota and Iowa in the finals going 4-0 to win their 3rd straight Big Ten Conference Championship. Murderer’s Row lived up to its name as Taylor, Ruth, Brown, and Wright all won individual championships and gave the team the points it needed for the team championship. More importantly, while there were some disappointments, all 10 wrestlers qualified for nationals. Just getting to the NCAA’s was the goal for all the wrestlers and they succeeded. Amazingly, Iowa who made it a one-point lead for Penn State in the wrestle backs, crowned no champions. Minnesota made it interesting as well but didn’t have the finalists to match Penn State.</p>
<p><b>125: #3 Nico Megaludis</b></p>
<p>Nico snuck by Minnesota’s David Thorn in the opening round 4-2. He then lost a tough 3-6 decision to eventual champ Jesse Delgado which, at the time, looked like a bad loss for Megaludis. Upon further review, with the way Delgado destroyed defending champ Matt McDonough in the finals, that loss doesn’t seem so bad. Delgado had a beast of a tournament. Nico did bounce back and win two identical 4-1 decisions to take 3rd so it wasn’t a bad tournament for Megaludis although I’m sure he wanted more.</p>
<p><b>133: #12 Jordan Conaway</b></p>
<p>Conaway started off by going into two tiebreaker periods to beat Daryl Thomas of Illinois 6-5. He then lost by fall to top-ranked Logan Stieber of OSU and lost a tough 2-7 decision to Chris Dardanes of Minnesota to drop into the 5th-place bout. There he met up with old friend Daryl Thomas again but this time Conaway didn’t need overtime, getting a 3rd period takedown and ride out to win 4-1. Although he was preseeded 4th a 5th place finish isn’t bad for Jordan.</p>
<p><b>141: #21 Bryan Pearsall</b></p>
<p>Like Conaway, Pearsall’s goal was to make it to NCAA’s and he did so placing 5th. Pearsall also got Penn State some much needed bonus getting a fall and a major decision among his 4 wins. Pearsall dropped a tough 2-1 decision in the 2nd round but bounced back to win 3 out of his next 4 for 5th. His other loss was to 2nd seed Nick Dardanes by a 6-2 score but finished strong beating Pat Greco of Northwestern in sudden victory 4-2.</p>
<p><b>149: #13 Andrew Alton</b></p>
<p>Here’s where things get dicey, the Alton brothers. Granted Andrew finished in 4th place, one above his preseed but he could have done so much more. Alton wrestled very inconsistently, losing to Jake Sueflohn of Nebraska but bounced back to destroy top-seed Eric Grajales of Michigan 14-8. He then got pinned by Ivan Lopouchanski of Purdue in the 3rd place match. Andrew has all the tools to go toe to toe with anyone in the country (see Grajales) but sometimes leaves you scratching your head.</p>
<p><b>157: #5 Dylan Alton</b></p>
<p>While Andrew finished above his seed the same cannot be said about his brother, Dylan finished a disappointing 6th. Alton lost a tough 6-1 two-overtime decision to OSU’s Josh Demas in the second round to drop down in the consolations. He rattled off two wins including a fall but met Derek St. John of Iowa again. With the match tied, St John got a late takedown in the 3rd and Alton, who tried two shoulder rolls in the previous period and almost got caught then, finally did get caught and pinned while trying the move again. Alton then got thrown on his back in the 5th place bought and lost 6-2 to Danny Zilverberg of Minnesota, the 8th seed. It was definitely a disappointing weekend for Dylan.</p>
<p><b>165: #2 David Taylor</b></p>
<p>Taylor had a light weekend getting a first round bye and then destroying Mark Martin of Ohio State and Nick Moore of Iowa by tech fall. In the finals Taylor met 2nd seed Conrad Polz of Illinois whose main plan of attack was to lie on the mat and not get pinned or tech fall’ed. It wasn’t a great plan and resulted in frustrating Taylor, three stall calls, and a 9-1 major decision.</p>
<p><b>174: #7 Matt Brown</b></p>
<p>By far the best tournament of any Nittany Lion was that of Matt Brown. Brown went 4-0 including a fall and got revenge on Hawkeye Mike Evans in the finals 7-3. Brown gave up a penalty point in the 1st for pulling on Evans’ sock (<i>yeah I’ve never seen that either</i>) but bounced back and threw Evans to his back for a five point move and never looked back. Brown pretty much wrestled his match all weekend long and bullied his will on his opponents. Matt wrestled like most of us think he can wrestle and left Illinois a Big Ten champ in his first season starting.</p>
<p><b>184: #1 Ed Ruth</b></p>
<p>Like Taylor, Ruth had a light weekend only needing three wins for his 3rd straight Big Ten Championship. He did have an all-too-close 5-3 win over Minnesota’s Kevin Steinhaus in the final but Ruth was never in danger of losing that match.</p>
<p><b>197: #2 Quentin Wright</b></p>
<p>Q didn’t breeze through the tournament but remains undefeated nonetheless. Wright started off with a pin of Max Huntley of Michigan and tight 1-0 victory over Andrew Campolattano of OSU. He met the 2nd seed Scott Schiller of Minnesota in the finals with the chance to clinch the team championship. He didn’t disappoint beating the Gopher 5-3 thanks to takedowns in the second and third period for his 2nd Big Ten Title.</p>
<p><b>285: #12 Jimmy Lawson</b></p>
<p>Jimmy was another wrestler who had an up and down weekend going 2-3 with two major decisions. He dropped a tough 6-4 decisions to 2nd seed Mike McMullan of Northwestern in the quarterfinals and got pinned in sudden victory overtime against Mike McClure of MSU in the 7th-place bout. It was a good learning experience for Lawson though, and he does punch his ticket to the NCAA’s where he can do some damage in two weeks.</p>
<p>Overall it was a great weekend for the men in Blue and White, it was closer than some of us wanted it but Penn State turned it on when they needed to going undefeated in the championship round and crowning 4 individual Big Ten champs. As far as seeding for nationals goes, Dylan Alton probably hurt himself while Matt Brown definitely helped himself. Everyone else will probably be a wash as most Nits finished around where they were seeded.</p>
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2013/3/11/4090160/big-ten-wrestling-championships-penn-state-three-peatsGalen2013-03-10T13:00:07-04:002013-03-10T13:00:07-04:00Big Ten Wrestling Championship: Finals
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<p>Penn State defends it's B1G Wrestling Championship - Session 4 - <strong>FINALS</strong></p> <p>Welcome to the Championship Round! Penn State will be going for X individual champions, live on the Big Ten Network. Session starts at 2:30 PM EST. Here's our match-ups:</p>
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<table class="tableizer-table"><tbody>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>PSU</th>
<th>Vs.</th>
<th>Opponent</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>165 - #1 David Taylor (25-1)</td>
<td>Vs.</td>
<td>Conrad Polz (Illinois)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>174 - #5 Matt Brown (24-4)</td>
<td>Vs.</td>
<td>Mike Evans (Iowa)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>184 - #1 Ed Ruth (27-0)</td>
<td>Vs.</td>
<td>Kevin Steinhaus (Minnesota)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>197 - #1 Quentin Wright (26-0)</td>
<td>Vs.</td>
<td>Scott Schiller (Minnesota)</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>Open Thread rules apply as usual... basically, don't be <i>that </i>guy.</p>
<blockquote>
<a data-lang="en" data-show-count="true" class="twitter-follow-button" href="https://twitter.com/BSDtweet">Follow @BSDtweet on Twitter</a><br>And join us on<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Shoe-Diaries/161813843845442"> Facebook</a><br>All BSD community members should review our current <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2012/6/5/3066778/commenting-and-posting-policy-for-bsd">Posting & Commenting Policies</a> before creating any posts or commenting.</blockquote>
