The Buckeyes will return from the Thanksgiving break and the schedule will get increasingly more difficult, starting with the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on December 4th and 5th.
Ohio State has fared well at the CKLV Invitational of late, winning the tournament in 2011 and 2012 and finishing in the top 3 each of the last two seasons. The Buckeyes enter the field on the heels of a slim victory over a game Cleveland State team, but as noted above, the competition will drastically improve, starting with the CKLV.
Let’s take a look at the field at the CKLV and some of the wrestlers to keep an eye on at one of the toughest in-season tournaments in NCAA wrestling.
125 POUNDS
Ranked wrestlers: 14
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 1 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: No. 3 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) finished 2nd
Who to watch: Tomasello will see some familiar faces at the CKLV as he has previously been defeated by Joey Dance (Virginia Tech) and Dylan Peters (Northern Iowa). Dance has started 2015 off with a bang, earning an upset over Penn State’s Nico Megaludis in his only match of note to this point. Michigan’s Conor Youtsey was an All-American a year ago, but hasn’t wrestled much yet this season. NCAA runner-up Zeke Moisey is also in the field, but has been inconsistent to this point in the season. David Terao (American), Ronnie Bresser (Oregon State), Barlow McGhee (Missouri), and Chasen Tolbert (Utah Valley) are all guys with placement potential, but the smart prediction is either Tomasello or Dance walking away with the title.
Buckeye outlook: Tomasello is the front-runner, but Dance is no walk in the park. NaTo is certainly capable of winning the 125 lb division, but the road to the finals won’t be an easy one. We won’t see many tech falls added to Nate’s record, but he is just as capable of winning the close decisions.
133 Pounds
Ranked wrestlers: 13
Highest ranked wrester: No. 1 Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) and No. 1 (in Division 2) Daniel DeShazer (Nebraska- Kearney)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: No. 4 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell) won the 125 lb division
Who to watch: Seven of the top ten wrestlers in the 133 lb division are slated to wrestle at the CKLV. Top-ranked Brewer has been a point-scoring machine this season and should be the favorite, especially since his trip to the NCAA title included major decisions over Johnni DiJulius and George DiCamillo. Garrett has been a slow-starter this season and may struggle to keep Brewer from taking him down over and over. Wisconsin’s Ryan Taylor (a high school teammate of Bo and Micah Jordan) was an All-American last season, but has yet to wrestle this season. DiJulius won the CKLV in 2013 with a pin against Brewer. JDJ, Rossi Bruno (Michigan),DiCamillo (Virginia), and Earl Hall (Iowa State) are all placement contenders. DeShazer also is a serious contender, placing 5th last season at the CKLV with a pin over DiCamillo and a quarterfinal decision over JDJ.
Buckeye outlook: DiJulius has previous wins over Brewer, DiCamillo, and Hall, but his performances in the current season have yet to inspire much confidence. If JDJ is firing on all cylinders, he is a threat to repeat as champion. If he continues to let his opponent hang around in the match with a chance to win (as he did against Alfredo Gray of CSU, DiCamillo, etc.), he is going to eventually get burned.
141 Pounds
Ranked wrestlers: 7
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 8 Solomon Chisko (Virginia Tech), No. 1 (In D2) Keith Surber (Nebraska-Kearney)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: None, but No. 14 Todd Preston (Harvard) was a quarterfinalist
Who to watch: The 141 lb weight class has seen almost a complete changing of the guard with the graduation of guys like Logan Stieber, Devin Carter, and Nick Dardanes. This weight is really up for grabs, although Chisko (Virginia Tech) and Tommy Thorn (Minnesota) are among the front of the pack. Preston is experienced as is Purdue’s Danny Sabatello, but neither has the kind of resume that inspires much confidence. George Fisher (Michigan), Surber, and Jamel Hudson (Hofstra) have placement potential.
Buckeye Outlook: Micah Jordan could very well run rampant through this bracket and earn his first CKLV championship. Thorn and Chisko are also highly-touted recruits, but Jordan’s wrestling pedigree is second to none in this weight class. Micah is ranked low early in the season due to a schedule devoid of top competition, but some of the field here will provide a feather for his cap should he come out on top.
149 Pound
Ranked wrestlers: 10
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 6 Lavion Mayes (Missouri) and No. 1 (in D2) Destin McCauley (Nebraska-Kearney)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: No. 14 Alec Pantaleo (Michigan) took 2nd place
Who to watch: 149 is another wide-open weight class. Mayes moved up to 149 after an All-American finish at 141 a year ago. Gabe Moreno (Iowa State) finished 3rd at last year’s CKLV in a relatively weak field, but had a disappointing NCAA tournament. Sal Mastriani (Virginia Tech) is a streaky wrestler, as is Pantaleo. McCauley has taken a wild journey since being one of the biggest recruits in the country out of high school. With no real front-runner present in 149, Mayes and McCauley could be on a collision course in the finals on Saturday, but Moreno is probably more likely than McCauley.
