March Madness? More like Mat Madness. Today, the Ohio State wrestling team will pick up where they left off at the Big Ten Championships when they look to make a run at the program's first NCAA title at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.
In addition to the team title, the storyline at the forefront of the tournament is Logan Stieber and his pursuit of a fourth NCAA title. Stieber will try to join Pat Smith (Oklahoma State), Cael Sanderson (Iowa State), and Kyle Dake (Cornell) as the only wrestlers to achieve the momentous feat.
Stieber won't be alone in his quest for yet another NCAA championship, as the Buckeyes qualified wrestlers in all 10 weight classes to the NCAA tournament.
Let's take a look at how the NCAA tournament may shake out this weekend.
125 lbs
2014 Champion: Jesse Delgado (Illinois)
Wrestlers to Watch at 125: No. 1 Alan Waters (Missouri), No. 2 Nahshon Garrett (Cornell), No. 3 Joey Dance (Virginia Tech), No. 4 Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State), No. 6 Thomas Gilman (Iowa), unseeded Jesse Delgado (Illinois)
The selection committee (much like the selection committee for the NCAA basketball tournament year in and year out) is taking heat for some of the seeding this year, but no weight class has caused as much controversy as 125.
Delgado missed most of this season due to injury, finished fourth at the Big Ten tournament, and failed to earn a seed. That Delgado has won each of the last two NCAA titles at 125 must not have factored into the clandestine seeding process, because the Illini senior has a tough road ahead of him if he is to win a third championship. To advance to the finals, Delgado will likely meet the No. 8, No. 9, No. 1 and No. 4 seeds before a possible rematch of last year's finals against Garrett (a bout Delgado won 3-2).
Speaking of Garrett, he is an unstoppable force when he decides that he wants to score a takedown. Both of Dance's losses this season came in close matches against seeded wrestlers and he has wins over Tomasello, Gilman, No. 5 seed Sean Boyle (a Michigan graduate who is working on a graduate degree at Chattanooga), and No. 9 seed Dylan Peters. Waters has an All-American finish to his credit to go along with a perfect record to date. Waters is the obvious favorite, but he has faltered in the past. Gilman can't ever be counted out of the hunt because of the team race, which is a great motivator.
Buckeye Outlook at 125: Tomasello shocked a great number of people with consecutive upsets of Delgado and Gilman at the Big Ten tournament. Tomasello's four losses have all come at the hands of seeded wrestlers and he avenged the loss to Gilman in a big way. An All-American finish is to be expected out of Tomasello as he is peaking at the perfect time. Tomasello will meet NC State's Joe DeAngelo in the opening round.
133 lbs
2014 Champion: Tony Ramos, Iowa (Graduated)
Wrestlers to Watch at 133: No. 1 Chris Dardanes (Minnesota), No. 2 Ryan Taylor (Wisconsin), no. 3 Cory Clark (Iowa), No. 4 Johnni DiJulius (Ohio State), No. 9 AJ Schopp (Edinboro)
Dardanes is undefeated at 23-0 this season, but he has never finished in the top 3 at the NCAA Tournament and failed to place last season. Taylor finished the regular season on a hot streak, but didn't look outstanding at the Big Ten Tournament and appeared outmatched against Dardanes in the finals. Clark is interesting in that he is tough to predict and will be in the midst of Iowa's team title hunt. Schopp is a real hammer on top, but missed part of the season due to a lingering injury and his status isn't exactly inspiring confidence in me.
Buckeye Outlook at 133: JDJ had a nice conference tournament, finishing fourth and earning the No. 4 seed at the NCAA tourney. DiJulius has shown a concerning trend of losing the match if he is unable to score a first period takedown. JDJ often appears to show frustration if he isn't able to score in the first frame (often by way of a killer fireman's carry) and allows that to weigh upon him throughout the match.
DiJulius has previous wins over a number of wrestlers in his quarter of the bracket, which could propel him to a match with Zane Richards (Illinois) in the quarterfinals or Dardanes in the semifinals. Johnni has never earned All-American status, but this appears to be his year to finish high on the podium. DiJulius will face the winner of a pigtail between Ian Nickell and Troy Heilmann in the first round.