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2013/3/10/4079226/big-ten-wrestling-championship-finals-open-threadGalen2013-03-10T11:00:06-04:002013-03-10T11:00:06-04:00Big Ten Wrestling Championship Session 3
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<figcaption>BSD/Galen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Penn State defends it's B1G Wrestling Championship - Session 3</p> <p>Wake up it's wrestling time! Session 3 starts at 12:30 PM EST. Here's where we're at:</p>
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<table class="tableizer-table"><tbody>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>WT </th> <th>NAME </th> <th>Round 1 Result</th> <th>Round 2 Result</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>125</td>
<td>Nico Megaludis</td>
<td>W 4-2</td>
<td>L 6-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>133</td>
<td>Jordan Conaway</td>
<td>W 6-5 2TB</td>
<td>L FALL</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>141</td>
<td>Bryan Pearsall</td>
<td>W Fall - L 1-2</td>
<td>W 6-4 -W19-11</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>149</td>
<td>Andrew Alton</td>
<td>W 3-2 - L 10-6</td>
<td>W FALL-W 14-8<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>157</td>
<td>Dylan Alton</td>
<td>W 8-3 - L6-1SV</td>
<td>W FALL-W3-2 <br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>165</td>
<td>David Taylor</td>
<td>W Tech Fall</td>
<td>W Tech Fall 15-0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>174</td>
<td>Matt Brown</td>
<td>W Fall - W 7-1</td>
<td>W 5-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>184</td>
<td>Ed Ruth</td>
<td>W Tech Fall 18-3</td>
<td>W 10-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>197</td>
<td>Quentin Wright</td>
<td>W Fall</td>
<td>W 1-0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>285</td>
<td>Jimmy Lawson</td>
<td>W 9-1 - L 6-4</td>
<td>W 13-5 L</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>Open Thread rules apply as usual... basically, don't be <i>that </i>guy.</p>
<blockquote>
<a data-lang="en" data-show-count="true" class="twitter-follow-button" href="https://twitter.com/BSDtweet">Follow @BSDtweet on Twitter</a><br>And join us on<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Shoe-Diaries/161813843845442"> Facebook</a><br>All BSD community members should review our current <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2012/6/5/3066778/commenting-and-posting-policy-for-bsd">Posting & Commenting Policies</a> before creating any posts or commenting.</blockquote>
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2013/3/10/4079200/big-ten-wrestling-championship-session-3-open-threadGalen2013-03-09T17:00:03-05:002013-03-09T17:00:03-05:00Big Ten Wrestling Championship Session 2
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Jbwr_GCVctmjRCPokr5ESzPrrSs=/0x48:682x503/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9318423/lawsonsinglet.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>BSD/Galen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Penn State defends it's B1G Wrestling Championship - Session 2</p> <p>Round 2 marches on, Penn State took it on the chin in session 1. *looking in your direction Altons* Anyway, session 2 starts at 6:00 PM EST. Here's where we're at:</p>
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<table class="tableizer-table"><tbody>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>WT </th> <th>NAME </th> <th> Round 1 Result </th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>125</td>
<td>Nico Megaludis</td>
<td>W 4-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>133</td>
<td>Jordan Conaway</td>
<td>W 6-5 2TB</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>141</td>
<td>Bryan Pearsall</td>
<td>W Fall - L 1-2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>149</td>
<td>Andrew Alton</td>
<td>W 3-2 - L 10-6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>157</td>
<td>Dylan Alton</td>
<td>W 8-3 - L6-1SV<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>165</td>
<td>David Taylor</td>
<td>W Tech Fall</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>174</td>
<td>Matt Brown</td>
<td>W Fall - W 7-1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>184</td>
<td>Ed Ruth</td>
<td>W Tech Fall 18-3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>197</td>
<td>Quentin Wright</td>
<td>W Fall</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>285</td>
<td>Jimmy Lawson</td>
<td>W 9-1 - L 6-4</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>Open Thread rules apply as usual... basically, don't be <i>that </i>guy.</p>
<blockquote>
<a data-lang="en" data-show-count="true" class="twitter-follow-button" href="https://twitter.com/BSDtweet">Follow @BSDtweet on Twitter</a><br>And join us on<a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Shoe-Diaries/161813843845442"> Facebook</a><br>All BSD community members should review our current <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2012/6/5/3066778/commenting-and-posting-policy-for-bsd">Posting & Commenting Policies</a> before creating any posts or commenting.</blockquote>
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2013/3/9/4079152/big-ten-wrestling-championship-session-2-open-threadGalen2013-03-09T10:29:10-05:002013-03-09T10:29:10-05:00Big Ten Wrestling Championship Session 1
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/avMyRBANh3MAsI1EVq8egFymNIE=/0x0:1023x682/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9317867/whiteout_zps3115bcde.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>BSD/Galen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Penn State defends it's B1G Wrestling Championship - Session 1</p> <p>Join us for the opening session when every wrestler is still dreaming of a Big Ten individual championship. Session starts at 11:00 AM EST.</p>
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<p> </p>
<table class="tableizer-table"><tbody>
<tr class="tableizer-firstrow">
<th>WT </th> <th>NAME </th> <th>EL</th> <th>REC</th> <th>Rankings</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>125</td>
<td>Nico Megaludis</td>
<td>So.</td>
<td>21-2</td>
<td>#3 Coaches/#7 RPI/#3 Intermat/Pre-seed #2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>133</td>
<td>Jordan Conaway</td>
<td>Fr.</td>
<td>14-6</td>
<td>#12 Coaches/#10 RPI/#13 Intermat/Pre-seed #4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>141</td>
<td>Bryan Pearsall</td>
<td>Sr.</td>
<td>19-7</td>
<td>#21 Coaches/#18 RPI/NR Intermat/Pre-seed #4</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>149</td>
<td>Andrew Alton</td>
<td>So.</td>
<td>22-2</td>
<td>#13 Coaches/#6 RPI/#13 Intermat/Pre-seed #6</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>157</td>
<td>Dylan Alton</td>
<td>So.</td>
<td>22-3</td>
<td>#5 Coaches/#1 RPI/#5 Intermat/Pre-seed #3</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>165</td>
<td>David Taylor</td>
<td>Jr.</td>
<td>23-1</td>
<td>#2 Coaches/#1 RPI/#2 Intermat/Pre-seed #1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>174</td>
<td>Matt Brown</td>
<td>So.</td>
<td>21-4</td>
<td>#7 Coaches/#6 RPI/#7 Intermat/Pre-seed #5</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>184</td>
<td>Ed Ruth</td>
<td>Jr.</td>
<td>25-0</td>
<td>#1 Coaches/#2 RPI/#1 Intermat/Pre-seed #1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>197</td>
<td>Quentin Wright</td>
<td>Sr.</td>
<td>24-0</td>
<td>#2 Coaches/#4 RPI/#2 Intermat/Pre-seed #1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>285</td>
<td>Jimmy Lawson</td>
<td>So.</td>
<td>20-4</td>
<td>#12 Coaches/#10 RPI/#12 Intermat/Pre-seed #7</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>Open Thread rules apply as usual... basically, don't be <i>that </i>guy. Let's get it on!!</p>
<blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/BSDtweet" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="true" data-lang="en">Follow @BSDtweet on Twitter</a><br>And join us on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Shoe-Diaries/161813843845442" target="_blank"> Facebook</a><br>All BSD community members should review our current <a href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2012/6/5/3066778/commenting-and-posting-policy-for-bsd" target="_blank">Posting & Commenting Policies</a> before creating any posts or commenting.</blockquote>
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2013/3/9/4079028/big-ten-wrestling-championship-session-1-open-threadGalen2013-03-08T15:00:09-05:002013-03-08T15:00:09-05:00BSD-BHGP Talk B1G Wrestling Championships, Part 2
<figure>
<img alt="Pinfall" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/E_VcevfH-Tq8g8z3lcxRzXQEDFo=/0x0:274x183/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9332647/q.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Pinfall | Galen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There are 3.6 million blogs on SBNation. Two of them talk college wrestling. BSD teams up with Black Heart Gold Pants to take a passably sane look at the upcoming Big Ten Wrestling Championships.</p> <p><a href="http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/wrestling/2013/3/8/4079988/bsd-bhgp-talk-big-ten-wrestling-championships-part-1" target="_blank">The first part of this conversation can be found on BHGP</a>. </p>
<p>BSD took Pants honcho and wrestling prognosticator extraordinaire RossWB <strike>to a nice steak dinner and never called him again</strike> traded thoughts with BSD on the upcoming Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Below you'll find 165 thru Big Boys. The first half is also found somewhere on BSD and/or BHGP. So, uh, go look for it. After you've read this one, I mean. Hope you enjoy.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>165 LBS<br>
</h4>
<div><br></div>
<div><i><b>1) What did you think of the seeding here?</b></i></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
<b>RossWB</b>: Admittedly, I'm a homer, but I wasn't crazy about Nick Moore getting the 4-seed. For one thing, it means he's staring at a semifinal match with David Taylor, which, uh, sucks. (Hello, wrestlebacks.) But it's another case where schedule inequality is rearing its ugly head. Massa didn't face either Polz or Taylor in duals (although he did see Polz at Midlands) and he was injured (apparently) when Iowa faced Michigan. I know, you wrestle who's on your schedule, but it's still frustrating. And it's only going to get worse with the Big Ten adding more teams -- they really need to look into adding a few more conference dual meets to the schedule.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
<b>BSCAFF</b>: Couldn't agree more with adding some conference duals. It's stupid that PSU didn't wrestle Minnesota this year. But as far as seeding, I couldn't be happier that Moore and Yawn are on Taylor's half of the bracket.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><i><b><br></b></i></div>
<div><i><b>2) Can anyone keep it to a decision with Taylor?</b></i></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
<b>RossWB</b>: No. I know Polz kept him to a 13-7 decision earlier this year (sidenote: how did he pull that off?), but I don't see him doing it again if they meet in the finals. Taylor is just too damn good and a level (at least) beyond everyone else at this weight. That said, it would be kind of fun to see him take on the "other" Taylor at this weight, Massa. Massa was another super-hyped phenom and while he's run into a few speedbumps this year, he's had a lot of impressive wins. It would be fun to see the present vs. the future at this weight.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
<b>BSCAFF</b>: Dake can, but he's not in this bracket. Polz pulled off the feat when Taylor went too hard for a turn at the end of the 3rd period, and Polz reversed him to his back for 5 points at the buzzer. The bad news for Polz, should they see each other again, is that Taylor wasn't too happy at the end of that match.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><i><b>3) Other than Taylor trying to tech fall everyone at this weight, what are you most interested in seeing here?</b></i></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
<b>RossWB</b> :Honestly, I want to see who emerges as the second banana to Taylor at this weight. Is it Polz? Is it Massa? And can Moore get up to 3rd at this weight? To do that, he'll probably need to beat either Polz or Massa... but he's going to have to beat guys like that at the NCAA Tournament if he wants to get on the podium there -- no time like the present to start that process.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
<b>BSCAFF</b>: I'd like to see more of Massa. I've only managed to catch one match of his, a yawner versus Ohio State's Martin. In that one, Massa looked a lot like 149-Grajales, which is not at all what I expected with Donny Pritzlaf on the Michigan bench now.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<h4>174 LBS<br>
</h4>
<div><br></div>
<div><i><b>1) Any beef with the seeding here?</b></i></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>
<b>RossWB</b>: Not really. There are a lot of good wrestlers at this weight but a) most of them wrestled each other and b) most of the results were straightforward. Storley beat everyone. Evans beat everyone but Storley. Kokesh beat everyone but Evans and Storley. And so on.</div>
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<b>BSCAFF</b>: I have zero beeves to give. Unlike 149, everyone here met, which makes things simpler.</div>
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<div><i><b><br></b></i></div>
<div><i><b>2) Given the depth of quality at this weight and how close so many of the matches at this weight were, this weight still feels like it might be ripe for an "upset" or two. Who's your upset special at this weight?</b></i></div>
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<b>RossWB</b>: I'm not sure a 3-seed is exactly a big upset, but I think Kokesh could take this weight. He lost to Evans and Storley, but the Storley match was very close (3-1 in OT). Evans has given him a lot of problems over the last two years, but it's not impossible for him to beat The 'Stache. In their match this year, he was close on several shots; Evans' scrambling ability just carried him to safety. If Kokesh can actually score a few of those takedowns, then he could come out on top in the match.</div>
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<b>BSCAFF</b>: I think all of the top 6 are capable of winning the title. Even Blanton. He probably beats Storley at the Barn last month if his takedown doesn't get reversed by the officials. I think Brown takes out Heflin and Storley, but drops the final to the 'Stache. I like Kokesh a lot, but unfortunately for him, he's in the bottom half with Evans, who has been Kokesh cryptonite. Kokryptonesh.</div>
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<div><i><b>3) How do you feel about your guy at this weight?</b></i></div>
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<div>
<b>RossWB</b>: Pretty good. He's got Munster in the quarters, then probably Kokesh in the semis, and Storley in the finals. He hasn't wrestled Munster before, but he shouldn't have too much difficulty with him. While I think Kokesh could beat him in the semis, I still like Evans' odds in that match -- he just seems to match up very, very well with Kokesh. As far as beating Storley goes... well, that won't be easy, either, but their matches have been achingly close so far -- Evans just needs to be able to finish his shots against Storley.</div>
