125 lbs
#16 Jacob Schwarm (Northern Iowa) Vs Drew Mattin (Michigan)
As of right now on paper, this one seems to belong to Schwarm. The two haven't met yet, but as of late, Schwarm has been wrestling better than Mattin. What makes this match interesting is two things. Both are freshmen at their first NCAA tournament. So neither have the advantage of experience nor the element of "nothing to lose because I have three years left." The Wolverines have one of their best teams ever, which could produce one of their best finishes ever. The team title itself has all but been placed into the hands of either Penn State or Ohio State, but the race for third place is hot and heavy. That has to be weighing on Mattin's mind and could be the motivation needed to pull the upset.
133 lbs
#8 Montorie Bridges (Wyoming) Vs Ben Thornton (Purdue)
At first glance this would seem like a routine major decision victory for the slick and aggressive Bridges. Yet Thornton's style is to slow a fast pace down and frustrate an opponent who grows tiresome of of being unable to score. If Thornton can keep the match close in the first two periods, I think he can wear Bridges down and pull off the upset.
#14 Korbin Myers (Edinboro) Vs Scott Delvecchio (Rutgers)
The two met earlier this season, and while it ended in a tiebreaker, Delvecchio came away the winner. I think we'll have another close match, but I think Delvecchio will win again here.
141 lbs
#12 Tyler Smith (Bucknell) Vs Brent Moore (Virginia)
A lot of people are picking Moore to upset Smith in this match, but I'm not one of them. Smith has been a steady, fighting hand for the blue and orange for the past four seasons. One of the most ignored and unheralded of those at 141, they made his path to All American status anything but easy. While knocking those above him off may not play in the cards, I think he'll at least show the wrestling world that he was worth paying attention to.
#11 Michael Carr (Illinois) vs Henry Pohlmeyer (South Dakota State)
A lot of Rider wrestling fans are not happy with Pohlmeyer's inclusion in the 2018 NCAA tournament. They feel that their Tyson Dippery should have gotten the nod in the at large bid selection over him. It'll be interesting to see how they feel if Pohlmeyer is able to knock off Carr. Based on Carr's outstanding "out of nowhere" performance at the BIG 10's, it isn't that much of a stretch to think that he might knock of Heil in the second round. Yet he wrestles a style that suits Pohlmeyer quite well. Pohlmeyer likes to wrestle those who are constantly on the attack. He's put more than one person on their back who has wrestled that style and he's stuck a couple of them as well. If Carr goes after Pohlmeyer like the bat out of Hell he was at the BIG 10's, Pohlmeyer could end up catching Carr on his back.
#10 Mason Smith (Central Michigan) Vs Tommy Thorn (Minnesota)
Smith stuck Thorn earlier this season, and it was clear that Thorn was not 100% at the BIG 10's. If still not 100%, then I'll gladly tip my hat to Smith in this match up. However, if 100%, an unseeded Tommy Thorn is about the last person I'd want to face. He's a returning All American, and although it was two years ago, a 14-8 decision proves that he has beaten Smith before and he can again. While their is a case for others out of those unseeded, Thorn is arguably the most legitimate threat to AA.
149 lbs
#3 Grant Leeth (Missouri) Vs Steve Bleise (Minnesota)
Another match, that on paper seems like an open and shut case. The reason why I think this could be a good one is because of Leeth's loss to Davion Jeffries of Oklahoma and because of timing for Bleise. Bleise is a tough kid. He proved that wrestling 141 lbs for Northern Illinois the past two seasons. It's taken him time to adjust to a Minnesota Golden Gopher schedule and up 8 lbs from 141. I think the little break between the BIG 10's and the NCAA's is the mental readjustment that Bleise needs. Upset or not, I think this one will be very close.
#2 Brandon Sorensen (Iowa) Vs Jared Prince (Navy)
In a world where all ended right and happened as it should I wouldn't ever dare dream of suggesting what I'm about to type. As the planets align, Saturday night will come, Sorensen will be given his silver medal and we'll happily place him among the list of best to never win an NCAA title. Yet his path in getting their is anything but easy. It doesn't even start out simple. His first round opponent is Navy's Jared Prince. A guy who while still in high school was defeating All American's Randy Cruz of Lehigh and Richard Durso of Franklin and Marshall. The conservative and reserved Sorensen could find himself in trouble against the not afraid to put points on the board Prince. Most likely his defense will prove to be unpierceable and he'll walk away with a one or two point victory. Simply noting the possibility of a different outcome.
