Wrestling Preview: No. 4 Buckeyes Look To Bounce Back Against No. 13 Rutgers

By Curt Heinrichs on February 6, 2017 at 11:45 am
No. 4 Kollin Moore
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The fourth-ranked Buckeyes will look to rebound from a pair of tough losses on Monday night as they welcome a capable Rutgers team to St. John Arena. 

The Buckeyes are coming off of a pair of losses to No. 3 Iowa and No. 2 Penn State, so they will gladly welcome the Scarlet Knights as a chance to get back in the win column. 

Rutgers features a returning All-American in Anthony Ashnault at 141, and the match could feature three bouts between ranked wrestlers. 

Let's take a look at what to expect when Rutgers comes to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes. 

Illinois Fighting Illini
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
11-3 overall, 5-2 Big Ten
ROSTER | SCHEDULE

7:00 PM – MONDAY, FEB. 6
ST. JOHN ARENA
COLUMBUS, OHIO

AIRING LIVE ON BTN

SCARLETKNIGHTS.COM
 

The No. 13 SCARLET KNIGHTS (11-3 OVERALL, 5-2 BIG TEN)

Head Coach: Scott Goodale

Goodale is in his 10th season as head coach of the Scarlet Knights, and is building Rutgers into a notable program a step at a time. Rutgers has earned an All-American in each of the past three seasons, including two straight by Anthony Ashnault at 141. Rutgers earned a record of 7-11 in dual meets in their first two seasons in the Big Ten, but Goodale is gradually guiding the Scarlet Knights to consistently high team rankings.

Two-time NCAA champion Donny Pritzlaff (Wisconsin), John Leonardis (Lehigh), and Joe Pollard (Rider) comprise Goodale’s coaching staff.

Ohioans on the Rutgers Roster

Alex Mackall (Fr, 125)
Mackall was a two-time state finalist for Walsh Jesuit High School, winning the Division I state title as a junior in 2014.

Kyle Kremiller (RS Fr, 197)
Kremiller was state champion in Division II for Perry High School at 195 lbs. He also finished fourth at the state tournament in 2014.

Notable Scarlet Knight Wrestlers

No. 6 Anthony Ashnault (RS Jr, 141)
Ashnault is a two-time All-American at 141, finishing fourth at last year’s NCAA tournament following his first Big Ten title. Ashnault is 23-3 on the season with his only losses coming as close decisions to the No. 2 and No. 4 ranked wrestlers at the weight. Ashnault is currently undefeated against Big Ten competition this season.

Ashnault is the only returning All-American for the Scarlet Knights, but they have ranked wrestlers at 149, 157, and 184.

Probable Lineups
#4 Ohio State WT #13 Rutgers
#18 Jose Rodriguez 125 Brandon Paetzell
#1 Nathan Tomasello 133 Scott DelVecchio
#15 Luke Pletcher 141 #6 Anthony Ashnault
#5 Micah Jordan 149 #14 Ken Theobald OR Anthony Giraldo
Anthony DeCarlo 157 #18 John Van Brill
Cody Burcher 165 Willie Scott OR Anthony Pafumi
Justin Kresevic 174 Phillip Bakuckas 
#10 Myles Martin 184 #13 Nicholas Gravina
#4 Kollin Moore 197 Matthew Corrienta
#1 Kyle Snyder HWT Razohnn Gross

Key Matchups

141- No. 15 Luke Pletcher (21-3) vs No. 6 Anthony Ashnault (20-3)
Pletcher suffered a tough loss to Jimmy Gulibon on Friday night, but he won’t get an opportunity to rebound with an easy win as his next three opponents are all currently ranked in the top 12 at 141. This tough stretch begins with Ashnault, who has a knack for winning tight matches against capable opponents.

149- No. 5 Micah Jordan (21-2) vs No. 14 Ken Theobald (16-5) or Anthony Giraldo (15-6)
Jordan came out with guns blazing against Zain Retherford, but ended up on the wrong end of a tech fall against the top-ranked Nittany Lion. Theobald is a tough opponent, but Jordan should be able to handle him with ease if Micah is able to have a short memory and push the Retherford loss out of his mind.

184- No. 10 Myles Martin (20-5) vs No. 13 Nicholas Gravina (16-5)
Martin has two tough losses in a row, thanks to Sammy Brooks of Iowa and Bo Nickal of Penn State. Gravina is beatable, but Martin will need to bounce back quickly if he is going to put an end to his current losing skid. Gravina is tough, but his defense is not rock-solid by any means, which gives Martin plenty of opportunities to get in on his legs and improve upon finishing his shots quickly.

Match Outlook

Rutgers is a decent team, but they’re a definite tier or two below Ohio State’s last two opponents. The Scarlet Knights will come into Columbus riding a two match winning streak over Michigan State and Indiana, but Ohio State is significantly better than both, even missing Bo Jordan and Jake Ryan. The Buckeyes should rebound from a pair of tough losses and refocus their efforts for the upcoming weekend featuring two Big Ten duals.

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