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<b>BSCAFF</b>: Well I just ruined any surprise to this answer. Matt Brown, aka Hulk Hands, has taken down all of these guys (except Evans - don't get me started on that match). If he can avoid the one or two mental lapses that we've seen him have, there's no reason he can't make the final. In other words, I feel pretty good too.</div>
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<h4><br></h4>
</div>
<div>
<h4>184 LBS<br>
</h4>
</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><i><b>1) Can Steinhaus make it interesting against Ruth?</b></i></div>
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<b>RossWB</b>: By "interesting" I primarily mean "can Steinhaus prevent Ruth from getting bonus points." And I think the answer to that is yes. Steinhaus is a big, tough dude with some nasty defense. Of course, he's never really faced a dude like Ed Ruth, either, who's so big and so fast he looks like he should probably be playing free safety for PSU. But I think this is just a really intriguing match, too. As best I can tell, they've never wrestled before so it's always interesting to see two highly-ranked guys who've never tangled before.</div>
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<div>
<b>BSCAFF</b>: 'Interesting' = less than a major? I think so. But I also think it's up to Ruth what the final score is. I'm a big Steinhaus fan - he's got an awesome duckunder that I wish he'd use more often, and he's just a really good, strong, mentally tough, technically precise wrestler. So it's nothing personal. Ed Ruth, aka So Fresh So Clean, just has some freakish gifts.</div>
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<div><i><b>2) So Lofthouse: good call or bad call?</b></i></div>
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<b>RossWB</b>: Good call, I guess. The argument for Gambrall is basically that he's done really well at this weight in the past -- but that was two years ago. Since then he hasn't done much at all and this year he's struggled a lot. Since he didn't qualify an NCAA slot at this weight for the Big Ten and since he wouldn't have much hope of getting an at-large bid from the NCAA selection committee, Gambrall would have needed to finish at least 5th in this event. That probably means winning 2, maybe 3 matches. I... don't exactly have faith in him pulling that off. Lofthouse isn't an exciting pick here and I don't think his ceiling is all that high, but he is a safer pick. He should beat the guys he's expected to beat and he probably won't lose in embarrassing fashion to the guys better than him.</div>
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<b>BSCAFF</b>: I like Gambrall better than Lofthouse, so I'm glad Brands went with the albino. Tough call, though. I think Gambrall's ceiling is higher than Lofthouse's - but his floor might be lower too. And, as you noted, given that Gambrall doesn't bring an auto qualifier to the bracket like Lofthouse does, the risk doesn't match the reward.</div>
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<div><i><b>3) What are the odds of any funny business at this weight?</b></i></div>
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<b>RossWB</b>: Low. There might be a little intrigue in Ruth-Steinhaus, but I'd still give Ruth a 90% shot of winning this weight -- and probably doing it in spectacular fashion. And I'll be equally as shocked if Steinhaus and Ihnen aren't 2nd and 3rd at this weight. It feels like there's a definite drop-off from Ruth to them and from them to everyone else at this weight.</div>
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<b>BSCAFF</b>: Ihnen could pull an upset over Steinhaus. He was awfully close in last year's Big Ten final. And don't overlook PA District III's (717 represent) Tony Dallago. Yes, he looks lazy at times. Bored, even. But he's funky enough to catch Ihnen or Steinhaus - both of whom are uber-technical and nearly devoid of funk. And he's got Mark Perry in his corner.</div>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<h4>197 LBS</h4>
<p><br><i><b>1) The Top 10 at this weight all made the final Coaches Poll. Would you have guessed that from watching the duals this year?</b></i></p>
<p><b>RossWB</b>: I would not, but I think it really just points out the weakness of this weight at a national level. It ain't like the B1G is overflowing with really good 197ers this year. There's Q and Schiller and maybe Gonzalez and... uh... yeah. On the other hand, this gives me hope that the Big Ten guys can do some real damage at this weight at the NCAA Tournament in a few weeks.</p>
<p><b>BSCAFF</b>: It's astounding. Michigan State's Luke Jones, who split time with McDiarmid, went 1-2 in the Big Ten (and didn't look good doing it), finished 18-8 on the season, ranked #32. This weight brings as many qualifiers - eight - as the loaded 174lbs class. It makes no sense.</p>
<p><br><br><i><b>2) Wright's the obvious favorite. Who can take him out?</b></i></p>
<p><b>RossWB</b>: Gonzalez fluked his way to a Big Ten title last year mainly because Sonny Yawn got upset in an earlier round. Unless the same thing happens to Q this year (pretty please?), I don't exactly like his repeat hopes. I think Schiller is the only guy who has a realistic shot at upsetting Q, but I don't think he has the offense to do it.</p>
<p><b>BSCAFF</b>: Campolattano has the athleticism to do it; I just don't know if he has the offense, yet. Gonzalez is athletic as well, and is the returning champ; but he hasn't looked too hot lately. And then there's Goldy's Schiller. Schiller gave Q a good match at the Southern Scuffle, losing by a tight 9-5 score. But I don't see any of them taking him out. Quentin's undefeated, which is unusual. He's been wrestling loose and happy all season long, pinning guys with youth wrestling moves for the heck of it. I hope he keeps it up for his last 10 or so matches.</p>
<p><br><br><i><b>3) Can Burak make a run, and is it necessary for him to make one for Iowa to win the team title?</b></i></p>
<p><b>RossWB</b>: I guess you'd have to define "make a run." Make the finals? Eh, that's might be a bit too much to hope for out of Burak. Finish above his seed? That seems doable. He's the 6-seed, but I don't think there are five 197ers definitely better than him. I can see him making a nice run in the consolation bracket and finishing 4th or 5th. Of course, to do that he's going to actually have finish some takedowns, which he's struggled with at times this year.</p>
<p>As far as Iowa needing him to make a run... I think you're right. Iowa needs points out of unexpected sources and of all the Iowa guys not seeded to make the finals, he probably has the best shot to throw a monkeywrench in things (other than Ballweg, but a #3 beating a #2 is not exactly a Cinderella story). Moore, Lofthouse, and Telford are all on the same side as the #1 seeds in their respective brackets and any upsets they pull would be legendary (moreso for Moore and Lofthouse than Telford, obviously). It's unlikely that Burak pulls a run like that... but it's also not impossible.</p>
<p><b>BSCAFF</b>: Burak's on a losing streak - but yes, he could make a run. Nebraska's Kolb wrestles like a heavy. I think Kolb has three takedowns all year long (unconfirmed). Then he'd likely see Gonzalez again. Gonzalez looks ripe for an upset to me. If Burak pulls that one off, then he gets a rubber match with Schiller. Burak got blowed out at National Duals, but he probably should have won their first meeting. And there you go - some good wrestling with a tiny bit of luck, and the Herman Munster of 197-lbers is in the final. And the Hawkeye contingent is probably smiling.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>285 LBS<br>
</h4>
<p><br><i><b>1) So - how happy are you that Nelson and Telford are on the same side of the bracket?</b></i></p>
