Should be a pretty good year for Rutgers I would think. The school Hell bent on showing the nation what New Jersey wrestling is all about has 7 natives on their squad either varsity or least contending for varsity, and from where I sit could qualify as many as 9 to the NCAA tournament. I think in the least, they'll send 6. 5 of these individuals contend for All American status, with one a solid candidate for a national title and the other not quite as solid, but still a candidate for a national title.
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| 125 Dylan Shawver Freshman Record: 4-3 |
I'm basing a lot on one match here, but I would think that if you are able to defeat 3rd place NCAA All American Pat McKee of Minnesota 6-5, that your name in the very least belongs in the discussion for a top 33 spot in the NCAA. A year of experience under his belt, he contends for NCAA qualification.
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| 133 Sebastian Rivera Senior Record: 100-19 NCAA: 18'6th, 19'3rd, 20'NQ*, 21'4th BIG 10: 18'5th, 19'1st, 20'1st, 21'3rd MIDLANDS: 18'3rd, 19'1st, 20'4th CKLV: 19'1st |
4th place in the nation is one Hell of an accomplishment and I'm not trying to suggest otherwise. What I'm saying though, is that I feel 141 wasn't as good of a fit as what 133 was/will be for Rivera. I think it'll show in terms of strength and execution this season. A 10-4 loss to Stevan Micic of Michigan illustrates the tough road that it'll be, but a 7-2 victory over Roman Bravo-Young provides evidence that Rivera does indeed contend for the NCAA title this season. If he (and this goes for anyone BIG 10 133) can win a BIG 10 title & a NCAA title, with as loaded as 133 is, that deserves some type of honor.
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| 141 Sammy Alvarez Sophomore Record: 29-10 NCAA: 20'NQ BIG 10: 20'6th SOUTHERN SCUFFLE: 20'1st |
He more than proved himself to be a top 12 wrestler at 133 lbs. An impressive title run at the Southern Scuffle, I would think he'll do quite well at 141. Yet I want to see him at 141 before I make up my mind. No doubt about it, a top 33 wrestler. I don't question NCAA qualification at all. Top 20? Yes. Top 16, probably. Top 12 or higher? Let's find out.
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| Mike Van Brill OR Gerard Angelo 149 Senior OR Sophomore Record: 63-50 OR Record: 25-21 NCAA: 20'NQ, 21'NQ OR BIG 10: 20'7th, 21'3rd OR MIDLANDS: 18'R12 OR SOUTHERN SCUFFLE: 20'8th OR |
Van Brill looked phenomenal at last year's BIG 10 tournament. Smooth, solid, confident and on a mission. What a performance in route to a 3rd place finish. Yet at the NCAA's he completely crapped the bed going 0-2. It's a mental state of affairs and he's capable of doing more big things and having more successes like his 3rd place finish at the BIG 10's. 7-2 over Max Murin of Iowa, 6-1 over Kanen Storr of Michigan and 7-2 over Griffin Parriott of Purdue. With the depth of 149, at this point I think Van Brill is a low end All American. I can see him in that 7th place match by year's end.
Having a guy like Gerard Angelo in the room backing him up is going to help. He's a tough kid in his own right. Completely demolished two time NCAA qualifier Colston DiBlasi of George Mason 14-3 and took it right to two time NCAA qualifier Graham Rooks of Indiana 13-7. He'll sit behind Van Brill this season, but be a solid hand for Rutgers the next two.
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| Robert Kanniard OR Nick Santos 157 Freshman OR Junior Record: 17-9 OR Record: 27-12 |
I don't know who wins this wrestle-off, but either way I think we see about the same results. I'm giving either one of these guys a begging man's chance at NCAA qualification. Kanniard's most notable win in my opinion is a 7-5 overtime victory of Elijah Cleary of Pittsburgh (formally of Ohio State). Santos is 0-2 at 157 lbs, but fared respectably at 149. A 15-4 major decision of Jake Keating of Virginia.
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| Jackson Turley 174 Sophomore Record: 21-10 NCAA: 21'8th BIG 10: 21'WC |
An All American last season, Turley will once again attend for All American honors. With the field of talent within 174 lbs, including Iowa's Mike Kemerer, Virginia Tech's Mekhi Lewis, North Carolina State's Hayden Hidlay, Penn State's Carter Starocci, Nebraska's Mikey Labriola and Michigan's Logan Massa, I look for a similar finish to last year's result.
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| 184 John Poznanski OR Billy Janzer Freshman OR Sophomore Record: 14-5 OR 40-21 NCAA: 21'4th OR 20'NQ, 21'NQ BIG 10: 21'3rd OR 20'WC, 21'8th |
While he did get handled 10-2 by NCAA champion Aron Brooks of Penn State, he did take NCAA runner-up Trent Hidlay of North Carolina State into the tiebreakers. What impressed me most about Poznanski last season was not only defeating Oklahoma State's Dakota Geer twice, but once by a score of 14-2. I'll say that his probability is slightly less than that of Rivera's, but he does give the Scarlet Knights another shot at an individual national title.
With a national champion contender at the weight, two time NCAA qualifier Billy Janzer will sit backup this season. With victories over the likes of Tanner Harvey of American, Cam Caffey of Michigan State, Jonathan Loew of Cornell, Jelani Embree of Michigan and Max Lyon of Purdue, he more than deserves recognition for his toughness.
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| 197 Greg Bulsak NCAA: 18'NQ, 19'NQ, 20'NQ, 21'NQ EWL: 18'2nd, 19'WC MAC: 20'1st, 21'3rd CKLV: 19'6th, 20'6th |
He's been to the dance four times already and I'd really like to see him get out on to that dance floor and really rock and roll. He seems to hold back when there's more on the line, but his explosiveness in matches when he lets loose can be dangerous to anyone he steps out onto the mat with. He's pinned both Michael Beard of Penn State and Tanner Sloan of South Dakota State. I do think he'll break through and All American this year. Where on the award stand? Well, all I can say for right now is top 8.
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| HWT Boone McDermott Sophomore Record: 9-4 |
On the fence about McDermott as well. An NJCAA champion for Iowa Central, I would like to think he's top 33, NCAA qualification material. Admitting my homer bias, of course I want to see an Iowa boy make it to the dance, but as to DI competition the only victory that really sticks out to me is a 2-0 win over Gary Traub of Oregon State (at the time of Ohio State). HWT is a tough weight class, especially in the BIG 10. 5 of the All Americans at the NCAA's last season were from the BIG 10 and at least 4 of them are returning, maybe all 5. With a full season of wrestling I would think that McDermott cements himself as allocated if not in the least at large, but he also strikes me as one of those types that might be right outside the cut at 34 or 35. We'll see.
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125 - Contend for NCAA qualification
133 - Champion
141 - NQ possible R12
149 - Low end AA 6-7-8
157 - Giving it a beggarman's chance at NCAA qualification
165 - DNQ
174 - 7th or 8th AA
184 - Champion, but a bit more of a darkhorse than what Rivera would be
197 - AA...somewhere in the top 8
HWT - Contend for NCAA qualification
That's how I see things rolling for Rutgers this season.
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