141 lbs
2014 Champion: Logan Stieber, Ohio State
Wrestlers to Watch at 141: No. 1 Logan Stieber (Ohio State), No. 2 Mitchell Port (Edinboro), No. 4 Devin Carter (Virginia Tech), No. 6 Nick Dardanes (Minnesota), No. 5 Josh Dziewa (Iowa)
All eyes will be on Stieber and his historic chase for a fourth title. The NCAA recently began changing the order of the finals to showcase the biggest storyline in the last match of the championship. If Stieber wins his semifinal match, the 141 lbs. finals match should be the last match of the tournament.
“I’m excited. It has been a long journey. It’s going to be fun. We have a good team, and I think we can be in it for a team title. I’m just going to take it one match at a time and enjoy my last weekend.”– Logan Stieber
Carter overcame a nasty injury last season before advancing to the NCAA final where he lost a major decision to Stieber. This season, Carter has lost only three matches, but two of them are to Stieber and Port. Port failed to take out Stieber when the two may at the National Duals, but he has been stellar otherwise. Dardanes has a narrow loss to Stieber from the dual in January and owns a freestyle victory over Logan from last summer. He will certainly have "upset" on the brain, but Dardanes would have to advance to the finals if he is to unseat Stieber. Dziewa is an excellent wrestler, but Stieber has his number, to say the least.
Buckeye Outlook at 141: It's title or bust for Stieber. Expect him to rack up bonus points early and often to lead the Buckeyes in the team title race. Stieber's assault on the field starts on Thursday against the unfortunate pigtail winner between Jordan Laster and Chuck Ziesloft. Logan will most likely have a rematch on Friday night with either Devin Carter or Josh Dziewa in the semis.
149 lbs
2014 Champion: Jason Tsirtsis, Northwestern
Wrestlers to Watch at 149: No. 1 Drake Houdashelt (Missouri), No. 2 Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern), No. 3 David Habat (Edinboro), No. 4 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa), No. 5 Chris Villalonga (Cornell), unseeded Josh Kindig (Oklahoma State), unseeded Hunter Stieber (Ohio State)
Tsirtsis and Kindig battled to overtime in last year's NCAA final with Tsirtsis winning 3-1. Tsirtsis only has a single loss to his name this season, but it came to Sorensen. Houdashelt has just one loss to this point (to Kindig), but his relatively weak MAC schedule gives me little confidence in picking him to win the title. Habat was an All-American a year ago, but suffers from unfortunate bracketing and may meet Kindig and Stieber in the first two rounds on Thursday. Sorensen is a prototypical Iowa wrestler with a bottomless gas tank and a knack for takedowns.
Buckeye Outlook at 149: Though he has never been to an NCAA final, Hunter has advanced to the semifinals in each of his first two seasons. A nagging injury kept Stieber on the shelf for most of the year and hampered his output at the Big Ten tournament in between flashes of the Stieber we are used to seeing. If the Buckeyes are going to challenge for an NCAA team title on Saturday night, they are going to need vital placement points out of the younger Stieber. Hunter will take on Hofstra's Cody Ruggirello and will then face either Habat or Kindig in the round of 16.
157 lbs
2014 Champion: Alex Dieringer, Oklahoma State
Wrestlers to Watch at 157: No. 1 Isaiah Martinez (Illinois), No. 2 Brian Realbuto (Cornell), No. 3 Dylan Ness (Minnesota), No. 4 James Green (Nebraska), No. 7 Ian Miller (Kent State), No. 6 Josh Demas (Ohio State), unseeded Nick Brascetta (Virginia Tech)
I don't have much faith in Realbuto, but I can't really say why. Martinez, on the other hand, is probably my second pick for lock of the tournament. The redshirt freshman impressed me to no end at the Big Ten Tournament with lightning quick takedowns.
To be completely honest, I can't recall seeing anyone finish a takedown as quickly as I-Mar did in the Big Ten semis. I spoke with Martinez's coach (and NCAA champ) Mark Perry who told me the sky is the limit for Isaiah.
Minnesota's Dylan Ness was the NCAA runner-up last season and is one of the most exciting wrestlers in the country with a habit of always looking for the big moves. He is bracketed away from Martinez and Green, so he may be a repeat finalist before the weekend is over. James Green had the number 1 spot on lock down for much of last season, but hasn't seen the same success this season. Green bides his time, but can flip a switch and score points in a hurry.