<p><b>RossWB</b>: I hate it, but I knew it was going to happen. Bobby's been behind the 8-ball ever since he dropped that stupid loss to Capone and was too sick to wrestle at Michigan and Michigan State. He didn't have a chance to wrestle either Medberry or McMullan, but I think with a 7-1 record and his past accomplishments (B1G runner-up last year) he would have bumped one of them for a 2/3 seed and been on the opposite side of the bracket from Tony Nelson and his Spiral Ride of Stalltastic Doom. Maybe this will finally be the match where Bobby figures out how to beat Nelson. (NOTE: not holding my breath.)</p>
<p><b>BSCAFF</b>: I'm super pleased. First, only one of them can make the final (by my math). That's nice. And it also means I won't have to watch Nelson spiral ride Telford for six and a half minutes as the capstone to a great tournament. We're all winners, in that regard.</p>
<p><br><br><i><b>2) Most dangerous heavy not named Nelson is.....</b></i></p>
<p><b>RossWB</b>: Brock Lesnar. I mean, can you imagine him F5-ing one of these losers and -- oh. You meant in the Big Ten. Um. Medbery sounds like the real deal, but it's tough for freshmen heavies to make a big impact (I was stunned at what Telford did last year, honestly). I'm gonna go with McMullan from Northwestern. He schooled Medbery (9-3) when they met earlier this year.</p>
<p><b>BSCAFF</b>: Connor Medberry. Oh sure, he looks fat, slow and plodding like a Badger offensive guard - but he isn't. He's probably more naturally athletic than some of the CrossFit wonders like McClure and Chalfant. The best part about Medberry? He takes leg shots, and converts some of them. That's really cool.</p>
<p><br><br><i><b>3) Where does your guy finish?</b></i><b><br></b></p>
<p><b>RossWB</b>: I think good ol' Bobert finishes 3rd. I have no confidence in him getting by Nelson in the semis, but I think he bounces back on Sunday and finishes 3rd, just above his seed.</p>
<p><b>BSCAFF</b>: Seventh seed Jimmy Lawson. I'd like to project a run for him. I'd like to put him in the final, actually. All it takes at this weight is 3-points per match. That's not asking for much. But Jimmy's got a rough rode to hoe, with 2-seed McMullan and 3-seed Medberry to get there. I'm not that much of a homer, though I'll still put Jimmy at 5th or 6th. Wrestling above seed with this group, where there are no easy matches after the prelims, ain't too shabby.</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote>
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https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2013/3/8/4079764/bsd-bhgp-talk-big-ten-wrestling-championships-part-2bscaff2013-03-07T06:00:03-05:002013-03-07T06:00:03-05:00Big Ten Wrestling Championships Preview: Part Two
<figure>
<img alt="Wrestling" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CjQV10sQuOFsuUbc7tl6N28TIPY=/14x0:243x153/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9199409/wrest.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Wrestling | -Purdon't</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>BSD takes another look at the Big Ten Conference Wrestling Championships, following the release of pre-seeds.</p> <p>Monday afternoon the Big Ten <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bigten.org/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/030413aaa.html">released its pre-seeds</a> for the wrestling championship tournament. What are "pre-seeds"? They're the conference's first shot at seeding the field of wrestlers, and are subject to change. The process is as follows: 1) people who've watched wrestling all year long consider each wrestler's season resume, and take a stab at seeding them; 2) those people release those seedings for the world to review and discuss; 3) those people sit down with all of the coaches from the 12 squads, and hear arguments - if any - for why a particular wrestler should be ranked higher or lower. This occurs the Friday before the start of the tournament; 4) the final seedings and brackets are released.</p>
<p>It's a process that involves all of the stakeholders, builds interest through intelligent debate, and ultimately reaches a better result at the conclusion. Compare that to FBS Bowl Selection, or the hoopeyshoot brackets. Kinda cool, right? Having said that, the seedings do not typically see much change; just tweeks. Maybe you see a wrestler bump from 6 to 5; you're not going to witness the 8th pre-seed end up as the overall #1. Of course, that's also because the pre-seeds have been made after careful consideration to begin with. #Smarts.</p>
<p>One last quick note before we dive into the amended bracketology: by rule, only the Top 8 wrestlers get seeded, and though we've drawn each bracket with the top 4 seeds receiving a first-round bye, that's not going to be the case. The only exception to this rule occurs when a weight class received 8 or more qualifiers. In that scenario, the top 11 get seeded (and that's still no guarantee that 1 thru 4 all get a bye). But with that out of the way....</p>
<h4>125 LBS - Top 7 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276453/125LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="125lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276453/125LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362586692833"></p>
<p>Our guy Nico lands the #2 seed behind #1 McDonough of Iowa as we expected, who beat Nico at the dual February 1st on overtime rideout. Nico gets the toughest road possible, in my opinion, to bringing home the Big Ten title. His quarterfinal bout against Minnesota's Thorn is far from a gimme. Thorn was a round of 12 guy at 133 lbs two years ago, and has zero 'bad' losses on the year. He's tough. In the semi-finals he gets a third match against Jesse Delgado, who's a good bet to make the National semi-finals as well. And, of course, in the final Nico's likely to get a rematch with two-time national champion McDonough. There's not an easy match in that troika.</p>
<p>Conversely, #1 seed McDonough can sleep-walk his way into the final. He gets a quarterfinal match against the Duca/Malone winner. Malone is ranked 24th, but lost 0-10 to Cam Eppert. McDonough should get bonus from that one. In the semis he's likely to see Michigan's Boyle. And though Boyle himself is a former round of 12 participant, he's not a good matchup style-wise with McDonough. That could also be bonus for the Hawkeye.</p>
<p>With the easier road to the finals, and the 12 hour gap from last weigh-ins to the final, I'm giving the nod to McDonough.</p>
<h4>133 LBS - Top 7 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276911/133_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="133_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276911/133_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593088165"></p>
<p>Jordan Conaway snared the 4-seed; one spot better than we figured him for. Best of all, Thomas, who Conaway beat at Illinois immediately following his pinfall loss to Ramos, got the 5-seed. If Jordan can repeat that victory in the quarterfinals, he's into the NCAAs, since the Top 7 qualify. He wouldn't have to win another match (by my bracketing, at least. Consume this claim with caution).</p>
<p>Why stop at the semis? Why not put him in the final? Because sledge hammer Logan Stieber will be Jordan's semi-final opponent. I'd usually write a qualifier in there, such as "probable" or "likely" semi-final opponent. Not in this instance, though. Stieber's the returning National Champion, and, in my view, is a lot better than he was last year. He already owns a first period pinfall victory over Conaway, as well. So, yeah.</p>
<p>From a team race standpoint, Iowa's Ramos has a harder road to hoe than Stieber. With Minny's Dardanes getting the 7-seed, Ramos, like Nico at 125, gets an R12 opponent in the quarterfinals. Then he's likely to get All-American Graff in the semi-final, before facing Stieber in the nuclear explosion of the finals. All of that bodes well for Penn State, because Iowa's top point scorer this season might only score bonus if he gets a pigtail/opening round match. Hooray!</p>
