2020 BIG 10 Preview = 174 lbs

I really, really appreciate this weight class because nearly everyone has wrestled everyone.  There's a bit up for debate in some of the seeding but for the most part I feel it is fairly straight forward.  A deep weight class full of ten wrestlers who I feel have earned allocations, plus two more who could pose a threat.

#1 seed without question goes to Iowa's Mike Kemerer who has looked phenomenal thus far this season. It'll be easier said than done knocking off two time BIG 10 champion Mark Hall of Penn State but with a convincing 11-6 head to head victory, he's the clear #1 going in.

Purdue's Dylan Lydy has more than earned the #3 spot here & it's difficult for me to imagine that this year's CKLV & Midlands champ has yet to finish any better than fifth here.  Very difficult to believe that he has yet to be an All American.  I don't see him knocking off Hall in what should be a semi-final match-up but I do see him finishing a strong third.

How to seed Nebraska's Mikey Labriola, Ohio State's Kaleb Romero & Minnesota's Devin Skatzka takes some analyzing.  Labriola and Skatzka have split this year with Libriola winning 7-5 s.v and Skatzka winning 7-2.   Skatzka has also split with Romero winning 1-0 and then losing 2-1.  Labriola  defeated Romero twice by scores of 2-1 and 3-1.    With that, I think it puts Labriola at #4, Skatzka at #5 and Romero at #6.   I don't see too many complaints with Labriola, although I know some will come back at me thinking Romero should be ahead of Skatzka.

I think the rest of the weight class as I have it seeded is fair.


Who to keep an eye on here is Tyler Morland of Northwestern.  His record is nothing to look at but they guy can be dangerous in the right situations.  Last season he took a losing record into the BIG 10's and upset his way to qualification.  Even won a match at the NCAA's.  Ended the season with a losing record, but nevertheless as an NCAA qualifier.

I also wouldn't put it past Rutger's Willie Scott to pull off an upset or two.  Grello is most likely not wrestling due to injury & I'd imagine that Scott will wrestle here.  It's his final BIG 10 tournament. He's wrestling in front of his home crowd.  Those types of motivators can make a person wrestle at their best. It'll be fun to see what happens.


How I'd seed it?

#1 Mike Kemerer junior Iowa
#2 Mark Hall senior Penn State
#3 Dylan Lydy senior Purdue
#4 Mikey Labriola sophomore Nebraska
#5 Devin Skatzka senior Minnesota
#6 Kaleb Romero freshman Ohio State
#7 Joey Gunther senior Illinois
#8 Jacob Covaciu junior Indiana
#9 Layne Malczewski freshman Michigan State
#10 Philip Spadafora sophomore Maryland