Buckeye Outlook at 157: Josh Demas had a serious dip in the middle of the season, but appears to have righted the ship at the right time in his last season. Demas is bracketed away from James Green, who beat Demas twice at the Big Ten tournament. While he avoids Green and Martinez, Demas could find himself in a rematch with Ness in the quarterfinals and Demas could avenge the narrow defeat from January.
Josh has never earned All-American honors, though he certainly has the ability. If he is able to at least match his seed, the Buckeyes would be in a great position in the team race. Demas will get the opportunity to start making his mark on the team race as he starts the tournament against Iowa's Michael Kelly on Thursday in the opening round.
165 lbs
2014 Champion: David Taylor, Penn State (Graduated)
Wrestlers to Watch at 165: No. 1 Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State), No. 2 Michael Moreno (Iowa State), No. 3 Isaac Jordan (Wisconsin), No.4 Nick Sulzer (Virginia), No. 5 Bo Jordan (Ohio State)
The Big 12 conference only has four schools that field wrestling teams, but the top two seeds at 165 are from Big 12 schools. With that said, those teams in the Big 12 don't exactly wrestle a knock down drag out schedule, so I feel like Moreno's record may be slightly inflated.
Dieringer is legit, owning a pair of major decision victories over Moreno, but Oklahoma State doesn't participate in the National Duals, so Dieringer doesn't have many other strong wins on his undefeated record aside from a win over Sulzer.
Moreno caught Isaac Jordan in a pin when they met, but that's about the extent of his resume. Isaac Jordan secured the No. 3 seed after winning the Big Ten title over his cousin. Sulzer is a St. Edward graduate who is relentless when he is in on a leg.
Buckeye Outlook at 165: Bo suffered his first collegiate loss in the Big Ten championship to his cousin, so I pity those in his way for the first few rounds. I don't know that I've ever seen anyone with more focus in the sport than Bo, and his workmanlike attitude will allow him to bounce back in a big way.
Bo should end up high on the podium on Saturday, scoring big team points for the Buckeyes along the way. Bo starts his tournament run against Michigan's Garret Sutton before a possible face off with Sulzer in the quarterfinals.
174 lbs
2014 Champion: Chris Perry, Oklahoma State (Graduated)
Wrestlers to Watch at 174: No. 1 Robert Kokesh (Nebraska), No. 2 Matt Brown (Penn State), No. 3 Mike Evans (Iowa), No. 4 John Eblen (Missouri), No. 6 Logan Storley (Minnesota)
If this tournament were wrestled on four consecutive weekends, we may very well have four different Top 4 placement orders featuring the same four wrestlers. Kokesh leads the pack with an undefeated record with wins this season over Storley and Brown. The Cornhusker is as strong as an ox and doesn't give up many points, so his opponents need to capitalize if given a chance.
Two of Matt Brown's three losses this season are to Kokesh and he is a strong candidate in the bottom half of the bracket as he has previously bested Storley and Evans this season (both are in the bottom half with Brown). Storley is wildly inconsistent, but usually kicks it into high gear at the NCAA tournament. Evans will be looking to score big placement points for the Hawkeyes, but he isn't exactly known for keeping the scorekeeper busy (this is a nice way of saying that I find his style horribly boring). Virginia's Blaise Butler could also turn some heads this weekend.
Buckeye Outlook at 174: Mark Martin was the biggest pleasant surprise at the Big Ten tournament, rattling off a few nice wins. Martin is the No. 10 seed, but if he is able to wipe off the chalk and beat his seed, the Buckeyes will only look better in the team race. Martin stands a shot at a low All-American finish if he is able to keep the ball rolling. Martin will open the tournament on Thursday against a tough Kurtis Julson of North Dakota State before a probable rematch with Virginia Tech's Zach Epperly.
184 lbs
2014 Champion: Ed Ruth, Penn State (Graduated)
Wrestlers to Watch at 184: No. 1 Gabe Dean (Cornell), No. 2 Max Thomusseit (Pitt), No. 4 Jack Dechow (Old Dominion), No. 7 Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh), No. 3 Blake Stauffer (Arizona State)
Watching the NCAA Championships
All six sessions of the NCAA Wrestling Championships
will be streamed on WatchESPN. Thursday's sessions,
along with Friday and Saturday's first session, will air
on ESPNU. Friday and Saturday's second session,
featuring the championship bouts, will be broadcast
on ESPN.
Preliminary matches begin at Noon ET Thursday and
continue into the evening session beginning at 7 p.m.