<h4>141 LBS - Top 6 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276919/141_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="141_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276919/141_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593126185"></p>
<p>Everything we wrote above about Conaway, paste it here for Pearsall. Bryan earned the 4-seed. He should make it to the semi-final. And then he'll face a hammer named Stieber. With the Top 6 at this weight heading to the NCAAs, Bryan shouldn't have to win another match besides his quarterfinal (again, according to my bracketing).</p>
<p>The downside to this weight is that either Iowa or Minnesota will get a(nother) finalist. Nebraska's Ridge Kiley, with the 6-seed, is the only guy with a shot at ruining that - and it's not a very good shot. Though Kiley is ranked 23rd nationally, he sports just a 14-9 record which includes a 1-6 loss to his quarterfinal opponent, Iowa's Ballweg. So that sucks.</p>
<h4>149 LBS - Top 8 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276935/149_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="149_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276935/149_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593240022"></p>
<p>You have to feel bad for the seeding committee on this one. There are some real head scratchers, but none of the top guys wrestled each other. Ness missed time with injury. Tessari sat out a couple of matches. Grajales and Lopouchanki didn't miss time - but they did miss all of the top competition. And, of course, our guy Andrew missed the entire month of January.</p>
<p>All of that said, the seeding committee came up with the same Top 6 that BSD did. So they must be really smart. Andrew Alton gets the 6-seed, and could really wreck the whole bracket from there. Hopefully he gets an opening round match against a bottom-of-the barrel opponent, and puts him on his back in the first minute as is Andrew's custom. Either way, Andrew's quarterfinal opponent is 3-seed Lopouchanski, who owns a 5-2 decision over James English. Lopouchanski transferred to Purdue from UNC-Greensboro, when that program was cancelled. He's never made All-American. He can be had here.</p>
<p>I'm hoping Andrew takes him, because if he does, he's likely to see Minnesota's Dylan Ness in the semi-final. And that is a matchup I'm dying to see. Ness, of course, finished National Runner-Up last year to Frank the Tank at this weight. But what makes this match so intriguing is that both of these guys throw. We could see 10 different, really wild ass 5-point throws that you might not see again for six years. Haymaker and haymaker.</p>
<p>From that point, I'm putting Andrew into the consolations, where he exacts revenge on Sueflohn and then takes out 1-seed Grajales to finish 3rd. A strong finish from Andrew is just what the head shrinker ordered before Nationals.</p>
<h4>157 LBS - Top 7 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276943/157_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="157_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276943/157_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593265434"></p>
<p>As if to underscore the fact that NWCA All-Star matches do not count towards the season's record, our guy Dylan Alton takes the 3-seed. Not that it matters all that much. The top 4 guys at this weight are all within a takedown of each other. And then the 5 thru 8 guys are similarly comparable.</p>
<p>Dylan will start off with another match against Ohio State's Demas, against whom he's never lost. And then he'll get a semi-final (re)match against Northwestern's Welch. Dylan dropped his first match against Welch last year 1-2 at the Welsh-Ryan dual. But he's won both bouts since then: a 6-2 win in the national 3rd place match, and a 3-2 decision at the aforementioned NWCA All-Star dual.</p>
<p>In the final - Penn State's second finalist - Dylan gets a rematch with Iowa's St. John. Discussing their bout at Carver-Hawkeye this year makes me want to vomit, so I'll skip over that and simply note that I'm taking Dylan as Penn State's first Big Ten champion this year.</p>
<h4>165 LBS - Top 8 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276951/165_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="165_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276951/165_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593300924"></p>
<p>In a stunning move, the seeding committee handed the 1-seed to David Taylor. Taylor truly is head and shoulders above everyone in this bracket. But from a team perspective, the seeding committee put Iowa's and Minnesota's 165-lbers on Taylor's half of the bracket. And, of course, Taylor has tech falled both of them (Moore from Iowa, and Yawn from Minny). So that was a nice move, particularly since, if Moore had been on the other half of the bracket, he had a decent shot at making a finals run. Hooray, seeding!</p>
<h4>174 LBS - Top 8 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276959/174_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="174_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276959/174_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593409649"></p>
<p>As previously mentioned, this bracket consists of almost nothing but All-American candidates. Even 9th and 10th seeds Leigel and Welch are dangerous. It's a ridiculous amount of talent on display.</p>
<p>Matt Brown comes in as the 5th seed, after four painfully close losses in conference to 1-seed Storley (a defensive pin while leading 4-2), 2-seed Kokesh (time expired as he locked up a cradle), 3-seed Evans (I'm going to be sick if I have to describe how Brown lost that scramble), and 4-seed Heflin (hooray for stalling). So yes - this 5-seed was earned on the mat. But if you look back through the brackets, you won't find another 5-seed with the finals potential of Brown, either. Just about all of those 4 losses could have gone the other way, in which case Matt Brown would enter this bracket as the national #1 and front-runner for the title.</p>
<p>All of that is not to whine, but to point out that the difference between 1 and 5 is paper thin. Actually, make that 1 and 6, as 6-seed Blanton lost a nail biter to Storley after a takedown was reversed. But whatever. You get the idea. Unfortunately I was not able to fully separate my homerific tendencies, and so I have Brown making the final. I do give the Big Ten title to Cumberland Valley's Mike Evans. But that's just because I want Hawkeye fans to have hope of winning the team title before those hopes ultimately get crushed.</p>
<h4>184 LBS - Top 6 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276967/184_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="184_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276967/184_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593437573"></p>
<p>Well, look at this: Ed Ruth is the #1 pre-seed. I'm betting that this one doesn't change.</p>
<p>Beyond that, like Taylor's weight, there isn't a whole lot to discuss. Minnesota's Steinhouse is a pretty good bet to make the final, and it'll be a fun matchup to watch. Steinhouse is a textbook technical wrestler with a really great duckunder that he doesn't use often enough. But, no. I see no way he knocks off So Fresh, So Clean.</p>
<h4>197 LBS - Top 8 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276975/197_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="197_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276975/197_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593465074"></p>
<p>Quentin is undefeated, ranked #2 nationally, and squares with the 1-seed in this bracket. But - even though this is tournament time - this isn't the NCAAs just yet. Last year proved that Quentin can throw out a headscratcher when it's not win or go home. And 3-seed Gonzalez and 4-seed Campollattano both posses the athleticism to hang around with Q and make him work. Minnesota's Schiller, as the 2-seed, is not as athletic, but he's a better wrestler than those two. So Q's anticipated final match up isn't a gimme, either (though Q did put up a comfortable 9-5 win at the Scuffle on Schiller).</p>