Buckeye outlook: Cody Burcher has shown flashes of brilliance, but took a serious slide in yielding a pin in the Cleveland State dual. He is capable of a couple of wins in Las Vegas, but anything more than that would be a pleasant surprise.
157 Pounds
Ranked Wrestlers: 11
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 2 Ian Miller (Kent State)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: Justin Staudemeyer (Brown) placed 4th
Who to watch: After a pair of lackluster weight classes, 157 picks it up. Oak Harbor native Ian Miller is one of the most exciting wrestlers in the country with a bevy of takedowns at his disposal. Miller fell victim to one of the worst calls in recent memory at last year’s NCAA tournament, but rallied back to earn 5th place. Miller along with No. 4 Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech and another high school teammate of Bo and Micah Jordan) should be the frontrunners in this weight class. Depending on how the bracketing shakes out, Doug Welch (Purdue) and Joey Lavallee (Missouri) are high placement candidates, along with Jake Ryan. Lavallee hasn’t wrestled yet in 2015 and is rumored to be hampered by injury, as is Murphy, who defaulted in the dual against Oklahoma. The field ought to be wide-open behind Miller and Brascetta and the door is open for some young guys to make a name for themselves.
Buckeye outlook: Ryan has gained a bit of a reputation as an effective defensive and counter wrestler, but his tech fall against Vaughn of Cleveland State (admittedly lesser competition than he’ll face at CKLV) showed that he is able to score offensive points as well. Again, pending his bracketing, Ryan could be in position to place and put himself into the spotlight at 157.
165 Pounds
Ranked Wrestlers: 10
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 2 Bo Jordan (Ohio State)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: Cooper Moore (Northern Iowa) placed 4th
Who to watch: Isaac Jordan is a two-time All-American finisher at the NCAA tournament and is the prohibitive front-runner at 165. I say prohibitive because Tom Ryan confirmed that Bo Jordan will be making his long-awaited drop to 165 this weekend. If Bo drops to 165, he and Isaac are on a collision course in the finals. If Bo is at 165, pray for those in his half of the bracket. Behind the cousins Jordan, Cooper Moore is just about the lone standout at 165. Moore had a nice season last year, but ran into a buzzsaw in Bo Jordan at the NCAA tournament and fell in the blood round at NCAAs to an Austin Wilson on a hot streak. Iowa State’s Tanner Weatherman is trying his luck at 165 after competing at 174, but has a loss to Virginia Tech’s David McFadden. Clark Glass (Oklahoma), Duke Pickett (Cornell), Weatherman, Garrett Sutton (Michigan), and McFadden all have placement capabilities, but a Jordan should win this weight class.
Buckeye Outlook: If Bo drops to 165, he’s going to finish top 2. The field is relatively weak, so Bo will rattle off bonus point victories for the Buckeyes and help push the team to the top of the team standings.
174 Pounds
Ranked Wrestlers: 9
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 1 Brian Realbuto (Cornell) (ranked No. 1 in the latest InterMat rankings with Bo No. 2 at 165)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: No. 5 Blaise Butler (Missouri) finished 2nd last year for Virginia
Who to watch: Realbuto is up from a runner-up finish at the NCAA tournament at 157 a season ago. He was the other half of the most controversial match I’ve ever seen (along with Ian Miller of Kent State). I’m interested to see how Realbuto looks at 174 lbs after a pair of successful years at 157. He’s undefeated to this point, but relatively unchallenged. Zach Epperly has taken on some tall orders to date this season and was an All-American last season. Blaise Butler transferred from Virginia and is now wrestling his final season at Mizzou. Butler was pinned in last year’s NCAA blood round by Epperly, but Missouri has a much better room of workout partners for Butler, so he is sure to demonstrate growth in his last season. Lelund Weatherspoon (Iowa State) dropped from 184, but has yet to make waves at 174. A wrestler to watch is Davonte Mahomes (Michigan), who is a true wildcard. Mahomes has great potential, but loses winnable matches with high frequency.
Buckeye outlook: Ryan Harris will get the nod this weekend in Las Vegas. Harris was a great “get” for the Buckeyes and flew under the radar somewhat. He could score some upsets because there isn’t much tape out there on Harris. Myles Martin will not wrestle for the Buckeyes at the CKLV Invitational, but rather he will wrestle unattached (with many of the other freshman Buckeyes) at the Nittany Lion Open. Since Myles will wrestle unattached (not officially representing Ohio State), he will keep his redshirt intact, but his performance this weekend could lead to him getting put in the starting lineup in January.
184 Pounds
Ranked Wrestlers: 11
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: No. 3 Blake Stauffer (Arizona State) took 1st place
Who to watch: On paper, this is the premier weight class at this year’s tournament. Gabe Dean is the defending NCAA champion, but had a tough tournament in Vegas in 2014, finishing fourth. Following the CKLV, Dean caught fire and didn’t lose another match for the rest of the season on his way to an NCAA title. Stauffer (Arizona State), Kenny Courts (Ohio State), Hayden Zilmer (North Dakota State), and Willie Miklus (Missouri) should all be in the field and all of them finished on the podium at the NCAA tournament last season. Abounader of Michigan has incredible potential, but had a disappointing NCAA tournament. If this tournament were contested ten times, there may be ten different placement combinations, though I see Dean winning a majority nearly every time.