The third session will begin Friday at 11 a.m., with
quarterfinal action and wrestlebacks highlighting the
schedule. The fourth session begins at 8 p.m. and will
feature semifinal action.
Saturday morning marks the conclusion of the
consolation bracket as third-, fifth- and seventh-place
winners will be decided beginning at 11 a.m. The sixth
and final session is scheduled for Saturday evening
at 8 p.m. where NCAA champions will be crowned.
Dean turned some heads last season when he did the unthinkable and upset Ed Ruth during the regular season, putting himself firmly in the discussion for a national championship. Dean lost a pair of matches early in the season but has been on an absolute tear since. He will be the favorite, though Zilmer of North Dakota State and Meeks of Oregon State bested Dean this year.
Thomusseit was a high school teammate of Bo Jordan and is known for his freakish strength. Dechow (whose name always reminds me of Lightning McQueen's Kachow! rally cry despite the fact that it is pronounced "Deck-ow") avenged his only loss of the season against Willie Miklus of Missouri en route to a MAC title. Dechow hasn't wrestled many of the favorites, so he will be a bit of an unknown this weekend.
Buckeye Outlook at 184: Kenny Courts has been a cautionary tale of unmet expectations, riding more ups and downs this season than the cars on a roller coaster. Kenny's Big Ten tournament didn't inspire any confidence that he is on an upswing. He will open the tournament against No. 6 seed Hayden Zilmer of North Dakota State on Thursday.
197 lbs
2014 Champion: J'Den Cox (Missouri)
Wrestlers to Watch at 197: No. 1 J'Den Cox (Missouri), No. 2 Morgan McIntosh (Penn State), No. 3 Kyven Gadson (Iowa State), No. 4 Kyle Snyder (Ohio State), No. 5 Scott Schiller (Minnesota)
Cox was a surprise (for me, at least) NCAA champion a year ago and he enters the tournament undefeated this year. He is a remarkable athlete with a sweet blend of power and quickness, but he seems to rely upon his physical gifts at times and lets his focus waver. McIntosh won the Big Ten title, avenging an earlier loss to Snyder.
McIntosh is deceptively strong and capitalizes on mistakes with the best of them. Snyder has experience in tournaments on the world stage, so he is no stranger to competing under the bright lights.
Buckeye Outlook at 197: As mentioned, Snyder has a huge amount of experience, especially considering that he is just a true freshman. Snyder will be relied upon heavily to score big team points for the Buckeyes if Ohio State is going to stick with Iowa and Minnesota in the team race. Snyder will be a strong contender for the top of the podium on Saturday night, but he will start his quest on Thursday against Braden Atwood of Purdue before a possible rematch with Schiller on Friday in the quarterfinals. Snyder is in the same half of the bracket as Cox, so the two could possibly meet on Friday night in the semifinals.
Heavyweight
2014 Champion: Nick Gwiazdowski (NC State)
Wrestlers to Watch at Heavyweight: No. 1 Gwiazdowski, No. 2 Mike McMullan (Northwestern), No. 3 Bobby Telford (Iowa), No. 5 Connor Medbery (Wisconsin)
Gwiazdowski is undefeated and in the enviable position of having won a title last season. Gwiz is deceptively agile for a man of his size and stands in a great position to repeat as champion. McMullan was the favorite heavyweight among Buckeye fans (aside from Tavanello, that is) at the Big Ten tournament with his win over Telford securing the co-championship for the Buckeyes.
McMullan has big stage experience, but will most likely have to defeat Telford in the semis to get a crack at Gwiazdowski. Telford is your typical Iowa big man, capitalizing late in the match after minimal attacking for much of the match. The team race could again rest on Telford's broad shoulders.
Buckeye Outlook at Heavyweight: Nick Tavanello missed much of the season with a knee injury, but he returned just before the postseason looking less than 100 percent. Tav finished last season's tournament just a match shy of All-American status, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a repeat of that performance. Any points Tavanello can score for the Buckeyes will be crucial to the team race, especially if Tav can defeat frequent opponent Ty Walz of Virginia Tech in the opening round.
The NCAA tournament starts today and will be aired in its entirety on the ESPN family of networks. Be sure to check back for results as they happen and follow along on Twitter for commentary and reaction to Ohio State's – and Logan Stieber's – big weekend.