<p>With those qualifiers out of the way - yes, Quentin takes home another Big Ten title in his last Big Ten tournament.</p>
<h4>285 LBS - Top 9 Qualify</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276983/285_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="285_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2276983/285_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362593489354"></p>
<p>When the Top 9 finishers qualify for Nationals, and four of the 12 competitors include White, Lopez, Ohio State's Tavanello for an injured Capone, and 197-lber Johnson from Nebraska - well, then Jimmy Lawson is going to the NCAAs. That's the good news.</p>
<p>The bad news is that for a conference to garner 9 automatic bids, the weight class is pretty stacked. And, after looking at the bracket, that premise seems to hold water. Jimmy comes in as the 7-seed. He should get a patsy in an opening round match that he, hopefully, bonuses. And then it's a showdown with Wyoming Seminary's 2-seed Mike McMullan, now wrestling for Northwestern. McMullan is one of those slim and fit heavies, probably around 220 - 230. Can Jimmy pull the upset? Yes. Does he? What the heck - let's say yes.</p>
<p>Jimmy moves onto the semi-finals, where he faces what I consider to be the most dangerous wrestler in the bracket not named Tony Nelson - Wisconsin's Connor Medberry. Medberry looks like he plays Guard for the Badgers football team. Can Jimmy pull another upset here? Yes. Does he? I don't think so. That's one too many upsets to project. In the wrestlebacks, he's likely to get a McClure or Chalfant in the consolation semis. I think Jimmy finishes 5th or 6th, either of which are above his pre-seed.</p>
<p>More bad news: Minnesota's Nelson is a good bet for champ. More good news: Iowa's Telford is on the same side of the bracket, so they both can't make the final. Hooray seedings!</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>OVERALL</h4>
<p>
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<table class="tableizer-table"><tbody>
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<th></th> <th>PSU</th> <th>Iowa</th> <th>MN</th> <th>OSU</th> <th>ILL</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Semi-Finalists</td>
<td>10</td>
<td>7</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>3</td>
</tr>
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<td>Finalists</td>
<td>6</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>1</td>
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<td>Champions</td>
<td>4</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>0</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>Ten semi-finalists, 6 finalists, and 4 champions. Does that bring home a third straight championship? It does, by a fairly comfortable margin too. I could see that semi-finalist total at 8 instead of 10 pretty easily. Finalists at 4 instead of 6, and champions at 3 instead of 4. If that's the scenario, does it bring home the title? Ehhhh. I'd be close.</p>
<p>I guess we'll have to tune it to find out.</p>
<blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/BSDtweet" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="true" data-lang="en">Follow @BSDtweet on Twitter</a><br>And join us on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Shoe-Diaries/161813843845442" target="_blank"> Facebook</a><br>All BSD community members should review our current <a href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2012/6/5/3066778/commenting-and-posting-policy-for-bsd" target="_blank">Posting & Commenting Policies</a> before creating any posts or commenting.</blockquote>
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2013/3/7/4071032/big-ten-wrestling-championships-preview-part-two-penn-state-iowabscaff2013-03-04T11:00:08-05:002013-03-04T11:00:08-05:00Big Ten Wrestling Championships Preview
<figure>
<img alt="Big Tens" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/0ooK73UCKTqruuXdgNq478FD0wI=/0x10:259x183/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9052611/wrest.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Big Tens | GoPSUSports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>BSD previews the best conference championship around - Big Ten Wrestling - before the pre-seeds come out.</p> <p>Oh sure, we could wait for the Big Ten to announce pre-seeds, or for the actual brackets to come out. That would certainly improve our prognostications. But waiting is too difficult. And besides, I'm not averse to making a complete ass out of myself with horrendous predictions.</p>
<p>We roll through each weight class in this post. Each weight class sports its own roster of wrestlers, their projected seed, their final Coaches Poll rank, their season record and record in Big Ten duals. We stop the prognosticating within the brackets at the quarterfinals, as an anti-jinx against last year's Big Ten Championship quarterfinals. If the brackets/charts prove too difficult to read, you can: 1) get reading glasses; 2) hook your pc into your big screen tv; 3) try sprinkling Extenze on your monitor; and/or 4) click the bracket to embiggen.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>125 LBS - Top 7 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261063/125LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="125lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261063/125LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362333740162"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: McDonough beat Minnesota's Zach Sanders for the 10,000th time, and everyone saw it coming. Our guy Nico finished 5th, dropping a semi-final to Sanders and getting upset by jNW Levi Mele in the wrestlebacks.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: McDonough beat Megaludis beat Delgado beat McDonough. Here at BSD, we're figuring McD to get the #1 seed, which will put Nico and Delgado into the bottom half of the bracket. To make matters worse, we gave Nico the worst possible seeding outcome - facing #12 Thorn in the quarters, which could be another slobber-knocker of a bout.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-McDonough, 2-Nico, 3-Delgado</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>133 LBS - Top 7 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261095/133_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="133_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261095/133_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362334858860"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: Stieber beat Ramos, and then Ramos tried to stab Stieber with a chef's knife. Frank Martellotti finished 7th to grab the last auto bid to NCAAs.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: You get 4 of the national Top 10, but Stieber-Ramos could be the bout of the century. If this final match-up happens, it's worth the entire weekend's ticket price by itself. On the PSU side, Conaway has really impressed this season, seeming to improve each month as the year has worn on. But he's likely to have a tough quarterfinal bout no matter where he gets seeded - you could make arguments for anywhere from #3 to #6. In the bracket above we put him at #5, likely facing #4 Dardanes (a returning All-American) for the first time.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-Stieber, 2-Ramos, 3-Dardanes. Conaway finishes 6th, punching his ticket to Nationals.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>141 LBS - Top 6 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261103/141_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="141_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261103/141_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362334881659"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: Kellen Russell and Montell Marion were in the field, and this weight still only took the Top 5. Pearsall finished seventh and missed the NCAAs.