157 lbs
#16 Mike D'Angelo (Princeton) Vs Taleb Rahmani (Pittsburgh)
Not a huge upset but I do see Rahmani winning here.
#13 Luke Zilverberg (South Dakota State) Vs Justin Staudenmayer (Brown)
Staudenmayer has had quite the career at Brown. He started off with a flash as a freshman making a quick name for himself placing at various tournaments and garnering some notable wins. Then it seems he all but disappeared minus wrestling well enough at the EIWA's for an NCAA qualification. In his last year as a bear, he found himself earning a second Midlands medal that he hadn't seen since his freshman campaign, along with a handful of notable victories to add to his resume. Considering Zilverberg already handled him quite easily 5-0 earlier this season, there is no logical reason to think Staudenmayer will win here. Yet wrestling is rarely logical. Staudenmayer has an uncanny ability to show up when least expected. Probably won't, since I sort of expect it now. But just in case he does....
#11 Clayton Ream (North Dakota State) Vs Paul Fox (Stanford)
I argued last year numerous times that Paul Fox of Stanford was one of the best 157 lbs wrestlers in the country and it wasn't until the NCAA tournament when Fox placed seventh without the benefit of a seed that he proved me right. Kick me in the can, the son of a gun is doing it again to me this year. I still maintain that Fox is one of the best 157 lbs wrestlers and again he's coming into the NCAA's without a seed. He knocked Ream off last year in route to his All American finish and I say history repeats itself.
165 lbs
#12 Nick Wanzek (Minnesota) Vs Keilan Torres (Northern Colorado)
Torres defeated Wanzek twice last year, once by major decision. I don't necessarily think that sets a victory for Torres in stone, but I do think it helps to merit my belief in an upset here. They're almost identical on so many levels. Both carry a 22-10 record into the NCAA tournament. Both are seniors, with one last shot to do something defining for themselves and their teams. Both have risen to the challenge and shown their potential and both have had some ugly performances. That's what makes this match interesting to me.
#16 Jonathan Chavez (Cornell) vs Andrew Atkinson (Virginia)
There's always that guy in the background of films. He's never the main star. He's not even the secondary character. Yet there he is. You don't know his real name. He's just "that guy"....."yeah, I know who you're talking about." You can name 15 films you've seen over the years with him in it, but you have no idea what his name is. He's just, "That guy." That's who Andrew Atkinson is to the 165 lbs weight class. With the depth of competition he's not a name to come up often in talks of All American candidacy, yet if mentioned no one is quick to dismiss him either. He's the unsung 13th warrior of the Caviler squad and I say he sings at least one more song before his career is over. And I say it happens here in this match.
I'm 100% certain that Vincenzo Joesph of Penn State will eat right through Princeton's Jonathan Schleifer but I'm anxious to see what Schleifer does through the consolations. He has a run like he did at this year Midland's, he'll be like an unstoppable Michael Myers from HALLOWEEN to any who stand in his way.
174 lbs
#15 Dylan Lydy (Purdue) Vs Johnny Sebastian (Northwestern)
These two have met twice this season going 1-1 against each other with identical 2-1 scores. Find that rather interesting and worth mentioning in a weight class I foresee going as the seeding committee thinks it ought to. At least in the first round.
197
#2 Ben Darmstadt (Cornell) Vs Jake Smith (West Virginia)
This is the first round match I look forward to the most tomorrow. I get accused of going out on a limb sometimes and I'll admit there are times I dangle from the edge of the leaf, but I don't think I am here. I think this is simply the case of a wrestler good enough to win the 197 lbs weight class, being overlooked because of injury and being given the shaft in drawing the #2 seed first round. In all honesty I feel bad for Darmstadt. There isn't a high seed with a worse draw than him. Out of the seven losses Smith has had this season, nearly all of them have been by 1 point and two of those 1 point losses were to #8 Nate Rotert of South Dakota State and #3 Jared Haught of Virginia Tech. There will be the biggest upset of round one tomorrow and I say this is exactly where it happens.
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