Buckeye outlook: Kenny Courts, ranked No. 4 in InterMat’s latest poll, is up and down as much as anyone in the country. He beat Zilmer twice at the NCAA tournament to finish 5th, but also lost to Stauffer. He didn’t place at the 2014 CKLV, but managed to catch fire in March and was a big part of the Buckeyes winning the national championship. Kenny could finish as high as 2nd or could finish off of the podium. He hasn’t had much action yet this season, so this will be a great litmus test for Kenny.
197 Pounds
Ranked Wrestlers: 9
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 2 J’Den Cox (Missouri)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: No. 13 Jared Haught (Virginia Tech) won 5th place
Who to watch: J’Den Cox won the NCAA title in 2014 over Ohio State’s Nick Heflin, but hit a pair of roadblocks in Kyle Snyder and Morgan McIntosh last season to prevent him from repeating. He hasn’t seen much action yet this season, but is always dangerous. Michigan’s Max Huntley and Minnesota’s Brett Pfarr will push Cox for the title, but J’Den is ultimately the class of this group. Mark Martin of Ohio State will look to make his mark at his new weight class and Haught (Virginia Tech) will look to place again.
Buckeye outlook: Mark Martin was a middle-of-the-road wrestler at 174 when he let the action come to him. He is taking the leg attacks to his opposition at 197 and his fondness for the weight room will help him hold his own at 197. Mark came into college as the starter at 165, so he’s got a skill set that isn’t frequently seen at 197. Martin could win some matches and place if he stays on the attack.
Heavyweight
Ranked Wrestlers: 9
Highest ranked wrestler: No. 2 Ty Walz (Virginia Tech)
Highest returning placer in 2014 tournament: Walz took 2nd place
Who to watch: Ty Walz has really turned the corner in the past year and is closing out his career on a high note. His victory over Adam Coon at the NWCA All-Star Classic was impressive and a major shot in the arm for the Hokie heavyweight. Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa) actually defeated Walz at last year’s NCAA tournament, but failed to place. In a contest of “best facial hair,” Cabell is the hands-down winner. Amarveer Dhesi (Oklahoma State) is a guy with a couple of NCAA wins under his belt and Ross Larson (Oklahoma) has experience on the big stage, as well. The latest Minnesota heavyweight in a long line of stars (Shelton Benjamin, Brock Lesnar, Cole Konrad, and Tony Nelson, to name a few), Michael Kroells, has an All-American finish to his name, but probably won’t push Walz for the top spot. Tavanello has the ability to beat any of the wrestlers in the field, but his cardio looked like it had a long way to go against Shaw of Cleveland State.
Buckeye outlook: Tav dealt with injury much of last season, but when healthy and in top shape, he is capable of beating anyone in the CKLV field. He has wins earlier in his career over Walz and Coon (Michigan, who will not be wrestling in Las Vegas this weekend), but some of his losses last season were head-scratchers due to his injury. This is a relatively thin field and Tavanello is an athletic, undersized heavyweight. His abilities make some style matchups that put him in an advantageous position to place high in this tough tournament.
Team Outlook
Virginia Tech, Ohio State, and Missouri should be the leaders of the pack in the team race. Virginia Tech has finalist potential in Dance, Walz, Epperly, Chisko, and Brascetta, but there are few big point-scorers in the other five weight classes. Missouri has a strong chance of winning at 197 with J’Den Cox, Blaise Butler at 174, and Lavion Mayes at 149. The Tigers will need points outside of that trio, but a few titles could put them right in the thick of things. Michigan stands a chance to contest for the title, but they’d need to get some big wins from guys like Mahomes and Sutton because they are a deep team, but don’t have many title contenders.
Ohio State is in a great position to place at the top of the heap as long as Bo, Micah, and Tomasello all are finalists. DiJulius has won the CKLV before, but should place in the top 5 this weekend since the field now features Nahshon Garrett and Ryan Taylor. Mark Martin could surprise a lot of people with a high finish at a new weight and Tavanello is capable of high placement as well. If the Buckeyes get bonus points from the front-runners mentioned above, anything from guys like Jake Ryan, Burcher, and Ryan Harris will be icing on the cake. A fifth straight top-3 place isn’t out of the question for the Buckeyes, but a team title is certainly within possibility if the chips fall in the Buckeyes’ favor.
The event will run on Friday and Saturday, beginning at 9 PST on both days. Friday’s action will run through the quarterfinals and the action will wrap up Saturday evening with the finals starting at 3 PM PST on Saturday evening.
Flo Wrestling will have video of the action, but it’s only available to premium subscribers.
Follow Ohio State wrestling or other reputable Twitter personalities for updates on the action and be sure to check back with Eleven Warriors for a recap of the action.