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: Stieber's on a little higher level than everyone else in this bracket. Dardanes and Ballweg are one notch below. And then you get four more ranked guys that are relatively equal. That's seven guys for six spots. Pearsall's proven he's at the top of that 3rd group during the season. Let's hope it plays out the same way this weekend.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-Stieber, 2-Dardanes, 3-Ballweg. Pearsall takes 4th, and heads to Nationals.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>149 LBS - Top 8 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261119/149_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="149_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261119/149_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362334901976"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: Frank Molinaro killed the field, not allowing a single point to be scored on him. Dylan Ness learned to hate a bow-and-arrow.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: Ten of the 12 are ranked by the Coaches. Call me stupid, but I think Ness is a notch above the guys in this field, including likely #1 seed Grajales. But seeds 3 thru 6 can all beat each other. Making the quarterfinals should approach the NCAA blood-round in terms of competitiveness. Same with the semi-finals, which should all be great matches. Our guy Alton can beat all of them, and lose to some of them as well. This is a real toss-up weight.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-Ness, 2-Tessari, 3-Alton</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>157 LBS - Top 7 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261127/157_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="157_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261127/157_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362334926365"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: DSJ beat Welch on one leg off of - wait for it - counter shots. Who would guess that one?</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: It's the same crowd all over again - they're just ranked higher nationally this time around, because the top 4 all made All-American last season. Alton has beaten Welch the last two times he's faced him, has never lost to Green, and was closer to beating DSJ than ever before. But none of those wins (or the losses to DSJ) have been overwhelming. All four of these guys wrestle each other to 1 or 2 point decisions. So this weight could give us a few fireworks as well.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-Alton, 2-DSJ, 3-Green</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>165 LBS - Top 8 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261135/165_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="165_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261135/165_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362334950405"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: David Taylor scored bonus on everyone, including Mike Evans in the final.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: David Taylor scores bonus on everyone, including Conrad Polz in the final.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-Taylor, 2-Polz, 3-Massa</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>174 LBS - Top 8 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261143/174_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="174_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261143/174_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362334973016"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: Ed Ruth scored bonus on everyone, including Logan Storley.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: The Top 8 seeds are ranked in the Top 11 nationally. Wow. Storley's beaten all of them, winning un-conventionally in a lot of those matches. He beat Brown with a defensive pin; Evans with a key reversal; Blanton with an official reviewed and reversed takedown. In other words, the top 5 here are all very, very close.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-Evans, 2-Brown, 3-Storley</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>184 LBS - Top 6 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261151/184_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="184_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261151/184_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362334997117"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: Steinhaus beat surprise finalist Josh Ihnen. Ihnen reached the finals after Quentin Wright fell asleep, thinking he had a lead over Ihnen that he didn't.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: Ed Ruth. Thanks for stopping by, everyone else.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-Ruth, 2-Steinhaus, 3-Ihnen</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>197 LBS - Top 8 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261159/197_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="197_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261159/197_LBS_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362335018701"></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: Yawn vs. Powless! It's faaaannntastic! IL-LOL-nois' Gonzalez was your surprise champ.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: Which youth wrestling move will Quentin use to pin a nationally ranked guy this time? He's spladled Wisconsin's Hein. He figure-4'ed Matt Wilps' head. I'm still waiting to see that Peterson.</p>
<p><b>Prediction</b>: 1-Wright, 2-Schiller, 3-Gonzalez</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>285 LBS - Top 9 go to NCAAs</h4>
<p><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261167/285_LBS.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="285_lbs_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2261167/285_LBS_medium.JPG"></a></p>
<p><b>Last Year</b>: Tony Nelson went on a run that continued all the way through the final wrestling match of the season. Ten Big Ten heavies got tickets to Nationals, so it was a loaded field.</p>
<p><b>This Year</b>: Ohio State's Capone doesn't look likely to wrestle. He's been out of commission since his injury default to PSU's Jimmy Lawson. Nelson is a cut above, but seeds 2 thru 7 or 8 are all very close to each other. I'll go way out on a limb and predict a lot of tight scores from the heavyweights.</p>
<p><b>Predictions</b>: 1-Nelson, 2-McMullan, 3-McClure. PSU's Lawson finishes 6th, and heads to the NCAAs.</p>
<p> </p>
<h4>OVERALL</h4>
<p>Penn State qualifies all 10 for NCAAs for the first time since I can't remember when. These predictions give us six Penn State finalists and four champions. That should be enough to bring home a third straight Big Ten title.</p>
<p>We'll revisit the Big Ten Championships with another post after the pre-seeds are announced. In the meantime, we're one day closer to Saturday.</p>
<blockquote>
<a href="https://twitter.com/BSDtweet" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="true" data-lang="en">Follow @BSDtweet on Twitter</a><br>And join us on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Shoe-Diaries/161813843845442" target="_blank"> Facebook</a><br>All BSD community members should review our current <a href="http://www.blackshoediaries.com/2012/6/5/3066778/commenting-and-posting-policy-for-bsd" target="_blank">Posting & Commenting Policies</a> before creating any posts or commenting.</blockquote>
https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2013/3/4/4059906/big-ten-wrestling-championships-previewbscaff